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Handy work
Port Republic knitter donates time to charitable, creative items
Friday, Dec. 18, 2009
 Click here to enlarge this photo Staff photos by BOB RENNEISEN
Mary Douglass of Port Republic works on a Baltimore Ravens knit cap for one of her grandchildren. Like most knitters, most of her creations are for others.
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Many people may have a favorite sweater, consisting of a design of well-loved colors or an intricate pattern of stitches that fascinates the owner.
But, unless the wearer is a knitter, they may not know if the design is easy, complicated or if it is well done.
"Knitting," according to Sally Douglass of Port Republic, "is relaxing, stimulating, and challenging, or not, depending on the project. It can be very creative."
Douglass, who describes herself as a compulsive knitter, learned the craft young and has never stopped.
"I grew up in a family of women that did all sorts of beautiful handwork," she recalled recently. "They did beautiful embroideries and crochet, just marvelous things, and the only thing that nobody [in the family] knew how to do was knit. So, being a perverse little kid, that's what I wanted to learn how to do. I bought a book for 10 cents on how to knit. That's how I got started."
Like many knitters, most of her projects are for others, not for herself.
"Knitting is very meditative. One cannot help thinking of and praying for the recipient of the article being knit," she said.
"The first thing I learned to knit was a scarf for the soldiers in World War II. I can remember not enjoying it much, because it was khaki, and I didn't like khaki. I found out later, much to my surprise, that had my friend and I gone to some other place in town we could have got navy blue to knit for the navy. Anyway, I never knit another scarf; it was very boring."
Douglass says that, in former times, knitting was very much a winter pastime, but with non-wool yarns and air conditioning, it has become a common year-round activity.
Douglass and her husband, Bob, had lived in Calvert County earlier in their marriage, left for work reasons, and ultimately returned. They've been in their current Port Republic home for the past 21 years.
"I grew up in Troy, N.Y., and went to Russell Sage College," she said. "A lot of us knit in college — we were even allowed to knit in class if it was OK with the professor."
Knitting has really taken over her life in the last 20 years or so, because she has more time for it.
"I no longer have little children and I'm not employed now, which I was before — I taught school," she explained. "When we lived in Severna Park there was a woman who was a wonderful knitter and she [taught] classes. One of the first things I did there was to sign up and knit with that group. They were very inspirational and very informative and that is where my knitting really took off."
Nancy Donley, owner of Ch'Naca Fiberworks, a shop catering to knitters, weavers and other crafts persons in Prince Frederick, said "the more someone knits, the more you can see their personality in it." She describes Douglass as a very creative and caring individual. "She makes sure that what she knits is particular to the purpose that she has for it. She knits appropriately — appropriate yarn, color style and so on."
Donley also mentioned that Douglass, like many knitters, does many charitable projects.
"What's interesting about knitters is that probably 90 percent don't knit for themselves. Almost everything we make is for someone else. We do chemo caps, we do helmet liners for the military —most knitters don't knit for themselves."
"Sally always does the chemo caps for us in February — she brings some of her group of friends down because we have a chemo cap knit in here — we donate all the caps to the infusion center at Calvert [Memorial Hospital for patients who have undergone chemotherapy]. Sally also does items for hospice — lap robes and things. She really is community oriented and enjoys doing things for folks."
Both Douglass and Donley agreed that, for those interested, knitting is not hard to learn. All it takes is a willingness to experiment and try different things, Donley said.
"When I teach, my students all have to start by making a scarf. It's a basket weave — only two stitches — and after that, I'll help them make anything they want. There are only two basic stitches, knit and purl. It's where you put them, how you move them around, what order you put them in and how you play with them. That's it."
So, where does one go to learn? Douglass suggests that senior citizens explore the classes taught by Faye Brookman at the Calvert Pines Senior Center. Those not so senior may contact Donley at her shop at 143 Central Square Drive in Prince Frederick.
Tending to knitting may not sound exciting, but, according to Douglass, it can be.
"The sky's the limit," she said.
