BUTLER TWP - When he was 3, Ralph Miller's mother gave him a crochet hook and a piece of string.

Little did she know the temporary attempt to keep her son busy would lead him to a permanent pastime.

At 79 years old, Miller estimates he has distributed at least 1,000 hats, not to mention the rugs, scarves - even dog booties - generated over time from a

comfortable spot

in his home.

Currently, Miller's stock of headwear is low, with just a couple garbage bags full of the colorful commodities, which range from brimless to brimmed and from patriotic and Steeler-themed to an endless variety of whimsical patterns.

"I used to do a couple, sometimes three, a day," said the World War II veteran and retired steelworker, adding that in recent years production has slowed to one hat per day since his discomfort from arthritis has escalated.

Miller said despite the slowed output, he believes forcing his fingers past the painful first moments of handwork is helping his joints to remain functional.

"I had arthritis in my hands. In the morning I would get up and I could only close it this far," he said, demonstrating past attempts at making a fist. Miller said once he gets past those moments of pain, his hands work fine. But many people with arthritis become inactive because they are deterred by that initial discomfort.

Another benefit, he said, is relaxation. "If more people crocheted, there would be less road rage."

When he retired 17 years ago, Miller did more leather work, but eventually phased back into crocheting.

Miller said his craft, which includes choosing colors and patterns randomly, prompted teasing from his wife, Joanne, and other family members. Affectionately called his "ugly hats," the creations gained attention of friends and family as they began to amass in Miller's home.

Since Miller's niece works as a designer for companies that produce magazines, catalogs and other promotional materials, some of his rugs were used as props in a teen clothing catalog and more recently, an oversized hat and scarf were used

in a Hallmark snowman photo

with an undetermined use.

In the late 1990s, the hats were marketed as "Uncle Ralph's Ugly Hats" in New York magazine, resulting in some sales through a novelty shop in Manhattan. After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Miller and his wife, Joanne, said they stopped hearing from the boutique owner and assumed the shop was destroyed or out of business.

At this point, Miller sells some hats through a vendor at the flea market on Route 8 north of Butler, and many hats are given away.

Miller said in addition to donating his wares to charities, in December he sent a bag of more than 100 to a cousin, Judy Zarnick, who is a nurse at Meridian Elementary School.

Miller said he wanted to share the hats with the students partly because he wondered if some were without hats due to tight finances.

"I made a display in the hallway of both schools," Zarnick said of the Center Avenue and Meridian elementary schools, whose students seemed to delight in taking Miller's gift.

"The displays said, 'Be Cool, Not Cold. Wear a Hat.' The kids loved the hats," Zarnick said. "It is really great to see the kids at arrival and dismissal wearing their colorful hats. (Displays in) both

schools were empty

by the end of the day."

After distributing so many of his creations, Miller and Joanne said they sometimes see the hats in public places. "I'll be out with my daughter," said Joanne. "And I'll say, 'There is one of your dad's hats.'"

Despite the many hats Miller has to choose from, he can usually be found wearing the same one: a black-and-white striped model fashioned last year in the style of a skull cap.

Although Miller works with a variety of yarns, many of them bought and many given by others, he prefers using smaller crochet hooks to achieve a denser weave that limits air penetration.

"People don't realize," he said of warmth that is conserved due to his tight stitching. "All your heat goes out through your head."

Charlotte Clements, an occupational therapist and certified hand therapist at Butler Memorial Hospital, agrees activities like crocheting can improve mobility for people like Miller. "I think if you're active and creative, you feel better," she said. "I think using your hands does improve mobility," she added.

"I would suggest using paraffin or moist heat first, something to warm up (the) joints. Lots of times it's either better to use large crochet hooks and try to straighten your fingers out every 10 minutes," she said, explaining that clenching the hands for long periods could be detrimental to people like Miller, who suffer from arthritis. "It's better if you do it right."