Ed Moseley can no longer play golf. The 86-year-old with limited mobility can no longer dance.
But the retired engineer recently led the way at his senior living community by demonstrating you are never too old to learn new things – and help others.
It all started in July when staff at seven Dogwood Forest Assisted Living communities urged residents to be part of a outreach program to knit caps for preemies in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Northside Hospital.
But there was only one problem, or so it seemed. Moseley who lives at the Acworth residence didn't know how to knit. But with the support of family, Moseley taught himself how to knit using a loom kit. Since then, he's knitted over 50 preemie caps in a rainbow of colors. He's also inspired others to learn to knit including other residents and children at his granddaughter's school (where his granddaughter is a teacher). Before long, people were dropping off completed knitted caps to Moseley's room and dropping off balls of yarn for him to knit. Staff at the residence also knitted caps, and were also encouraging, Moseley said.
“When they started this project a few months back, I told my daughter about it and I said, ‘How can I knit? what do I need to do?’ and bless her heart, she went to Jo-Anns [Fabrics] and got a kit, yarn and instruction kit for me. So I started slowly and learned it just takes patience,’” he said.
On Thursday, on National Preemie Awareness Day, Moseley, delivered 350 caps at Northside Hospital.
Moseley, a widower, said at first it took his several hours to knit a cap and sometimes he would drop a stitch and need start over but now he can complete a cap in a little over an hour. He often knits while watching the news or sports on TV, and he has discovered that he enjoys knitting. He said likes to use his time to help others and stay busy. Last year, he helped fill hundreds of shoeboxes with toiletries for women and children in need.
He recently took up paint-by-number kits. And he continues to make caps, happy to also fulfill requests from family and friends.
“I am taking orders right now,” he said with a smile. “As they long as they furnish the yarn, I don’t charge anything.”
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