September
2005: As many of you, I have felt particularly helpless in the past week
as I watch the news with the images of our neighbors left homeless and nothing
they can call their own. For some, family is all that is left; for others, even
this haven has been swept away.
I asked myself what I could do besides writing a check, which would involve lots of people and also make all who contribute feel that we are doing something to better the lives of people who have lost everything. I am a lifelong knitter. My grandmother was a Red Cross knitting instructor during WWII, helping cover the feet, heads and hands of many soldiers as well as draping many orphans' shoulders with sweaters. The click of needles is a comforting sound I associate with her loving presence as well as my mother, also a lifelong knitter.
Watching our neighbors to the south standing in mud, picking through putrid water and shrubs in the hopes of finding a memento, a picture, some fragment of a past which has been blown away, I was struck with their need for warmth and a bit of beauty, something to grasp that will be as utilitarian as it is comforting. So I am going to put together knitted quilts. But I need your help.
Made up of squares knitted by myself and anyone else who wants to help knit or crochet pieces, we will put together as many blankets as we can. It takes about 35 eight-inch squares to make a twin size blanket or 16 twelve-inch squares. The blankets below (Figures 1 and 2) are made up of yarn scraps from other projects.
Figure 1: Eight-inch squares Figure 2: twelve-inch squares
If you are a knitter, could you knit me a square? I like to use size ten needles or larger, chunky weight yarn or two strands of worsted weight--cast on 30 stitches and knit 30 rows or whatever amount of rows gives you a finished square that is at least eight by eight inches (see figure 3 below). I have talked to several volunteers, and they say it's taking about 40 rows. That's fine. Eyeball it! It's as simple as that. If you want to be certain, use our template as a guide. Remember--all knitters have different tensions. See the following link for a discussion of how to knit and gauges. Here's a link on crocheting also. I knit loosely; you might knit more tightly. As long as the finished products are between 8 and 12 inches, you'll be fine!
Figure 3
It shouldn't take long, it can be any color, and it can be any stitch (See Figures 4 and 5). (Click here for further explanation.)
Figure 4 Figure 5
I will knit or crochet the pieces together into twin-size blankets and send them along to shelters and organizations to distribute. Anyone who wants to help me--knit some squares (be creative--I'll take odd shapes too as I love a challenge) and send them to me:
CLOSE KNIT HUGS P.O. BOX 1100 LEWISTON, MICHIGAN 49756
If you have any questions or comments, e-mail us ! It would also be great if you passed this site's address along to other knitters and crocheters. Imagine if 1000 people knitted a square--that's almost thirty blankets for neighbors that have been left with nothing. Click here to see if knitters in your state are helping. Bookmark this site for updates and pictures of completed projects! There is no deadline to send knitted squares, but the sooner I receive them, the sooner I can put together more afghans to send to community members who need them!
This project will continue as long as people need warmth, assurance and support. We are pursuing 501-C3 status, so we will be a charitable organization recognized by the IRS. CLOSE KNIT HUGS is here to stay!
Hurricane Katrina is just a call for all of us to pull together and help one another in any way possible--the smallest thread of yarn connects us all.
