CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — When the pandemic started almost a year ago, Monique Gauthier needed something to occupy her time.
Luckily, her aunt gave her a plastic loom and yarn as a present, so after her mom, Paula, figured out how to use it and showed her, Monique set about making hats.
Over the year, she knitted 106 baby-sized caps, which she donated to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in December.
Now, she is 30 hats deep into a collection of adult-sized hats she hopes to donate to the hospital for cancer patients, she said.
“It was another thing for me to do and keep me busy.”
Normally, she would be occupied with part-time work a few days a week and playing a variety of sports through Special Olympics, particularly curling, but everything has remained on hold.
Making the hats was a life saver while being stuck at home, said Paula.
“It really saved our sanity, both of us.”
Each hat ends up unique, as Monique uses different colours of wool and makes them in different styles. For the Christmas donation, she even made special Santa-style ones, red with a white brim. They take her about a day to make, while the larger ones take three or four days, depending on how much time she spends each day.
Switching to the larger hats came about when someone made the suggestion after Monique made her first donation, said Paula.
“After making 100 baby hats, she needed a change, and somebody mentioned it would be a good idea.”
Even having made so many, it’s still an activity she loves doing, Monique said.
“I do it almost every day while I’m watching TV. That was mom’s idea to do something while I’m watching TV.”
Being able to donate them was a huge plus, she said.
“I like giving to the babies, making mothers happy and making nurses happy giving them to them.”
Paula’s part is small in the endeavour, finishing each hat by stitching them shut. She’s thankful her daughter has something to keep her busy at home.
“It’s great to get her involved in something. It’s something she’s able to do and she takes pleasure in it, and every single one she looks at she loves.”
Once Monique finishes her current batch of adult hats for donation, she’s not sure if she’ll go back to making baby caps, but she knows she’ll keep making them, regardless, she said.
“I do enjoy every one I make.”