Hundreds of Wareham children will be a little bit warmer this winter, thanks to a West Wareham knitting group.

The group, affectionately called the "Knit Wits," presented dozens upon dozens of hats, mittens, and scarves Wareham Police Officer Zina Kelsch on Thursday, December 15. Kelsch will distribute the items to children who need them at daycares, churches, shelters, motels, and other facilities.

The Knit Wits first partnered with Wareham Police last year.

"They know who the people are" who need help, said Knit Wits founder Sheila Monaghan.

This year, Monaghan explained, Kelsch asked specifically for items for children, where she saw a great need.

"They'd put on the mittens and they'd put on the hats," Kelsch said of the children who eagerly accepted last year's items. "They love it!"

Kelsch remembered filling up the trunk of her cruiser with all of the hats and mittens last year. She distributed the items throughout her shifts and encouraged her fellow officers who shared the cruiser to distribute them if they met someone who needed something warm.

Tossing a big bag stuffed full of items over her shoulder, Kelsch headed to her cruiser on Thursday, excited to again spread a little holiday cheer this year.

Monaghan formed the Knit Wits in October 2010 as a method of encouraging many of her fellow residents at Great Hill Estates, where the group meets weekly, to get out of the house during the dreary winter season.

The group works with donated materials. Nothing the ladies knit or crochet is sold. In addition to donating hats, scarves, mittens, and gloves to area residents, the Knit Wits have knitted and donated wool helmet liners and neck gaiters for U.S. soldiers serving overseas.

Since September, the Knit Wits have donated more than 1,000 items to various causes, Monaghan said.

The group has been "really, really lucky with donations" and hasn't had to buy yarn for a while, Monaghan said. But, she noted: "I had to go out and buy more bins" for storage of the completed items!

For more information about the Knit Wits, to join, or if you know of an organization that could use a donation of winter weather gear, contact Sheila Monaghan at 508-273-7308 or e-mail shmonaghan@comcast.net.