Young knitters helping newborns

SOUTH WEBER — The prospect of saving a newborn has prompted some South Weber Elementary School students to turn their outside playing time into indoor knitting time.

The students, a group from Pat Prussing's third-grade class, have spent their recess breaks indoors recently knitting stocking caps for the Save the Children Project "Caps to the Capitol Action Kit."

"It wasn't hard," Abbey Lindquist, 8, said of spending her recess breaks indoors. "I didn't want to go outside because it's freezing."

The students started their knitting crusade at the school, 1285 E. Lester St., on Dec. 1.

It all began when Prussing saw an advertisement for the Save the Children Project in a magazine.

The advertisement stated that simple measures, like putting a cap on a newborn baby's head, could help save many of the 2 million babies who die each year in the first 24 hours of life in developing countries.

"I had no idea that a hat could be so important to a baby," Prussing said, adding that a baby can lose up to 30 percent of its body heat through its head.

Prussing thought that making stocking caps for newborn babies would be a good activity for her third-grade students. "I've always wanted to teach them (knitting), and now I had a reason," she said.

The students spend their time at recess, their extra class time when their assignments are finished and some of them at home completing as many stockings as possible.

"I'm going to make as much as this yarn can hold," said Kelsey Skeen, 8, while pointing to her multi-colored ball of yarn.

"I can even get more yarn and make more," Lindquist added.

The students have until Dec. 20, the last day of school before their holiday break, to finish the stockings.

The completed caps will be sent to President Bush, accompanied by hand-written letters from the students asking for funds to improve health measures in developing countries, specifically money for sterile blades to cut umbilical cords and antibiotics for pneumonia.

"We hope that he'll realize it's important to spend money in developing nations on medical care," Prussing said.

The stockings must be sent to the Capitol by Jan. 2. Prussing said that they will then be sent to developing countries.