Wanted: knitters, crocheters. The American Heart Association needs you to make baby hats

Calling all knitters and crocheters: The American Heart Association is looking for you.

The organization is looking for volunteers from Texas and other states to craft soft, red infant-sized hats to give to babies born at participating hospitals in February.

It's part of their "Little Hats, Big Hearts" program to encourage moms to live healthy lives and help guide their children to do the same.

"Together, we are working to raise awareness, provide resources and inspire moms to take their family's heart health to heart while also raising awareness about Congenital Heart Defects," according to a statement on the AHA website.

Here's what they need:

– Baby-sized or preemie-sized red hats that are knitted or crocheted from cotton or acrylic medium- to heavyweight yarn. It should be machine washable and dryable.

– Donations of yarn.

Last year, the association received more than 1,000 hats.

They'd like to receive as many as possible this year by Dec. 31, said Jen Anderson, director of marketing for the association's North Texas chapter.

"The more hats the better," Anderson said.

Anyone interested in participating in Tarrant County should contact Saida Santiago, director of multicultural initiates, at 817-698-5472 or saida.santiago@heart.org.

The program, which started in Chicago three years ago, generated around 300 hats. The program is now in more than 40 states.

Anna Tinsley: 817-390-7610, @annatinsley

This story was originally published November 14, 2017 at 7:49 AM with the headline "Wanted: knitters, crocheters. The American Heart Association needs you to make baby hats."