Standley Lake Library and Arvada Fire Department partner for community knitting challenge

Jefferson County Standley Lake Library’s Yarn and Needle Arts Group invites the community to join in a knitting challenge to assist the Arvada Fire Department, opens a new window by contributing items for those in need. People can participate by making or donating knitted newborn beanies, blankets, stuffed animals, mittens, hats and scarves, and animals, or the supplies to make them.

Items can be dropped off at the Standley Lake Library from February 10  - March 10. Arvada Fire will be doing a ceremonial pickup of collected items on Thursday, March 7, during the Yarn and Needle Arts group’s monthly meeting at Standley Lake Library. Desired yarn types include chenille and baby soft. Gentle materials like fleece and flannel are also needed for constructing baby hats.

Arvada Fire Battalion Chief Deanna Harrington says there is always a need for knitted materials, particularly during the winter.  “As you can imagine, the fire department handles a wide variety of situations. Our rigs always carry a supply of knitted items like hats, blankets and mittens so that we have them at the ready when an emergency arises.” Chief Harrington notes that in the past, the department has purchased beanies for babies they have helped deliver or transport to the hospital following a homebirth. “We think it’d be a nice touch to have them made by the community as part of the library’s Yarn and Needle Arts-sponsored drive,” she said.

“The library’s Yarn and Needle Art’s group is so happy to be partnering with the Arvada Fire Department,” says group coordinator Neila Achter. “We look forward to promoting and fulfilling this community need. We appreciate the library for being a vehicle to make it happen and we appreciate the members of the public who join us in this effort.”

Standley Lake Library’s Yarn and Needle Arts group began in 2014 and meets on the first Thursday of each month from 5:30 – 8 PM. The informal group is comprised of all skill levels and works under the guidance of Ms. Achter. Its most recent major community-knitting event was in 2018 when the public joined group members in creating baby knits for Warm Hearts, Warm Babies, an Arvada-based charity. In 2016, it supported the Rocky Mountain Cancer Center in Lakewood by making or collecting over 120 chemo caps.