ON FRIDAY MORNINGS, a small circle of men and women is doing something quietly radical: they’re knitting. Phones disappear into purses or pockets, the glow of screens replaced by the soft clack of needles and the hum of conversation. Friendships grow. What began as an old-fashioned hobby and community service has become, for the Hat & Scarf ministry, a kind of analog sanctuary—part charity, part creative studio and part resistance to the endless pull of notifications.
Pastor Fr. Francis Ng stops by to greet members of St. Timothy’s Hat and Scarf Ministry. Photos by Alan Wendell/Diocese of Orange
Kay Boland was part of the group from its beginnings in the early 2000s — back when flip phones were just for talking and websites were home to spiders.
“We made scarves and hats for people experiencing homelessness and also took them to veterans and the Navy hospital in Long Beach,” she shared. “We bought gloves for veterans who used wheelchairs because their hands had become callused and sore.”
More recently they have donated baby blankets, caps and booties to those in need as well.
St. Timothy’s parish Hat & Scarf Ministry members Carlos Flores, Judy Daluisiki and Margie Deyo work on their projects during a recent ministry meeting.
St. Timothy’s founding pastor, Fr. Bruce Lavery, originally asked the women to embrace the ministry, and about 20 women joined the group. For a while, the women not only donated their goods to worthy causes but also raised funds by selling knitted pieces and embroidered items after Mass. Edith Marik, who prefers needlework to knitting, remembers an embroidered tablecloth she made that sold for $460. The money went to the same charities as the caps and scarves, or to help buy more yarn. Marik also sends the group a daily reflection and any prayer intentions for the day.
The radical part of the ministry, which even the members may not be aware of, is that knitting, crocheting and needlework help the individual with a “digital detox”: a conscious stepping away for a time where an individual voluntarily refrains from using digital devices—such as smartphones, computers and social media platforms—to reduce stress and improve mental well-being. Knitting and other crafts help settle the mind, focus our attention and think for ourselves.
Unlike social media, groups like the Hat & Scarves involve real human interaction and conversation.
“It’s like a social club,” said Marik. “We make long-term friends and there’s excellent camaraderie.”
She continued: “We have all lost something: courage, health, spouses and children. We all ask each other to pray and rally around us when we are in need. We pray for each other and then have cookies and coffee. Knitting and crochet are suitable for your hands, make you think, keep you busy and off your phone.”
Being off the phone is the unintended benefit. According to a 2022 article in Henry Ford Health, “Both knitting and crochet can challenge and strengthen our brains through the repetition of complex stitches and patterns. This helps build new neural pathways that support memory and can reduce the cognitive decline that comes with age. Knitting and crocheting can also reduce stress and blood pressure, decrease symptoms of depression, and reduce chronic pain. The meditative and repetitive action of both knitting and crocheting help to focus the mind on the activity, thereby slowing the nervous system and reducing anxiety and stress hormones (cortisol) in the body.”
Knowing how to knit or crochet is not required. In fact, members say it’s the perfect place to learn the craft. Members don’t even need to be especially talented; they teach and encourage one another, celebrating each person’s progress. The circle has even grown to include two young men who joined the group to learn to knit.
Carlos Flores, 21, and his brother Cristian Flores, 19, are the sole men in the group. Carlos is studying civil engineering at Cal State Fullerton and was looking to get involved at the parish. Unfortunately, his work and school schedule meant he could only participate on Friday mornings.
“I like working with my hands and the idea of doing something for people in need really appealed to me,” he shared.
Carlos has gotten a lot of good feedback from his co-workers and at least one of them plans to join the group in a few weeks.
The group meets on Friday mornings from 9 a.m. to 11a.m. in the Fireside room on the second floor of St. Timothy’s parish office in Laguna Niguel. Anyone is welcome; aspiring members don’t need to be parishioners or even Catholic.
In a world that measures success in clicks and likes, the Hat & Scarf ministry offers another way: one stitch at a time, one conversation at a time, one quiet act of care at a time. In that gentle, steady rhythm, faith, friendship and healing are knit together, no screens required.