Document text
Knitter keeps needles busy Mail Tribune / Jim Craven Ann Pellow knits about 65 sweaters a year for needy children, keeping her hands busy while doing other activities � like discussing the paranormal at a local group meeting. She supplies sweaters to needy kids By Dani Dodge Ann Pellow is the kind of woman who never puts down her knitting needles. Not when she�s watching "J.A.G." Not when she�s playing with her hyper Jack Russell terrier named Jamie. Not when she�s pondering the paranormal at her Art Bell-inspired discussion group. "It�s like chewing gum to her," said Del Harris, who hosts the biweekly supernatural discussions at his Medford home. "And the amazing thing is she�s doing it for kids. "It�s inspiration for our esoteric discussions." Pellow, 67, of Medford, isn�t just a manic knitter with dozens of grandkids. She�s actually a retired bookkeeper who donates about 65 brightly colored sweaters a year to needy children. The sweaters are supplied to schools through the Coats for Kids program, handed out to families seeking assistance with their heating bills, and given to hungry families picking up groceries from Food Share, said Philip Yates, the resource development director of ACCESS Inc. Another woman � June Steir � donates hand-knitted hats. "It�s an incredible gift they are giving," Yates said. "I have a great admiration for the time they put in and it�s a great example." One mom, who picked up one of the sweaters this fall for her 8-month-old baby, Jacob, said she�s tickled with the gift. "She does a wonderful job," said the single mother of four, who asked that her name not be used. "It�s very thick and warm and very professional-looking. I�ve washed it a few times already and it doesn�t have any pills on it." The mom said she�s seen others who were given the donated sweaters when they were seeking heating bill assistance, and they actually cried because they were so moved. "They�re really great," she said. Pellow began knitting when she was 7 years old. At the time, it wasn�t an option. Growing up in Pittsford, N.Y., she needed hats and mittens and scarves, and her grandmother insisted that she make them herself. Pellow continued to knit off and on through the years, and for awhile in the early �80s sold knitted sweaters that retailed for $29 to $32. About five years ago, she heard a television announcement for the Coats for Kids program and thought she could use her skill to help poor children. "It�s just a good thing to do," Pellow said. And when she goes about her other activities, such as the paranormal discussion group, she just continues with her community activism. The group has lively discussions about what radio hosts like Bell (who has now retired) and Jeff Rense say on their shows devoted to the supernatural and metaphysical. Pellow said she�s never seen a UFO or had an out-of-body experience, but she does enjoy thinking about some of the interesting things people talk about on radio shows. Still, Pellow said, she tends to do only sweaters for small children when she�s at the discussion group. "Then if we get into a heated discussion and I make a mistake, it doesn�t take as long to tear it out." Anyone wishing to donate yarn to the knitters should contact Ellen Gray at ACCESS, 774-4313. Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.