Chatty Hatters use hobby to help others

In 1973, National Football League All-Pro defensive tackle Rosey Grier wrote a book titled "Needlepoint For Men," which came to fruition after he revealed he would use knitting and crochet as a stress reliever from playing football.

Grier was part of the "Fearsome Foursome," one of the most intimidating defensive lines in the history of the NFL during his playing days with the Los Angeles Rams. He would tear through the opposing teams' offensive lines with the same hands he would need to knit together a custom blanket, with an embroidered panda design on it.

It is a few days after Christmas, and the members of the Chatty Hatters knitting group can breathe a little easier knowing they have just pulled through the holiday season. For the Hatters, the holiday season gives them an opportunity to donate their handmade knits to organizations such as Angel Tree, who has been sponsored by Emergency Aid for 15 years.

Much like their fellow knitter Grier, the members of the Chatty Hatters find tranquility in knitting. Not to mention prosperity, in knowing they can help someone in need through a hobby that has helped them in their own lives.

"Everything we make goes back into the community," explains Kitty Ritenour, who started the Chatty Hatters back in 2005 when her husband was a pastor for a church in Henderson. "Then we moved it to the Senior Center here in Boulder City to get them accredited for the community outreach program."

What the community outreach program does is help people in need, such as chemotherapy patients, and give them hats, scarves and any other pieces of knitting that can help.

This knitting sorority that meets up every Thursday from 1 to 3 p.m. was named the Chatty Hatters when Kitty realized there were women that would come in and not know how to knit. So they would end up sitting there, rolling up balls of yarn and chatting with each other.

"We try to encourage participation up at the Senior Center. We had a couple ladies that knitting helped their fingers feel better from the arthritis. A lot of ladies just like to do it because it is still part of their craft," says Ritenour, who has been knitting ever since grade school.

The "Gabby Hatters," as they are also known by some of their members, work solely on yarn donations. According to Tisha Dennis, a member since 2008, what separates the Chatty Hatters from most other knitting organizations across Southern Nevada is they care about the quality of the product they put out, not the quantity.

"I try to make anything I knit really cute, hoping that if that person feels better because of it, then I have done a good job," claims Dennis about her mentality when making knits for people in need. "I make things I'm going to wear. If I'm not going to wear it I rip it out."

For those looking to join the Chatty Hatters but have never knitted before, they offer lessons to teach those interested. Anything from knitting to crochet, the possibilities are endless for those with a desire to learn needlepoint.

Contact reporter Juan Diego Pergentili at jpergentili@bouldercityreview.com.