Honoring Martin Luther King by clicking the needles

FALLS VILLAGE - The Falls Village Congregational Church was humming with quiet activity Monday morning.

To celebrate Martin Luther King Day, some 20 members of the congregation got together, invited lots of community guests and held an extended knitting session to donate to a worthy cause.

"We’ve had a tremendous response," said organizer Ashley DeMazza as she sat with half a dozen other participants in the church’s Miner Hall. "Many people are working on projects at home."

As a Christmas gift, DeMazza received a book, "Knitting For Peace," about volunteers in knitting shops, private homes and places of worship, who meet in their spare time to knit afghans for the homeless and socks for soldiers. She looked at a related Web site, got inspired and decided to organize an effort of her own.

Along with Mary Atwood and Akke Jasmine (an expert knitter, who leads knitting workshops here in town), and with materials donated by the church, DeMazza decided to participate in a program called Warm Woolies. Participants at Monday’s event knitted sweaters, mittens and scarves for orphans in cold-weather nations in Eastern Europe, Mongolia, China and Nepal. Warm Woolies will deliver the goods to the orphans.

Participants also shared a pot-luck lunch. DeMazza said she and the group are planning an encore session for President’s Day, Feb. 18.