Jackson woman turns hobby into good cause

Elda Ellis of Jackson took her lifelong love for knitting and turned it into a tool to clothe poor children around the world.

"I've knitted all my life. Started when I was a little girl. My mom made sweaters for the servicemen in World War I and she started me on squares," said Ellis, 92.

She gave it up for a while and began again in 1940, motivated by "walking suits" that her in-laws were making. During World War II she knitted sweaters for service people and continued in producing many family gifts. "This year I had four sweaters under the Christmas tree," said Ellis.

A subscriber to Guideposts Magazine, Ellis saw an announcement of the Guidepost Sweater Project and decided to send for instructions. "I followed their instructions but revamped them a little," she said. "Sometimes I soup them up. Instead of straight knitting I'll vary the knit and pearl stitches to make a design down or across the front. Otherwise it gets boring."

Ellis, a former Jackson music teacher, began the knitting project two years ago. It takes about two or three days for one sweater. To date she's knitted 39 sweaters.

Sometimes she gets donations of yarn; other times she buys her own. "It's a good pastime. I don't get out much, I can't play my organ or do yard work anymore. It makes me happy to think some child will be happy with this sweater," she said.

Ellis has started her daughter on the project, too.

"I'll keep on doing this as long as I can," said Ellis.