Bray Provides A Soft Touch When you feel your worst, sometimes the smallest gesture can make a world of difference. Betty Bray strives to make a difference in the community by giving back and providing a soft touch to those in need. Bray, from the northeastern SD town of Gary, met her husband in college and after he finished his residency and his Pictured left to right: Dona Steffen, Betty Bray, Tres Dendinger. commitment to the Air Force, they moved to Yankton. He took a job with the Yankton Medical Clinic and they added four children to their family during their 22-years in the community. Bray had desired to open a shop for knitting hobbyists. Her husband told her if she did the legwork for the plans, she could pursue her dream. It wasn’t long before a friend of hers connected her to Molly Carson who owned a yarn shop in Yankton. “Now I had all the information I needed to start a store, so he had to let me do it,” she smiles. She made me laugh as she continues, “so I suppose you could say he lost a bet.” She opened Ewe Knit It about three and a half years ago, first located in Morgen Square. The store moved to a new location last year, now located at 909 Broadway Avenue in Tripp Park Plaza. She really likes their new spot since it’s located right next to a quilt shop. She sells mid-to upper-range quality yarn, working with many small vendors that are independent dyers. She also sells knitting needles, crochet hooks, books, patterns and other items you might need for your knitting project. She offers individual lessons and randomly offers classes. Bray has been working with crochet for more than 40 years and took up knitting after opening the store. She’s made a plethora of items, many displayed in the store. Knitting tends to go faster than crochet, so she knits most of her samples, liking to make hats the most as they’re quick to make. When she started her business, Bray’s goal was twofold: to bring the community together and to give back to the community. A regular knitting group in her store has joined with her to use their talents to give back. The group started making items that could be given to those in need around the area. Their goal is to knit one project each month. Their first project was making hats to take to Yankton’s Cancer Center. Their second project will be taking place this month, where they will be making “Knitted Knockers” to send to an organization founded by two breast cancer survivors. Knitted Knockers, according to www. knittedknockers. org, are “special handmade breast prosthesis for women who have undergone mastectomies or other procedures to the breast.” These are soft, comfortable prosthetics found to be less heavy and hot than traditional prosthetics and can be placed in a regular bra. Volunteer knitters help provide these for free to those who request them. In November, the group will be making purple hats to help increase awareness of Shaken Baby Syndrome. The group strives to find local agencies that would benefit from their donations. If you have any suggestions for their projects, please call her at 605-689-3999 or send her a message over her website at www.eweknitit.com. Bray has other means to give back to her community. She collects kennel blankets at the store to be donated to the Yankton Humane Society. She collects yarn for the local hospital and they send it to the prisoners who knit prayer shawls and blankets. She also invites others to bring in a knitted hat for the Cancer Center. vBRAY continued on page 20 HOW POWERFUL DO YOU FEEL? While 51% of the nation’s wealth is held by women, close to half are worried about outliving their wealth. Taking control of your finances can help you feel better, and we can get you started with a plan. See what a Raymond James Advisor can do for you. LIFE WELL PLANNED. Kathy Greeneway Certified Financial PlannerTM 225 Cedar Street, Yankton (605)665-4940 First Dakota Brokerage Services, Inc. A subsidiary of First Dakota National Bank. Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC an independent broker/dealer. Securities are offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC, and are not deposits; not insured by FDIC or any other governmental agency; not guaranteed by the financial institution; subject to risk & may lose value. First Dakota National Bank and First Dakota Brokerage Services are independent of RJFS. HERVOICEvNOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017v5