Vicki Wahl knits scarves at her home in Lake Stevens on Feb. 17. More than 170 of her scarves will be handed out during this years’ homelessness count. (Kevin Clark / The Herald )

Vicki Wahl knits scarves at her home in Lake Stevens on Feb. 17. More than 170 of her scarves will be handed out during this years’ homelessness count. (Kevin Clark / The Herald )

Lake Stevens woman knits 175 scarves, donates to homeless

Vicki Wahl, 78, makes the scarves annually, ahead of the county’s Point-in-Time count.

LAKE STEVENS — For the past 10 years, Vicki Wahl has knitted scarves for teachers, seniors in nursing homes and unsheltered people.

On Thursday, she delivered 175 of them to the Snohomish County Department of Human Services.

“I love to knit,” Wahl said. “I do that almost all day long and then I stay up late at night.”

Wahl, 78, said anyone is welcome to the scarves, but the vast majority go to people who are homeless. Typically, Wahl makes one big donation every year before Snohomish County conducts the Annual Point-in-Time Count. It’s a convenient deadline, said her son, Andrew Wahl.

“She’s tried to use the Point-in-Time Count as a go-to every year,” Andrew Wahl said. “Homelessness has been such an increasing problem in Snohomish County. When she was growing up here, you didn’t see that.”

The Point-in-Time Count is how the county estimates the number of people who are homeless. The most recent was in 2020. It documented 1,226 people who were unsheltered or lacked permanent housing. The next count is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 22, after a pandemic-induced hiatus.

Vicki Wahl donated her first batch of scarves 10 years ago, when she worked at Tom Thumb Grocery in Lake Stevens. A coworker asked her to donate some for a charity drive. She made about 25.

Vicki Wahl knits scarves at her home in Lake Stevens on Feb. 17. (Kevin Clark / The Herald )

Vicki Wahl knits scarves at her home in Lake Stevens on Feb. 17. (Kevin Clark / The Herald )

Since then, it has become an annual tradition. Vicki Wahl looks for organizations that can give the scarves to people without homes. The number of scarves she knits keeps growing, though. Vicki Wahl knitted and donated about 70 scarves last year. She knitted more in 2021, because she found herself with extra time during the pandemic. She has already started knitting scarves to donate next year.

“I just love it,” said Mandy Jeffcott, a community services counselor for the county who collected the donation. “It’s nice just knowing that there are people out there who care and who are thinking of other people.”

Each scarf takes about a day or two to knit. Vicki Wahl mixes up the sizes and colors to keep it interesting.

“I don’t want to get bored with one color,” she said.

Vicki Wahl’s husband, who died in 2016, used to bring her yarn he found at garage sales. Andrew Wahl said his father “worked the garage sale scene like crazy.”

Vicki Wahl of Lake Stevens has been making scarves for for teachers, nursing home residents and unsheltered people for the past 10 years. (Kevin Clark / The Herald )

Vicki Wahl of Lake Stevens has been making scarves for for teachers, nursing home residents and unsheltered people for the past 10 years. (Kevin Clark / The Herald )

“Dad used to be a garage saler and he would get in trouble for bringing stuff home,” Andrew Wahl said. “They finally came up with a deal that he could bring her yarn to turn into scarves. It brought some harmony to the home.”

Andrew Wahl said people often donated yarn, after his father told them about the scarves. Vicki Wahl still has some leftover yarn her husband brought back.

She has knitted other items, like blankets for herself and her children, but they’re more time consuming. She prefers scarves. Vicki Wahl doesn’t remember the first thing she ever made, but guessed it was a scarf. One of her sisters taught her how to knit about 50 years ago.

“A bright scarf sometimes makes your day,” she said.

Katie Hayes: katie.hayes@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @misskatiehayes.

Katie Hayes is a Report for America corps member and writes about issues that affect the working class for The Daily Herald.

Talk to us

More in Local News

News logo for use with stories about Mill Creek in Snohomish County, WA.
Mill Creek house fire leaves 1 dead

The fire was contained to a garage in the 15300 block of 25th Drive SE. A person was found dead inside.

Firefighters respond to a house fire Wednesday morning in the 3400 block of Broadway. (Everett Fire Department)
3 hospitalized in critical condition after Everett house fire

Firefighters rescued two people, one of whom uses a wheelchair, from the burning home in the 3400 block of Broadway.

The Walmart Store on 11400 Highway 99 on March 21, 2023 in in Everett, Washington. The retail giant will close the store on April 21, 2023. (Janice Podsada / The Herald)
Walmart announces Everett store on Highway 99 will close on April 21

The Arkansas-based retail giant said the 20-year-old Walmart location was “underperforming financially.”

Michael Tolley (Northshore School District)
Michael Tolley named new Northshore School District leader

Tolley, interim superintendent since last summer, is expected to inherit the position permanently in July.

Logo for news use, for stories regarding Washington state government — Olympia, the Legislature and state agencies. No caption necessary. 20220331
New forecast show state revenues won’t be quite as robust as expected

Democratic budget writers say they will be cautious but able to fund their priorities. Senate put out a capital budget Monday.

Everett Memorial Stadium and Funko Field on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Drive to build new AquaSox ballpark gets $7.4M boost from state

The proposed Senate capital budget contains critical seed money for the city-led project likely to get matched by the House.

Dr. J. Matthew Lacy, Chief Medical Examiner for Snohomish County, answers preliminary questions from the state regarding his qualifications and experience as a medical examiner during the trial of Richard Rotter on Thursday, March 23, 2023, at Snohomish County Superior Court in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
At Rotter trial, debate breaks out over graphic autopsy photos

A judge ruled some close-ups of Everett officer Dan Rocha’s injuries could be used, while others were ruled out.

Alderwood Middle High School Wednesday afternoon on December 8, 2021. (Kevin Clark / The Herald)
Student, 14, accused of attacking Lynnwood middle school teacher

The alleged assault occurred after lunch at Alderwood Middle School, according to the Edmonds School District.

A residential home is demolished at what will be the site of a new Lake Stevens Library on Wednesday, March 22, 2023 in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Sophia Gates / The Herald).
Site clearing begins for new Lake Stevens library

The initial work on Chapel Hill property brings dream of a new library closer to reality.

Most Read