Sitting down in her bright kitchen surrounded by house plants, Marianne reflects on having led a full life. She raised her two sons and was an active parent on their school’s volunteer board. Although she attended her sons’ baseball games, she never watched an entire one, as she was busy in the snack shack selling hotdogs, soda, and candy bars to support the team. Once her sons were grown and had children of their own, she enjoyed having the family over to her house to make Legos which she proudly displays in the back room of her house.
Marianne’s days now consist of listening to daytime television, sipping on a cold glass of white wine, and knitting six to eight hours a day. Six hours when her thumbs ache – eight hours when they don’t.
It all started for her at the young age of five – when Marianne first learned the basic one-stitch knit. She discovered her talent for knitting which turned into something that would touch the hearts of hundreds, if not thousands, of people over the years. Not to be confused with crocheting (which is worked with a single hook), knitting is worked with two or more needles interlocking loops made from a stretchy fabric or yarn.
Before gifting her talents to the people in her life, she perfected her craft on scarves for her dolls and sweaters for the family dog. She made her first sweater for herself when she was just twelve years old.
When a patient enters the Hospice program, their nurse or social worker will often ask the family if the patient has a favorite color and will bring them a handmade blanket from the ones we have on hand from past donations. The increase in the number of patients we have seen has led to an increase in the number of blankets needed.
When Hospice put out the call on Facebook in March of 2023 that we were low on
blankets for our patients, Marianne’s sister-in-law saw the post and immediately called to say she had somewhere Marianne could send her blankets! Marianne’s husband Tony dropped off four of the most beautiful blankets we’ve ever seen with a note that said, “These are just a sample of what I’ve made this past year. If you like these and need more, please call me.” – And we did! We visited Marianne at her home to collect more blankets and have enjoyed spending time with her. On one of our visits, we learned that not only does she knit blankets, but she also knits
slippers.
She has been knitting slippers for 44 years. Her husband’s grandmother used to knit them for the family, but when she suffered a stroke, Marianne asked the family if it was okay for her to start knitting the slippers for everyone. She has made thousands of slippers since.
Her slippers have even made it as far as Afghanistan. When her son was deployed, Marianne and her husband sent over 40 care packages with slippers and matching hats for everyone in his platoon.
Recently, Marianne has begun pairing the blankets she sends to Hospice with a matching pair of slippers to add another level of comfort for the patient. When asked how it makes her feel to know her blankets have made their way to so many patients and their families, she said it makes her feel so good. She loves to knit so much and knowing that someone wants and loves them just like she does means
the world.
Hospice is eternally grateful to Marianne and to all the other volunteers who have spent time knitting to provide for our patients. Acts of kindness, no matter how big or small, whether receiving or giving, provide the hope and comfort we all need.
“Happiness is a warm blanket.” – Linus
To read the full Winter Newsletter, please click HERE!