Cambridge grandma's passion for knitting helps give back to others

Molly Fiss was looking for something to do when she moved to Cambridge in 2015, so she decided to start knitting.

Fiss, who was taught by her mother how to knit, put down her knitting needles when she raised her own family. 

Now retired, Fiss has spent the past four years knitting hundreds of hats for youth in Cambridge. Cathy Scott, Fiss’s daughter, helps Fiss donate the hats to different organizations each year.

"It's for me to have something to do, I just can't sit here and do nothing, so I make hats," said Fiss, who is already working on her collection of hats for 2023. 

"I don't mind giving it all away and I appreciate that they were able to take it.”

On Oct. 14, Fiss was recognized by the City of Cambridge for her knitting and was presented a certificate from the Cambridge mayor Kathryn McGarry. 

The certificate reads, 'The Corporation of the City of Cambridge extends congratulations and gratitude to Molly Fiss for your selfless efforts helping people to keep warm.'

"I thought it was very nice, I never expected it, it was very nice," Fiss said about the award, which is kept on a mantle in the living room.

The certificate was made at the request of Fiss's granddaughter, Meaghan Stock. Stock said she reached out to the city as she wanted to do something to commemorate her grandmother's community efforts. After being informed of Fiss’s efforts, the city agreed.

“I think it's great what my grandma is doing. She has done a lot of work for many years to help others and I thought it'd be good if others heard what she is doing,” said Stock in an email. “I think my grandma proves that anyone can give back, no matter their circumstances or abilities.”

When Fiss first began making hats, she admits it was a learning process. Following a hat pattern, she made a few mistakes. Fiss said her first hats were ‘really plain’ and she tried to add a little pattern into them.

"I can't say they were beautiful, but they were different colours,” she said.

Over time, Fiss tested a couple different patterns before deciding on alternating between two colours, knitting two rows each. 

Fiss said she doesn’t have a favourite colour combination, and usually pairs different colours based on what is available in her wool basket.

“I don't particularly like yellow, but I can put it into something that looks nice," she said.

Scott, who can also knit, helps Fiss with the hats by starting the base for her and adding the tassel on top using a tassel machine.

"It's a nice thing to be able to provide for somebody else, and it's a skill we both have, so to be able to turn it around and give back to someone else is really nice, especially a warm item that makes people more comfortable during the winter,” said Scott.

Scott describes her mother as a ‘working girl’ as she has certain activities that she does at different times in the day. 

"She's on a schedule," said Cathy.

"Some days I might knit four rows, and some days I knit 10 rows and some days I don't knit anything," adds Fiss, who puts away the knitting for a while after she completes her goal of 100 hats.

Along with knitting hats, Fiss also makes Christmas trinkets for seniors at different retirement communities. This year, the trinkets will be distributed to three organizations, including peoplecare Hilltop Manor, where her husband had stayed. 

“I think the nursing home residents really enjoy having a little Christmas ornament that they get every year," said Scott.

"I think the nursing home residents really enjoy having a little Christmas ornament,” said Fiss.

Besides knitting, some of Fiss’s other activities include reading, word puzzles and jigsaw puzzles on her iPad. She said these activities help keep her hands busy.

“The day goes by so quickly because I'm not looking at the four walls," said Fiss.