On a hot Friday morning in early August, members of a knitting club sat in a deeply air-conditioned room at the East Hampton Town Senior Citizens Center, indulging in a summer break from their charitable efforts.
At the beginning of July, the group had made and donated 39 blankets and four sleeping baskets to the Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons. They had also previously knitted hats and scarves for Native American children in South Dakota and sent vests to the Retreat, the local agency that aids victims of domestic violence.
Before starting their next drive — knitted items for the neonatal intensive care unit and Stony Brook Southampton Hospital — the women were embarking on their own projects. Yarn wrapped around their needles, they began craft blankets and throws. Others crocheted or did beadwork.
Started three years ago by Joan Werbel, a regular at the senior center, the group meets every Monday and Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Because many of the initial members did not know how to knit, Ms. Werbel also became the group’s de facto teacher.
“Some people couldn’t knit, some people couldn’t crochet. However, we all sat at the table and decided that we wanted to do something,” said Lynne Chupka.
“I learned to knit when I was 7 in Girl Scouts, but didn’t know how to follow instructions. I know this was here, and I came, and so now I’ve made like 20 hats for every baby that’s been born,” said Nikki Shilling.
The projects aren’t just about giving back to the outside community. The members of the club focus on the senior center itself. In the past few months, Fran Kotkov, a member since the beginning, made a memory quilt. Ms. Kotkov collected patches of fabric that were important to those who use the center and stitched them together into a large quilt that she hopes to pin up there.
The club also provides a sense of community and support for its members, some of whom have lost spouses or are adjusting to changes in their daily routines.
Susan Pluchino, who worked at the Apple Bank for 40 years, was struck by how much she missed interacting with people every day at the bank. “There was always something different and I’d be talking. Coming here has really helped,” she said.
“It keeps your brain focused. When you are knitting, you think of nothing else but that project,” said Anne Inglis, who moved here from New York City four years ago to live with her daughter.
“It doesn’t make you think of your illness. Suppose you are in pain, and you decide, I’ll continue my knitting,” said Ms. Inglais. “All of a sudden that pain just goes straight through me.”
