Heather Straub didn't necessarily want to be the knitter in charge.

"I saw a notice in the Soundings (the Fort Lewis OSC newsletter) that they were looking to start a knitting club, and I called...before I knew it, I was the contact person!" laughed Straub. Since her husband is in the fulltime National Guard unit stationed at Camp Murray and they are unlikely to PCS, she realized that by being in charge she could offer continuity and really help the club develop and grow.

The purpose of the club is to gather people who share an interest in knitting, be it a current hobby or one they are aspiring to start. In a way it is like a support group for knitters and Straub hopes that members will learn from each other and share not only their finished products, but also any projects they are stuck on.

"Knitting is a great stress reliever," said Straub. "I started when I had a really stressful job in Seattle and just got hooked. You can do it while watching TV, if you're stuck in a boring meeting, really anywhere."

OSC clubs are listed on the Web site (http://fortlewisosc.org) and in the monthly newsletter, but aside from that membership is driven by word-of-mouth around base.

"When we do start a new club, like the knitting club, we announce it at our monthly luncheon," said Kym Jones, OSC 1st Vice-President. "Though you don't have to be an OSC member to attend - every spouse is invited to take part in the specialty clubs we offer."

Knitting club meetings will be held the first Thursday of every month from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the OSC Cottage, located at building 4201 on West Way on Fort Lewis. To find out more about OSC membership visit the Web site.