Knitting News

Knitter grabs her needles for newborns | The Modesto Bee

Knitter grabs her needles for newborns
The Modesto Bee - December 10 2006

Thirty-five babies will leave Oak Valley hospital this month with festive hats topped with fluffy pompoms.

Lois Warner, 77, of Oakdale, is knitting all of them.

"It makes me feel like I'm doing something important," Warner said.

The nimble-fingered grandmother of three sits down to knit for about two hours a day. She does it while volunteering at the hospital and while watching Oprah and Dr. Phil at home.

"Don't get this idea that I just sit around watching TV all day, though," Warner said. [more]

'Tis the season... for knitting | The GW Hatchet

'Tis the season... for knitting
The GW Hatchet - December 11 2006

In the spirit of the holiday season, GW is starting to get ready for Valentine's Day by partnering with an orphan non-profit group to help make care packages for college-age orphans.

The GW Red Scarf Project, sponsored by the Orphan Foundation of America, GW's Office of Communication and Creative Services, and the Office of Community Service have started knitting scarves for a national program run by the Orphan Foundation.

GW is one of the many groups contributing to the foundation's Red Scarf Project. Annalisa Assaadi, the national events coordinator at the Orphan Foundation, said the goal of this nationwide project is to knit as many red scarves as possible for college-age orphans.

"These red scarves will be part of a care package that will be sent to college orphans on Valentine's Day," Assaadi said. The care packages will include a red scarf, cookies, candy, school supplies and gift cards.

The foundation hopes to get around 5,000 red scarves total to send to the students. GW hopes to knit 250 scarves to contribute to the program. [more]

Knitting group makes caps for newborns | The Winchester Sun

Knitting group makes caps for newborns
The Winchester Sun - December 11 2006

Needles sneak through strands of yarn, looping together colored strings. In the gentle hands of a knitting group, tiny hats are being woven to cap the heads of newborns at Clark Regional Medical Center.

“It’s just love from the heart for the little babies,” said Linda Bridgewater, a member of the informal group that meets at Rose Mary Brooks Place once a week.

As the holidays approach, reds and greens are finding their way into hats that are usually baby pink, blue or white. The seven or eight ladies in the group made their first donation, about 45 hats, to CRMC on Thursday.

“We thought we could do some volunteer work,” Bridgewater said. “You can only knit so many things for yourself.” [more]

First steps today in knitting marathon | The Post-Standard

First steps today in knitting marathon
The Post-Standard - December 10 2006

Bellevue Manor is passing along age-old traditions this holiday season.

The Christmas Holiday Marathon for Knitting and Crocheting will be from 1:30 to 4 p.m. on Dec. 27, 28, 29 and 30 at Bellevue, where children and adults of all ages can teach or learn to knit or crochet.

"This is an intergenerational event," said Traci Niederhofer, community relations director at Bellevue Manor Assisted Living Community.

"Many people have knitted and crocheted for years, and this is a chance for them do so with camaraderie." [more]

Group Mixes Knitting With Charity In Labor Of Love | WCCO

Group Mixes Knitting With Charity In Labor Of Love [with video]
WCCO - December 10 2006

A relatively small yet dedicated group of people in the Twin Cities are using their homespun skills in knitting, needlepoint and crochet to create clothing, garments and keepsakes for the needy that provide warmth and comfort within the twisted strands of wool and cotton, with a goodly measure of love in every stitch.

The notion of "knitting for a cause" is nothing new. Mothers and grandmothers across the nation's heartland can, no doubt, recall the weekly quilting bees of their childhood that brought together a community's womenfolk in a prairie ritual that was part social gathering, part coffee klatch and part community chest.

Nowadays, the knit goods could just as easily be woolen caps for newborns or afghan blankets for Afghanis, or anyone else seeking insulation from the cold.

"We have found that people are just more conscious of what you might consider more important things…conscious of not losing sight of those who might really need a little extra help," said Mary Colucci, executive director of the Warm Up America! foundation, based in Ranlo, N.C. [more]

Stitch for soldiers | News 10 Now

Stitch for soldiers
News 10 Now - December 10 2006

For the owner of a Potsdam craft store, knitting is a labor of love.

And this winter Karen Sidletsky is putting her hobby to good use and giving soldiers overseas a warm welcome from back home.

Karen Sidletsky, Misty Hollow Owner, said, "They are not issued helmet liners and it's very cold over there and all they have is their helmets."

Misty Hollow is supplying troops in Iraq and Afghanistan with helmet liners for the colder months. The craft store provides wool and patterns, so getting in the loop is easy. [more]

Charity knitting on going at Willow's End | Boothbay Register

Charity knitting on going at Willow's End
Boothbay Register - December 7 2006

It all began six months ago. Willow's End employee and knitting instructor, Alice Minto, a long-time charity knitter, suggested that a group be formed to knit for organizations.

Minto had been involved in such efforts when she lived in Michigan and Texas, before moving to the Boothbay region.

She later created a group committed to providing warmth to those who need it called "Helping Hands."

Said Minto, "Some of our neighbors in the Boothbay Harbor region occasionally need a helping hand. This is a great way for knitters to use their `stash.' " [more]

She’s on a knitting mission | Mansfield News

She’s on a knitting mission
Mansfield News - December 7 2006

More than 150 newborn premature babies’ heads stay warm thanks to Beverly Hyde.

Hyde, who lives at the Village at Willow Crossings in Mansfield, has knitted more than 150 hats for newborns at the Women and Infants Hospital in Providence, R.I.

The hats are part of the volunteer program at the hospital known as Operation Warm Head Start Program, which focuses on preventing hypothermia in newborn babies.

Hyde said she decided to make the hats for the babies when she heard about the program and how important it is for newborns to have their heads stay warm.

“Someone here said they needed hats, so I made them,” Hyde said, as she sat next to her two trash bags filled with multi- colored pastel hats. [more]

Students knit into the spirit of the season | The City Paper

Students knit into the spirit of the season
The City Paper - December 7 2006

High school senior Amanda Andrews said knitting a whole scarf in one day is no big deal, but selling it for charity is.

Andrews is a student at Hillsboro High School where students have been knitting scarves, hats and mittens to benefit the Saigon Children’s Charity in Vietnam for several years.

“All the items that we sell, the money goes to building our school in Saigon,” Andrews said. “We’ve built one already and now we’re working on another one.”

Proceeds from the school’s knitting fundraiser last year provided enough funding to build one school in Saigon that children of all ages attend. [more]

Seniors knit hats | The Sun Chronicle

Seniors knit hats
The Sun Chronicle - December 7 2006

Almost 250 servicemen and women will be kept a little warmer this winter, as local seniors have been knitting hats to send overseas.

The knitted hats are made to fit under the helmets of troops stationed in Iraq in a nationwide effort.

Local knitters, including both the Plainville and North Attleboro Council on Aging's weekly knitting groups, have been producing the colorful skull cups.

Almost 250 have been knitted and crocheted by local members. [more]