These adorable Pocket Friends made their way to Suffield in May 2019. Each are hand knit creations by Signe Wright, an 87-year-old Suffield resident. “Each one takes about two to three hours of work, some more than others,” said Signe.
While she does not get out much these days, Signe has always been very industrious knitting year round, making hats and mittens for homeless shelters, knitting gifts for Suffield Community Aid Baskets, and participating in the Annual Church Fair selling her hats and shawls at Second Baptist Church. Signe was energized when she found these adorable Pocket Friends in a knitting group in her home country of Norway. Right away, she wanted to bring Pocket Friends here to Suffield and beyond to pass along to children. “These are not for sale,” she told me and others, “they are a gift of love to little ones to bring them comfort during times of emergency.” She wants to keep true to the original mission of Pocket Friends, so she has donated dozens of these individual creations to Suffield Ambulance, Suffield Police, and Crossroads Food Pantry, as well as the Springfield Soup Kitchen through volunteers at Second Baptist Church.
We posted a few pictures on Facebook, and Signe got hundreds of likes from her contacts in knitting groups. She would like to share the pattern with other knitters who would like to become part of this mission. You can contact her at ksigne@aol.com.