News

Knitting caps for the love and care of others

By Scott Wagar

02/03/2015

As a nurse, Sadie Jelleberg spent her time with many newborn babies looking after them. Today, in her retirement, she continues to look after newborns, but this time in her own and unique way.

Jelleberg has been creating baby caps by knitting them and donating them to hospitals. Jelleberg credits Avonne Gessner for getting her started in making the newborn caps, who has knitted a large number of baby caps for Trinity Health Center in Minot. 

Since Jelleberg started knitting the warm and fuzzy lids, she has sent her creations to hospitals in Belcourt and Grand Forks and to Bottineau’s First Lutheran Church for the members’ overseas layette program. However, the majority of her caps go to a hospital in Fort Defiance, Ariz. 

“Lucy Peterson came over to my house one day for coffee and saw the caps. She told me that her daughter, Michele, was a pediatrician in Fort Defiance, Ariz., with Indian Health Services,” Jelleberg said. “Lucy added that Fort Defiance is the poorest reservation in the nation and that the mothers there would really love to have my caps for their newborn babies.”

Jelleberg thought it was a great idea and started sending her hats to the hospital where Michele is a care provider.

To date, Jelleberg has knitted 350 baby caps, along with 60 afghans and a number of quilts for babies which on occasion are sent with her hats.

“Babies need something warm and big,” said Jelleberg, who purchases all her own yarn. “And, there are people who need them and I enjoy doing it and it is good therapy for me.”

The therapy Jelleberg talks about is for her diabetic neuropathy, which has left her with pain and numbness in her extremities. Jelleberg has utilized knitting as a treatment for her neuropathy which has granted her the ability to continue to have motility. 

“You have to do something to keep you going,” Jelleberg said. “So, this is what I do.” 

Unlike most newborn hats, which are normally blue or pink for gender purposes, Jelleberg adds a lot of color and flare into her caps which adds to the celebration of a new life.

For those babies being born across the country today, a few of the little ones no doubt have a brighter smile of their faces because they are wearing one of Jelleberg’s unique caps filled with love that can be felt from the tip of their heads to their tiny toes.