Knitters help hospital patients

When Crystal Hathcox saw Kate Booth knitting, she decided to resume an old hobby.

"I used to knit a long time ago and hadn't really ever perfected it, but I really wanted to," Mrs. Hathcox said. "When I saw her knitting, I thought, 'You know, I really want to get back into knitting.' So I got to talking to her, and she filled me in about what she was doing. The next time she saw me, I had (gone) out and bought my own things and had started knitting a prayer shawl."

The women were in physical therapy at Medical College of Georgia Hospital. During each session they knit prayer shawls for others who were in physical therapy or the hospital.

"The both of us had the same physical therapist, and one day she asked us if we ever considered knitting for breast cancer patients," Mrs. Booth said. "We loved to knit; we enjoyed doing it; and we knew how powerful it is when you hand something you knit from the heart to someone. So we decided to knit comfort caps."

They soon noticed that the need was bigger than they could meet, she said.

"I can do this much by myself," she said, putting her hands about 6 inches apart. "When there are two of us, we can do twice that amount. But, unfortunately, there is a plethora of people who so desperately need to be touched or loved or cared for. You just can't do enough."

They brought in other knitters.

"Our motto is 'Grits and Grins, knitting from the heart into the lives of others,' " Mrs. Hathcox said. "That's what we want to do. We want to make a difference in other people's lives. Give to people who need to be touched."

They take the comfort caps to the facilitator for the breast cancer support group at MCG to distribute and the prayer shawls to those who request them for others.

Once a month, Grits and Grins gathers at Panera Bread on Robert C. Daniel Parkway to knit.

"When we're knitting, we're knitting the word of God into that prayer shawl or that comfort cap. We're just the knitters. He provides the comfort and the touch for that person who receives a prayer shawl or comfort cap," Mrs. Booth said. "We don't know who will receive what we're knitting, but it always finds its home with the person it's meant for."

The group hopes to attract more knitters and reach more groups and charities, she said.

"We want to touch as many lives in the Augusta area as we possibly can," she said.

Anyone interested in joining the group, donating or adding a charity that can use comfort caps or prayer shawls may contact Mrs. Booth at (706) 993-3652 or katebooth51@yahoo.com, or Mrs. Hathcox at (706) 798-0812 or cbhathcox@comcast.net.

Reach Nikasha Dicks at (706) 823-3336 or nikasha.dicks@augustachronicle.com.