The fingers work quickly, as though on autopilot, as the women discuss everything from the importance of handing down your family's medical history to the differences between wild turkeys and those bred specifically for Thanksgiving feasts.

"We solve all the world's problems here," jokes Ruth Ruckdeschel, the leader of the knitting group that calls itself the Blanket Brigade and the only member who is not a resident of the Village at St. Barnabas in Richland.

The group meets weekly to practice the craft its members have been doing most of their lives. The knitting keeps them active and engaged and helps their hands stay nimble longer. Plus, their work is for a good cause: Most of the women are knitting lap blankets for nursing home patients. This year, they knitted 217.

A little farther north, another group employs a different craft to help others.

The Pieceful Patchers Quilt Guild meets monthly to create quilted items for various organizations. The members donated 63 patriotic lap robes to patients at Veterans Affairs Butler Healthcare for Veterans Day. Now, they're working on Christmas stockings for the patients. So far, they've completed 90 stockings and they hope to have enough for each of the 120 patients there, said Donna Tasker, chairwoman.

The Pieceful Patchers has existed for 20 years, and its members are all ages. Most do their quilting at home, but the group meets monthly at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Sarver. A smaller contingent also meets monthly at Clinton United Presbyterian Church.

"Everybody seems to really be a part of this. I was just amazed at the veterans' quilts. When we had our quilt guild meeting, everybody came up with quilts for that. They just come through when you need them," Mrs. Tasker said.

"We all go away with a good feeling that we can do this," she said. "I think our club, when we started doing this kind of work, is stronger than when we weren't doing charitable work."

The St. Barnabas knitters have no idea who receives their blankets. The 32-inch-by-38-inch blankets are distributed to patients in nursing homes in five states -- Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, West Virginia and Tennessee -- as part of the Presents for Patients charity. The charity was founded in 1984 by William V. Day, president of St. Barnabas Health System, to help patients combat the loneliness they often feel during the holidays.

Clara Staudenmaier said she received a thank-you note one year from a person in a nursing home in Washington County.

"It's nice to know that somebody is getting something that maybe they wouldn't. That's why we're here," Mrs. Ruckdeschel said.

She is the "go-to" person when a knitter needs yarn. She gets yarn free at one local store and at a discount at another.

The blankets are knitted from acrylic yarn, which can be washed.

"Wool will go like this when it's washed," said Reba Roberts, clapping her hands together. "Ten inches go down to two."

The 10 women who met on a recent Wednesday said they had nearly 500 years of knitting experience combined.

Most, like Martha Pahler, started knitting as teenagers.

"I started when I was a kid," said Marjorie Campbell, who is called Peg. "And I'm only 80."

That's the average age of the group, the women noted.

"You don't hear about [young people] getting into it," Mrs. Ruckdeschel said of knitting. "People don't do things they did before. They're too busy with the computer. I had a woman call and ask if I could sew a button on."

Mary Henschel, however, said interest in knitting may be on the upswing. She's collecting articles about knitting from newspapers and magazines. "They say it's coming back," she said.

Most of the women were knitting, which uses two straight needles, but a couple were crocheting, which uses a single hooked needle.

"Fine crocheting is going away," Mrs. Roberts said.

"People don't use doilies anymore," Mrs. Ruckdeschel added.

The group has about 14 active members, with two who usually work alone in their apartments, Mrs. Ruckdeschel said. Attendance at the weekly sessions varies. "Sometimes, it's only two. It depends on the day and what is going on in the neighborhood," she said.

Many come for the camaraderie. The conversation varied widely one recent day, covering the departure of the village chaplain, the deer and groundhogs on the property, their pets and physical ailments, the health benefits of chocolate and the importance of keeping family history alive.

"I've tracked back a few generations," Elsie Tresino said. "You know, everybody should keep a family tree."