The soft purple caps coming from members of the Crochet Club at the Great Bend Public Library may save a baby’s life. These caps are going to a non-profit group that aims to prevent Shaken Baby Syndrome by teaching parents about “The Period of PURPLE Crying®.”
That trademark phrase is used to describe the time early in a baby’s life when he or she will cry a lot — more than any other time. Inexperienced parents can find this especially frustrating, and the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome wants them to know it is normal, it is something babies will outgrow, and that shaking a baby puts his or her life at risk.
The group packages the hats with a flier and DVD with more information.
“We had just started our Crochet Class when (the PPP group) sent us a letter, so we took the project on,” said Elizabeth Dukelow, circulation director at the library.
The Crochet Club meets a 2 p.m. most Mondays — a time change after a summer of morning meetings — and welcomes new and experienced participants.
“We will be making baby hats until Monday Sept. 26th but will still accept them until that Wednesday the 28th when they will be shipped out,” Dukelow said. She will send the hats to the South Central Kansas Library System in Wichita, which will handle distribution.
Anyone who wants to crochet or knit a hat is invited to do so – whether they come to the meetings or not, she said.
“We have kits put together for people to take home that include a skein of yarn, a crochet hook or knitting needles, and five patterns of different skill levels,” she said. A $5 donation is requested. “This kit also includes a letter and sheets of information about the Period of Purple Crying and their specifications about the hats: no attachments like buttons, ribbons, pom poms, or other choking hazards; the hats must be 50 percent purple; they must be within specific measurements which are 13-15 inches in circumference and approximately 4-6 inches high; the material needs to be machine washable; and last but not least the hats need to be soft to the touch!”
There are also sample hats at the library.
The Crochet Club will start a new beginners class in October.