A school bus driver in Oklahoma is spreading warmth and smiles ahead of the cold winter months.
Tina Hutcherson of Oklahoma City decided to knit hats for all the students she drives because, as she told ABC affiliate KOCO, she didn't want any of the kids "to be without" and, after upgrading her knitting machine earlier this month, it felt like the perfect opportunity.
"I knitted one, and it took about 30 minutes to 45 [minutes], and I was like, 'Oh Lord, I gotta make all my babies some hats on the bus now,'" Hutcherson told ABC News.
Hutcherson is a former school bus monitor turned driver who began shuttling kids for Putnam City Schools in 2013. The veteran driver says she's come to love her job and now drives over 100 elementary to high school students total.
The 63-year-old mom of four said she has been crocheting and knitting for most of her life, since she was 12, but after her daughter gifted her a new knitting machine for a recent birthday, it was a game-changer.
So far, Hutcherson said she has knitted 25 hats for elementary-age students. She said the children were so happy with their warm presents, they even made homemade thank-you cards for her.
Hutcherson said she now plans on knitting more hats for her middle school students over the week of Thanksgiving -- a task she said she's more than happy to take on.
"My hands have to be moving when I'm at home all the time. So, when I get home and change clothes, I'm crocheting, I'm knitting. It just kind of relaxes me," Hutcherson said.
"I love it. And then I love my kids, because, like they say, we are the first faces they see," she continued. "They need love. They just need a smile, even if they don't say hello back. They know you said something to them."
The young kids on Hutcherson's bus get to choose what colors they want their hats to be, and Hutcherson made sure to make them reversible for double the fun.
