CLEVELAND — At just 16 years old, Liat Browner enjoys knitting.
What You Need To Know
- Liat Browner started knitting again when she got bored during the pandemic
- The 16 year old was adopted from China as a baby and decided to knit blankets for children in orphanages in China
- Browner’s goal is to send 50 knitted blankets for babies and toddlers to the orphanages
“I’m just putting the string, the yarn, up on the needle to help make it easier and faster to knit,” said Browner.
It has become her favorite pastime in recent months.
“A few years ago, I started to learn, but it didn’t really pick up,” she said. “I didn’t really continue doing it until the quarantine when I was bored one day and needed an activity to do. So I started knitting again, picked it back up.”
Her specialty is knitting blankets.
“They’re kind of straight forward,” she said. “You just knit in a row unlike hats you knit in a circle. It’s kind of easier for me.”
What started as a hobby to kick boredom has turned into much more.
“I was adopted in 2005 from China, so I’ve always had a connection and wanted, I’ve always wanted to give back to them,” Browner said. “So when I started knitting, I thought this would just be a good project to do.”
Browner is sending the blankets she knits to orphanages in China for babies and toddlers.
“We used CCAI, is the adoption agency that my parents used to adopt me,” she said. “So we got in touch with them and they said that their charity director and coordinator we emailed, and she said that once we have some blankets to send they can pick some orphanages that are in need and we can send them.”
Her goal is to make and send 50 blankets. So far, she has made about 30, and she’s getting some help from the knitting community.
“Several of our customers have adopted children from China, so it was like a natural connection that people got very excited about it,” said Pam Berkson the co-owner of Around the Table Yarns.
A customer, who is also a family friend of the Browners, told Berkson and fellow co-owner Beth Billings, about the teen’s project. Berkson and Billings included Browner’s project in their newsletter, helping her reach her goal.
“Within a day we probably had 25 or 30 responses like, ‘I’m in. Count me in. What do I need? Are there any specifics?’ And several people are always ongoing knitting blankets and things like that for when a need arises. So we had some that came in right away,” said Berkson.
It takes Browner a few weeks to make each blanket, but she’s almost done with the ones she’s making. She even taught her mom and grandmother how to knit and they’re also helping with her project. The teen said a break may be needed once she’s done.
“I might take a break after the 50, but if we get more than 50, the extras we will give to local organizations in town,” she said.
Browner said she’ll be giving the blankets to a charity organization to take to China once the borders open.
