Homewood woman captains knitting army

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Mary McDermed, of Homewood, prepares knitted scarves, helmet liners, neck gators, and hats for shipment to soldiers in the Middle East. Her group Hands from the Heartland made 400 items last year and expects to make 500 this year. | Brett Roseman~Sun-Times Media

Updated: December 11, 2011 8:32AM

Mary McDermed has been the captain of a small volunteer army, “Hands from the Heartland,” for the last two years.

The group of 45 women, mostly senior citizens, has been waging war with their knitting needles against the cold conditions that deployed U.S. soldiers face every day.

“All the items we make are hand-knitted and crocheted, and they’re all 100 percent wool,” McDermed said of the 485 scarves, helmet liners, and “neck gators” packed and ready to be shipped to Afghanistan from her home in Homewood.

McDermed said she found herself in charge of the program after reading an article in a 2009 Homewood Veterans Committee newsletter sent to her husband, Ed, a World War II veteran.

“It explained the brutal weather conditions in Iraq and Afghanistan and how they were looking for people to knit helmet liners and scarves for the soldiers,” McDermed said. “When I responded, the lady who wrote it told me I was the only person out of 200 newsletters to respond, and she asked me to spearhead the project.”

McDermed said when she agreed to take it on, she thought, “What’s so hard? You go home and you knit or crochet.”

“I didn’t realize what was ahead of me,” she said.

McDermed now spends a great deal of time soliciting new members, holding member meetings during the year, contacting military chaplains, educating the public and looking for donations for the wool. At $5 or more for a three-ounce skein, the costs quickly add up.

“But my first thought was people,” McDermed said. She knew she had to find people who actually knew how to knit or crochet, textile crafts that are no longer widely practiced.

“I attended every veterans’ luncheon sponsored in the township and community and asked for volunteers,” she said. “At our first meeting on Dec. 3, 2009, about 25 senior citizens from the veterans’ luncheons showed up.”

McDermed said she had enough wool for the new members and after an explanation of the projects they needed to do, everyone got to work.

“There are rules for this,” McDermed said. “You can only use dark military colors — black, dark olive, brown and dark gray — and no pattern that the tip of your little finger can fit through is allowed.”

“These ladies must be thanked. They work very, very hard,” McDermed said. “We do our very best knitting for those soldiers. I know the troops value them.”

The group has now grown to 45, most of them in their 70s, 80s and even 90s, and the sheer number of items requested has been overwhelming.

“Last year I had six chaplains request 1,500 pieces,” McDermed said. “We had only completed 300 at the time, so I quickly called all the members to make at least one more piece. This year I was given the names of four chaplains and we could only accommodate two. It makes me feel sick inside.”

McDermed said she continually seeks donors to supply the funds for the wool, shipping costs and costs associated with getting the word out.

“When I first sent out formal proposals looking for money to support us, the Disabled Patriot Fund from Orland Park was the first to respond with a donation of $500,” McDermed said. She said other early donations came from Walt’s Food Stores, veterans’ organizations and the Lions Club organizations in Crete and Homewood, among others, all of which has meant a great deal to the members.

McDermed said the members — hailing from nearly a dozen south suburban towns and Chicago — are producing as much as they can, but more members and the funds to purchase wool are still needed.

McDermed said those who cannot donate money or are unable to knit or crochet can assist by inviting her to speak at any service organization to educate others.

“If you can knit or crochet, or if you can make a donation, whatever you can do will make a difference,” McDermed said. “If you can make one item, one more soldier will be warm because of you.”

McDermed can be reached at (708) 799-5071.