This Edmonton woman knits hundreds of tuques for the homeless every year

An Edmonton woman has been knitting hats for the homeless for years, and this year she'll be donating more than 400 tuques.

"Last year was 363; the year before was also in the 300s," Darlenne Hunneman said.

"I try to get it there before the first 40 below day. My grandchildren take them down for me."

"In November they're all gone, so I start in November to make them again."

The 88-year-old has been legally blind for the last eight years, and she says knitting has taken the place of some of the activities she can no longer do.

"I can make hats. I can turn them out, three or four now, day and afternoon, something like that. And so it's just a way of life with me now."

Hunneman says she was inspired by CTV News's Edmonton's Josh Classen's Hats for the Homeless campaign that ran in the early 2000s.

"I just had the means to make some hats on my little loom here, and then Josh quit and I kept going. I thought, 'Who’s gonna make hats for these people if everybody quits?'"

It's a gift that means everything to the recipients.

Some of the 416 hats knitted by Darlenne Hunneman for Hope Mission in Edmonton. (Adel Ahmed/CTV News Edmonton)

"When I see Darlenne, putting so much love into every stitch and making so many tuques for her fellow Edmontonians it's really inspiring, and I hope that everyone who sees that will maybe follow her example," said Kevin Wiebe of Hope Mission.

Wiebe says the shelter gets thousands of requests for warm clothing items each winter.

"Someone giving toques to Hope Mission can be the difference for our guests between getting frostbite on their ears and keeping warm in the winter."

Hunneman says it's a labour of love.

"I've found that the more you give, the more you get back."

She says she hopes to make 500 tuques next winter.

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Adel Ahmed