LAKEPORT — Mary Dippolito, 72, has been crocheting for most of her life, but it took on a new meaning when she moved to Lake County from Pennsylvania in July.
“I came here July 19, because my daughter is dying with AIDS,” Dippolito said.
She moved into a place on First Street in Lakeport where the rent takes up most of her Social Security check each month.
“The rent is $600 a month and my Social Security check is $640,” she said. “So I made up this pattern. I know how to crochet flags and that”s how I”ve been feeding me and my cat.”
Dippolito said she has been crocheting since she was 20 years old. She says a lot of effort goes into each crocheted American flag.
“There”s like 50 hours of work,” she said. “I”m very fast with my hands.”
Dippolito charges $40 for every flag and said the materials cost her about $15. She said the flags have been selling, as she crocheted her next flag on a bench in Museum Park Wednesday afternoon.
“I sold one today and I sold one yesterday and one the day before,” she said. The one she sold Wednesday afternoon was to a passerby. Dippolito said she had just gotten off of the bus when she sold it.
“The guy was passing by me and he said, ?Oh, that”s awesome,”” she said.
In addition to the flag design, which Dippolito said she came up with approximately 10 years ago, she said she crochets hats during the wintertime and dolls.
“Sometimes, for 16 or 18 hours a day, I crochet,” she said. “It keeps me busy and it keeps my mind occupied.”
Her hands, though worn with age, do not bother her much when she is crocheting.
“They hurt sometimes if I crochet too much, but I just take some medicine and keep on crocheting,” she said, chuckling.
Dippolito said she has tried to get into galleries but they are too expensive for her. She said she might try to find someone to help her sell her work.
“Maybe if I find somebody that knows about the Internet,” she said.
If anyone is interested in purchasing a crocheted American flag from Dippolito, contact her at 263-3885 and ask for Mary.
Kevin N. Hume can be reached at kevin.n.hume@gmail.com or call directly 263-5636 ext. 14.
