Knitting charity sets ambitious goal

Last year volunteers in Marion County knitted and crocheted 144 purple caps for newborns to remind parents not to shake their infants. This year organizers are setting an ambitious goal to donate 250 of the caps.

Karen Ehrlich of Down on the Corner in Marion said between 12 and 15 people participated in the cap drive in 2011. The caps do not take long to make.

“I can make one in an hour,” Ehrlich said.

One volunteer made 35 of the caps in 2011, she said.

The project donated about 6,500 of the caps statewide in 2011, giving them to hospitals with delivery units for distribution in November and December.

For the second consecutive year, Down on the Corner at 162 W. Main St., Marion, will be a drop-off location for the caps. Ehrlich is also offering a 25 percent discount on purple yarn for the caps.