HOWARD COUNTY, Maryland – Sara Gajengi and Ami Raithatha had no idea that a small hobby they learned together as children would grow into an entire community in Howard County.
Ami says she ran into a bit of a problem when she started crocheting again in eleventh grade of high school.
“Then I made about seven or eight hats, bags and scarves, and at a certain point no one in the house had any use for them anymore, because how many winter hats can you use before there are too many?” says Ami Raithatha, founder of Maryland Crochet, for a smile.
Then she found a solution: she started donating her creations to charities, nursing homes and hospitals.
“When I got involved with people in communities outside of our school, that definitely became the Pins and Needles community, especially because the fundraisers grew exponentially after that, they just kept getting bigger and bigger and I was always completely overwhelmed by the amount of stuff we got,” says Ami.
Hope Corrigan of the Pins and Needles organization really admired what Ami created.
She says she wants to get involved beyond just donating her leftover yarn and crochet hooks.
Luckily, Sara and Ami also taught the children how to crochet.
“For some of these kids who are maybe recovering from cancer treatment or whatever, I had to teach them how to do something new with their hands. And I felt like I could give back that way,” says Hope Corrigan.
Sara says the classes are about more than just crocheting and that it is a place where people can find peace.
“I think you should have a hobby that calms you down and distracts you from a stressful day. For example, if you’ve been at school or work all day, it’s nice to have a hobby that is productive and helps you unwind,” says Sara Gajengi.
Ami says she feels the same way and has realized that the classes also help with things like mental health.
“I imagine there’s also a sense of community for some of the kids that come in because they now have something in common with this group of people. They can just come in and have something to talk about and a way to make new friends and relieve stress because we provide them with yarn, crochet hooks and patterns. They just have to let go of the tension that’s built up and sit down and crochet.”
The women are preparing for September, for which they have planned further courses and are already waiting for donations from many organizations.
Some of these places are:
HOPEWORKS of Howard County, the Children’s Home of Maryland, the Maryland Association for the Education of Young Children and the Autism Society of Maryland.
Ami also says they will be teaching classes for children at the Casey Cares Foundation.
If you would like to donate or volunteer, you can reach Ami Raithatha at [email protected] or visit her website.
You can also find Sara Gajengi’s artwork here.
