AUSTIN, TX -- Two Austin women are creating special gifts for troops serving overseas by spending hundreds of hours crocheting scarves.
Strand by strand 83-year-old Mary Lou Ellison and 81-year-old Pauline Swanberg are making warm reminders of home. It takes the sisters three to four hours to crochet each scarf. Since November, they have made 500.
Pauline's daughter Darlene Simril came up with the idea. She helped make the scarves as well.
Next week they are shipping the scarves to Operation Gratitude. The non-profit group will then send the scarves to service members who are serving in the cold.
Ellison said she stays up past midnight to make the scarves.
“Just to let them know we appreciate what they're doing. What little we do might help a little bit,” said Ellison.
“I just can't believe that many were crocheted,” said Swanberg.
Operation Gratitude hopes to send 60,000 scarves to soldiers serving overseas to keep warm in the winter.
Ellison and Swanberg said they plan to make as many scarves as possible, but they sometimes run out of money to buy the yarn on fixed income. If you want to help them, email jmingus@kvue.com for more information.
