Becky Ham took up the hobby of knitting hats a few years ago and has been busy ever since.
“I get excited when I make hats,” she laughs.
Watch Becky Ham at work making hats:
The hats aren’t for her. She freely gives them away to those who might need one.
“I try to make hats out of whatever I can get ahold of. And it’s fun. I can make a hat in about an hour,” she says.
She’s made more than one thousand so far—1,250 to be exact.
“I take donations for yarn. I get yarn at yard sales as cheap as I can get it. I’ve never sold a hat. I just give them away to people who need them, want them,” Ham says. “I usually have hats in my car just in case somebody comes up and wants one.”
Sharing her hats is her way of giving back. She’s made them for preemie babies, cancer patients and school kids. But it was seeing folks on the streets during Montana’s cold winter weather that got her started.
“I see people who have nothing. And I’m fortunate. I don’t have a lot, but I have clothes on my back. They don’t even have that sometimes,” she says.
Shay Reiser, also known as Wander Women, is aware of that. She heads up an effort that helps get meals and clothing to those on the streets. Ham has donated many of her hats to help.
“I think it means more when it’s handmade by someone. It has a little more love in it. They appreciate it a little more, and they are also thicker and warmer than the store-bought ones often too,” Reiser says.
She says there’s a great need on the streets.
“I appreciate that Becky and a few other people from this community have taken time out of their lives, out of their retirement, or any other downtime that they have to use their hands and their hearts to help other people,” Reiser says.
Ham says she’s always looking for yarn and appreciates any donations that she gets. She’ll use it to help someone else in return.
“And I’ve seen a couple since I started handing out hats. I’ve seen a couple people wearing them and so that makes me feel good,” Becky says.
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