Senior spreading winter warmth
It breaks her heart as a mother when she sees kids walking to school without proper hats, socks or gloves.
It’s what inspired 83-year-old Mika Enns to make hats, lots of them — more than 250 in the span of a year.
The hats will be given out this week to people at the Westview Centre for women and students at Connaught Public School.
“It’s not even a year since my friend introduced it to me. Before that, I knitted with needles.”
Enns shows the round knitting loom that she uses, with another hat on its way.
“It started with my daughter Erika’s program, Westview Centre for women. She told me they were getting 100 presents for the ladies. I said ‘I can make you hats.’”
Westview Christian Fellowship makes a Christmas lunch for Connaught. This year it’s making 280 lunches which spurred Enns on.
“When I couldn’t sleep, I would get up and start knitting.
“I’ve always wanted to do something for others from young on, my joy if I could do that, and this gives me extra much joy.”
Unfortunately, she fractured her pelvis earlier this year, and that meant six weeks of therapy at Linhaven, but it didn’t stop the spry senior.
“She got to a hundred, and she kept on going,” says her daughter Erika Klassen.
Enns said that she started after the beginning of 2018 and can now do a hat a day.
“But then I can’t do much housework,” she quips.
“We all need to feel like we’re needed and that we contribute, but it’s more difficult when you’re older.
“I like doing it (knitting), it’s not just sitting and watching TV. They say it’s good for your brain, it keeps it going,” Enns adds with a smile.
“I can’t knit socks, but I can keep their head warm.”