Here's one yarn it's good to hear:

Some 4,200 handmade scarves with a familiar design soon will warm service men and women overseas, thanks to the efforts of local knitters and the folks at the Pat Catan's Craft Centers, one of which is in Pleasant Hills.

The stores began a camouflage scarf project four years ago to give something back to those serving in the U.S. Armed Forces, marketing manager Ray Young said.

"We are a family-owned store, involved in the community and thought it would be a good idea," he said.

The stores donate the yarn to those interested in using their time and talents for the service project.

Crafters crochet or knit an 8-inch by 47-inch scarf made from subtle but colorful yarn that resembles the familiar camo colors, mostly greens and browns, but every once in a while some soft shades of silvery pink are used. Patterns are up to the knitter.

The stores collect the scarves and send them to Catan's headquarters near Akron, Ohio. Then they are given to the USO, which ships them.

"We also collect donations from crafters to help offset the shipping costs. The USO still has to pay to mail the scarves, so this helps with that expense," Mr. Young said.

All four Pat Catan's Craft Center locations in the Greater Pittsburgh area took part in the project, including those in Monroeville, McKees Rocks and Hopewell. Catan's has a total of 21 locations, mostly in Ohio.

The 4,200 scarves were made in recent months by volunteers from all of the stores; some 10,000 have been shipped since the program started.

At the Monroeville store, 331 scarves were donated this year, said Lorraine Fredley, a craft coordinator.

"We have participated all four years," she said. "People love it. They come in and ask when we are going to be doing it again."

Joan Jamgochian, of Monroeville, crocheted eight scarves for this year's batch.

"It is a worthy cause. I've done prayer shawls and blankets for Project Linus, so this isn't the first time I have done something like this. When I heard about it, I just wanted to be involved," she said.

Project Linus is a national organization that provides new, handmade blankets to children who are ill or in need. More than 3 million blankets, created by volunteer "blanketeers," have been delivered since the Linus project began in 1995.

For the scarf project, Catan stores also give cards to the knitters so they can write notes to those receiving the scarves.

The knitters receive many thank-you notes: One soldier wrote back and said the scarf fit perfectly under his helmet.

Like Mrs. Jamgochian, most knitters make more than one scarf, some a half-dozen.

"We have one woman who made 50 scarves. She said they give her something to do," Ms. Fredley said.

Some crafters make the scarves year round, buying their own yarn when the company isn't sponsoring the project.

Mabel Mosley, manager at the Pleasant Hills store who has made a scarf herself, said that while most of the crafters are women, a few men participate.

"Some also put little trinkets on the scarves. One guy put a Steelers key chain in with his," she said.

The bulk of the scarves were sent to Catan's headquarters near Akron by the end of October, but some are still being brought into the stores.

Kathleen Badish, assistant manager at the McKees Rocks store, said her store collected about 200 scarves; Roberta Brown, manager in Aliquippa, said her store collected 150.

Mr. Young estimated that more than 10,000 scarves have been sent to troops over the past four years through the project. The yarn for one scarf sells for $3.97 and, based on that price, he estimated that more than $16,700 was donated this year.

Ms. Fredley said that they have heard from soldiers in Iraq that the scarves are perfect.

"They love them. They said that they are just the right length, that they cover their mouths and noses when they wear them under their helmets."

It's also a project the crafters love.

"Since the yarn was free, all it took was my time," Mrs. Jamgochian said. "I was happy to do something for our troops."

For more on the camo blanket project, visit www.patcatans.com.

For more on Project Linus, visit www.projectlinus.org.

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