The group has yarn, needles, and patterns available and gives instruction to beginners.

If you see a small, fuel-efficient car in Norfolk with the bumper sticker “Knit Happens,” that’s likely to be Ruth Melville. She took part in the yarn bombing of Torrington last summer—a form of street art—and last November started the Norfolk Knitters, a group that knits hats, scarves and mittens for distribution at emergency shelters. “Originally, we planned to meet until Christmas, but we had so much fun we kept going,” says Melville. The finished woolen items—often colorful and sometimes intricate—are delivered to the Gathering Place in Torrington, a daytime drop-in center for the homeless. The knitters will continue meeting every Friday in front of the fire at the Norfolk Library from 3:30 to 5 p.m. through March. Everyone is welcome.

Photos by Bruce Frisch.