MANHATTAN, NY (PIX11) – It’s common to find Calvin Lee in the streets of New York crocheting. He said it is rare that you find him without his yarn and locking hook. Crochet has been a part of his life since he went to sixth grade.
“Back in sixth grade, I passed my social studies teacher’s class, and she took a lunch break. I saw her crochet and I was just mesmerized when I saw her and I kept begging her to teach me and she did in the end, ”Lee said.
Recently, 24-year-old Lee set himself the goal of crocheting 100 hats for the homeless and raising awareness of their need to live on the streets. He crocheted them with extra layers to keep them warm.
“There are 140 rows. They’re double-layered to keep their heads warm. There’s also an extra-large shade so they can cover their eyes when they sleep,” Lee said.
Lee spent weeks making the hats before walking from Times Square and all the way down to Union Square and handing them out.
“A guy was really, really happy. He kept screaming, ‘I love you, I love you’ until I was down the block. He kept screaming it, and it really made my day,” he said. Lee.
Lee shared his love of crocheting and handing out hats to the homeless at TikTok, and his videos went viral.
“One of my followers was so supportive that he sent me a knitting machine, and that’s what I used to make all those hats,” Lee said.
Lee has received more than 4.2 million likes on TikTok. He said he appreciates the support but hopes someone will be inspired to give to those in need.
“Maybe if we all helped the homeless more, there would not be so much hatred in the world,” Lee said.