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A community of local knitters is weaving a web of love for cancer patients at Blount Memorial Hospital.

Hugs for Heads is a community knitting project coordinated by Knitting Nest owner Antje Gillingham. Local knitters, either on their own time or during twice weekly gatherings, make soft knit hats for cancer patients.

"We just took 12 of them, which is a great accomplishment," Gillingham said. "Knitters mostly like to knit for themselves. We like to stay in the community. I would really like to knit for us because there are a lot of people and kids around here who like that."

The Hugs for Heads knitters supply caps to Thompson Oncology Group, which is located on the second floor of the Blount Memorial Cancer Center. Thompson Oncology Group is the hematology/oncology office of Dr. Spence McCachren and Dr. Matthew McCarty.

"Our patients really appreciate the knit caps," said Ginny Juren, nurse practitioner. "They're soft and comfortable. They always disappear quickly, and we can't keep them. They go fast."

Knitting a hat is a simple enough project, Gillingham said. "You can get a hat done in an afternoon or two," she said.

Gillingam started knitting at 8 years old but only has been a serious knitter "probably ever since I opened, which was about five years ago," she said. "I was always kind of a knitter but life got busy."

Living in Blount County, the native of Germany had been wanting to start a business, but the journey back to knitting began during a trip to California.

"I had some time on my hands and went into a knitting store," she said. "You walk in and there is all this color and, if you're a touchy-feely person, it's worse. You have to feel everything."

The experience made Gillingham decide on the type of business appropriate to downtown Maryville.

"My husband said you have to be a destination," she said.

The experience has been a good one for Gillingham.

"It's been awesome," she said. "Suddenly, I was an active knitter. It's also an addiction. There is a secret world of knitters. There are probably a lot of women who could open a knit shop with their stashes. A lot of the girls say it's cheaper than therapy."

Hugs for Heads knitters meet¬ every second Wednesday and Saturday of the month from noon to 5 p.m. All yarn used for Head Hugs hats needs to be soft. Yarn purchased at The Knitting Nest for Head Hugs exclusively is 25 percent off. Hat patterns are available at no charge, but please feel free to bring your favorite to try, according to Gillingham.

For more information about Hugs for Heads, call 983-9554.