Sycamore Stitchers: ISU group knits, crochets items to help homeless stay warm

Nov. 15—A colorful array of knit and crocheted hats, scarves, fingerless gloves and soap sacks blanketed a table in a room at Indiana State University's Fine Arts Building last week.

There, a large group of ISU employees, students and retirees gathered to craft items that will be donated to REACH Services of Terre Haute and Bethany House for distribution to the homeless.

More than 25 students and employees are part of a group called "Sycamore Stitchers," which has gathered weekly this semester to help the local community. They've made about 200 items.

"It's a wonderful community service opportunity for people from all corners of campus," said Maria Wiant, the group's facilitator, who also is an ISU academic adviser.

The stitchers bring a wide range of experience. "Some have never touched yarn before. Some are picking up their needles after many years. Some are expert knitters and crocheters," she said.

For the past several weeks, they've been making items for Reach Services and Bethany House. Next, they'll crochet and knit items for the Sycamore Food Pantry. In February, members will put their creative talents to work for another local charity.

Sycamore Stitchers was organized by the Center for Community Engagement and the Community School of the Arts. It is a weekly class that students and employees can join to learn stitching, knitting, or crocheting, and create items for charity.

ISU employees can do community service for approved activities and agencies during work time and get paid for that time up to 15 hours.

Students also can receive community service credit.

"We thought this would be a great way to easily social distance, have a sense of community, and ...give back to the community," said Cynthia Phillips-Sabla, CSA director.

Wiant said a group of six undergraduates has come every week, and only two of them knew how to knit; those two experienced knitters helped teach the others.

"It's just wonderful. Not only are they learning a skill they never thought they'd get at a university, but they are learning persistence, how to teach someone and how to encourage someone. And those are great skills to take with them wherever they go," Wiant said.

Among those participating Thursday was Tony Guarino, a junior criminology major from Michigan, who was working to complete a scarf he and Beth Baer dubbed "Frankenscarf."

"We coined the term," Guarino said.

She made the scarf's purple center, and he knit the gray acrylic yarn on each end. "It looks pretty good," he said.

He's just learned knitting and was a little behind, and Baer is experienced and further along — so they merged efforts.

Knitting takes motivation, Guarino said. "It's not hard, but it takes a lot for you to see your results ... It takes time."

Baer, a senior from Illinois and accounting major, learned to knit around fourth grade. "I wish I could do it more. When I have time, it's one of my favorite hobbies," she said.

She helped teach Guarino and other students how to knit. "I've always wanted to do a knitting type of club," she said.

As far as helping the homeless with hats and scarves to keep them warm, "I think it's really great. I like that we're making items with a purpose," Baer said.

At the same table was Tessa Carr, a junior from Illinois, who also just learned knitting. When she decided to join Sycamore Stitchers, she told friends, "I need a new hobby. I like to learn new things."

She has a free hour at the time the group meets. "It's a different skill and kind of gets my mind off school," Carr said, as she worked on a turquoise-colored scarf.

She's also glad to be helping keep the homeless warm this winter.

"Any way I can contribute, I'm always willing to. I think it's great the Terre Haute community is always trying to find ways to give back to the people in the community. I think that's why I chose this area to go to school," she said.

At another table, Cathy Contri crocheted a blue and white ISU Sycamore hat; she had already knit a hat, also blue and white. She is an ISU employee working with the Community School of the Arts and helps get things organized for the Thursday gatherings.

She's experienced at both knitting and crocheting. "I've done it my whole life," she said. "My grandmother taught me."

Participating in Sycamore Stitchers enables her to use her community service hours. Also, knitting and crocheting to benefit the nonprofit groups "is for the greater good," Contri said.

Diana Hooten, another ISU employee, was knitting a scarf and had previously made hats, fingerless gloves and soap sacks.

She joined Sycamore Stitchers "to help out and to have a set group to donate items to ... I love that we are getting to help our community."

Sue Loughlin can be reached at 812-231-4235 or at sue.loughlin@tribstar.com Follow Sue on Twitter @TribStarSue.