By Sharon Chesir, MSW
A Sisterhood at Wilentz by Sharon Chesir, MSW
The idea for a knitting club took shape two years ago during a Wilentz Senior Residence monthly book club meeting. The members had just finished reading The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs, and were taken by the warmth and friendship of the characters in the book. The feeling of sisterhood among the members of the Knitting Club in the story was particularly appealing. There had been a knitting club at Wilentz several years ago but it had been at least ten years since it ended. There were people at the book club and others in the building that knit beautifully and they decided they would enjoy spending time with people who had the same interest. They decided to start a weekly knitting club- on what better day than Friday- but instead of at night, during the day! The residents now meet every Friday from 1 to at least 3 o’clock. They knit, talk, tell stories and share experiences, thoughts, feelings, and ideas just like in the book!!! Hence a real sisterhood has been formed at Wilentz!!
Currently there are 6 steady knitters and others who come when they can. They range in age from their late 60’s to early 90’s. Ann Bernstein told the group that she learned to knit watching her mother, and started knitting on her own at 14. She admitted that this is the first knitting club she has been in and was a little resistant to the idea at first. She said for years she has been knitting by herself in her home alone while watching T.V. and was fine with it. She said “I figured I’d take a chance and try it and now I’m here every time!” The members all expressed how much fun it is to be together and knit. Member Maria Fragoso, originally from Portugal, shared that she seems to have a different angle in her knitting stitches. She was taught by her grandmother when she was 5. Emma Michalski remembers learning knitting in the second grade while in school in Germany. “It was a home economics class that met weekly for an hour. They taught us what was applicable to a second grader at the time. I sewed a nightgown by hand, knitted, and darned socks.” Ada Kerch remembers learning from a former dancer in a knitting store in Pleasantville, New York 25-30 years ago. Clotelle Hill learned from a knitting kit when she was a child in Brooklyn, New York. Eleanor Berkowitz, another member of the group, said “I loved the ladies, that’s why I joined. I am in the knitting group by default! I’m learning a few stitches but they decided to give me a role so I am the secretary / treasurer of the club! I would have to have a good reason not to be here.”
Initially each member laid out money for the yarn but recently they have been given several donations to help them with their cause. At first they knitted individual items like sweaters, scarves, and afghans for themselves, family members, and friends. They have always helped each other by teaching one another new individual stitches and encouraging each other with the learning process. They have displayed their work twice at the Wilentz Residence and were flattered with all the praise and compliments they received. Last year they decided to use their talents to help less fortunate strangers. The niece of member Ada Kersch teaches in a public high school in Manahawken, New Jersey where the students were knitting for an organization called Keeping America Warm which makes scarves for poor people across America. Ada suggested the women use their talent to help others and asked them if they would be interested in knitting for the organization. The members thought it would be a wonderful idea so they too began knitting several hundreds of squares for this very worthy cause. They did this over the course of several months.
Since then they have been knitting for other causes as well. They have knitted baby items for unwed mothers through Catholic Charities. The knitting club decided it would also be nice to help out their neighbors at the Stein Assisted Living, Jaffa Gate Memory Care Neighborhood. They just finished knitting several shawls for Jaffa Gate residents. They are always looking for other projects. Eleanor, the secretary of the group, expressed their desire to do something for the veterans who are coming home from Afghanistan and Iraq. They want to give back to those who have helped them and are currently exploring the possibility of knitting for the veterans at one of the veteran’s hospitals in New Jersey. “We want to help the boys who are coming home.” They are also planning on contacting Stein Hospice in the near future to see if they are in need of their services.
With all the knitting the knitting club has been doing they decided to order customized labels to sew onto their finished work. And of course since they all have a great sense of humor, they wanted a fun name with a play on the word “knitting”. So their new customized labels say, “From the Knitting Needles of Wilentz Knit-Wits”. Isn’t that great!!! Not only does Wilentz have a knitting club, but the knitting club has a name created by its members: The Wilentz Knit-Wits!!! For more information on the Wilentz Senior Residence contact us at 866-797-2562 or [email protected].

