Stitched with Love: Kawartha Carol's Crochet Journey

A tale that stitches together the threads of compassion, creativity, and community spirit. Meet Carol Mitchell, the inspiring founder of Kawartha Carol's Crochet, whose passion for crocheting has brought joy and warmth to countless little ones.

Carol's journey began in April 2020, during a challenging time when her mother was hospitalized. Feeling overwhelmed and unable to care for her mom, Carol found herself in need of a distraction. After ordering $200 worth of yarn, she stepped onto her porch with a newfound purpose.

“I swear yarn has healing properties,” says Carol. 

At first, Carol experimented with intricate stitches and vibrant colors. But as her skills grew, what started as a personal healing journey soon blossomed into a way to give back. Carol began donating baby hats to Lakeridge Health’s Women and Children’s Program.

In just a few years, she’s donated thousands of hats with over 646 hats donated in 2023 alone, and 700 already donated in 2024. Word of her generous efforts spread quickly.

A massage therapist, whose mother was a nurse at the Port Perry Hospital, became one of Carol's first supporters. She would pick up hats for the Port Perry Hospital and the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at the Oshawa Hospital.

“I have all these hospitals around me, and I saw this as an opportunity to share my passion with others,” Carol said.

Every hat represents a small yet significant gift to families. With the unwavering support of her husband, Carol turned her passion into a movement, now providing hats to 33 hospitals across Canada.

Carol's skills evolved, and she soon began adding appliqués to her hats, making them even more special. While each hat takes about an hour to create, the appliqués can take anywhere from 15 minutes to two hours, but the happiness she gets from crafting them is immeasurable.

“Crocheting to donate is a huge passion of mine. I get so much joy out of it,” reflects Carol.

Carol’s impact stretches far and wide. Her hats have reached five provinces in Canada, as well as places like Scotland and Austria. What’s next? A nurse at her mom’s retirement plans to take some baby hats to the Philippines.

As she continues this beautiful journey, Carol remains committed to spreading warmth and happiness, one hat at a time.