Friday, January 7, 2011

Knit-In for charity!

Being an avid "Facebook"-er, I was more than interested when one of my cousins in the Los Angeles area posted that she was hostessing a knitting gathering at the end of January.  She described knitting or crocheting 8" squares to send to Africa, where they would be made into blankets and given to orphans.  While I enjoy knitting and crocheting, I don't always have the patience to make a sweater or afghan, so making an 8" square is right up my alley!  She also posted a link to this web site: "Knit a Square"
I mentioned my interest in doing this to one of my friends at work, Jenny.  She thought it sounded like fun and asked to join forces with me.  From there we set about organizing a knitting group - which Dean dubbed a "Knit-In".  While we put this group together on short notice, we still had 2 people (besides ourselves) interested.  I approached one of our local coffee houses, "The Coffee X Change", to ask if we could meet there.  They were very enthusiastic and welcoming of our business telling me that they have a Chess Club that meets there every week, as well as other clubs that also meet there regularly.
So, today was the day of our first Knit-In!  Unfortunately, the only picture I have of our group I took with the camera on my phone.  We were too busy knitting to pose for pictures!  Featured in the picture are (from left to right): Jenny, Åsa, and Sue (I was taking the picture).  We all brought yarn, knitting needles, crochet hooks, and anything else we may need.  I think we had enough yarn to make a blanket for every baby in Africa!  We are keeping in mind that these blankets are for children, so we want them to be colorful and cheerful!  After 4 hours of work (in which we shared stories, coffee, and lunch) our total was 12 squares completed!  Our goal is to get as many squares together that we can so that they can all be shipped together.  Some of our friends who weren't able to join us today have been busy knitting and crocheting, so we'll gather all together for a shipment before we meet again in a month.
I would imagine that some of you, out there, may also be interested in becoming involved in this project.  Please, go to the "Knit a Square" website and read about this very worthwhile charity.  All of the instructions you need are there - including materials, knitting/crocheting instructions, and shipping details.  One of the statements on the site is:  "Your stitches wrap a child in warmth and love."  
Conversely, doing something to help wraps our hearts in warmth and love.  

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

this is a great idea! ironically, i'm reading this from los angeles county. anyways, i wanted to ask if i could join the group! i haven't brought out my knitting needles since high school, so it'd be nice to dig them out again.

-victoria

Melinda said...

Hi Torie! I'd love it if you joined us! We plan to meet, next, on February 4th at the Coffee X Change...I'll let you know the time. In the mean time, pull up the website and get to knitting, girlie! You can send the squares home with Dean so we can ship them off with our shipment (or you can send them yourself, if you want)!
XO
Melinda

Unknown said...

kudos you guys.