Emerald City Knitters, a Seattle-based charity that hosts knitting events at Ballard breweries and coffee shops and supports local organizations including the Ballard Food Bank, is continuing its community-focused projects and inviting new participants to join.
Nikola Prendergast and Roxanne Rumelhart started the knitting group following the 2018 Australian wildfires and the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown. The two met through a weekly knitting group, Knitting with Intention, hosted by Laura Lindeman at Virginia Mason Medical Center in downtown Seattle.
According to the organization, images of the Australian wildfires prompted Prendergast to take action. Alongside Rumelhart and others in the knitting group, they created birds’ nests and kangaroo pouches for joeys displaced by the fires. The items were sent to Australian wildlife groups caring for injured and displaced animals.
When the pandemic led to the closure of the original knitting group, Prendergast and Rumelhart formed Emerald City Knitters. Since then, the group has created hats for oncology patients at Virginia Mason Medical Center and regularly knits items for organizations serving people experiencing homelessness, including Wellspring Family Services and the Ballard Food Bank.
Following a recent winter-season knitting drive, the group is beginning new projects and looking to expand participation. Emerald City Knitters hosts events at Ballard breweries and coffee shops, where knitters of varying experience levels gather to work on projects and share skills.
More information about the group is available on Instagram (@emeraldcityknitters) and Facebook (Emerald City Knitters).
Photo courtesy Emerald City Knitters