Friday, March 18, 2011

Knitting is not just for Old Ladies

Each week, quite a few ladies in my parish, meet to knit or crochet items for the local charities. This group has been in existence for over 25 years, and our "leader" is 93 years old and still drives! I've been with that group for about 6 years, now. I do confess that I've always thought of these knitting groups, as something reserved just for the seniors.  In our group, I'm probably the youngest member, but hey, who's counting, right?

A couple of years ago, a young girl (age 11) was visiting our parish. She is homeschooled and lives in Canada.  Her mom had asked us if we wouldn't mind, if her daughter, Juliana, could join us for the day, while we knit.  Juliana has been knitting, since she was 9 years old.  She was such a joy to be with and is so mature for her age. Before she left, we gave her lots of yarn and knitting needles, as she wanted to make some baby items.

Each year, our "Knitting Ministry" conducts their annual "Show and Tell" at the church.   Most of the yarn had been donated by the parishoners and we enjoy sharing the items that we've made. All finished items are not sold  as they are donated to local charities, after the show.  Last year, 2010, we were pleasantly surprised to see Juliana, visit us again.  She was in town, and joined us for a day of knitting.  She brought the items that she had made.  These are the baby items that she had made for charity (as you can see in the photo):

Hand Knitted by Juliana, She is 13 years old

Here's another glimpse of what the ladies had made, within 4 months:






If you are new to knitting, crocheting or sewing, you may consider joining a local group, within your community, or start your own.  It's a great way to enhance your skills and it's so rewarding to create something for a person who really needs it,  right now.  As I always say, continue to do what you enjoying doing the most -- Nancy

4 comments:

Unknown said...

Your newest follower here. I am a crocheter and I have been trying to find a group close to me to join. I live in Fort Worth, TX. I may just start my own and see if anyone wants to join me. Your group made a ton of stuff!

It's Sew You! llc said...

Hello Amazey and I'm glad to meet another Stitching Sister who loves to crochet!

You may consider starting your own crochet & knitting group. Here's a few of my suggestions to get this going:

- Select a location & time, weekly or monthly
- Advertise in your local newspaper/church bulletin/school bulletin/Blog/Facebook, etc. about your group and mention that your group is seeking participants and is also accepting yarn donations for your charity work.
- Contact your local yarn shops or fabric shops for donations.
- Once your group is established, decide which charities you would like to donate your items.
- Keep a "tally" of what your group has produced and advertise it, via your local newspaper, blog, etc.

Hope this helps, and please keep me updated on how it's working for you. Thanks so much for following my blog and I look forward to hearing from you. -- Nancy

PythonKatie said...

I moved last fall to a resort community. It's actually a little gated golf course community. The residents here are primarily over 55 and retired. I at 28 don't consider myself young or old...but am by far...the youngest at our crocheting club. The other ladies giggle and laugh at me all the time and share great stories of faith and of their families. I love the mentoring I get from my time with them once a month and they love having a younger woman in the midst.

It's Sew You! llc said...

Yes....isn't it rewarding to join these crochet & knitting Groups? Not only do you learn more about the craft, but you also get to hear, first hand, the "Remember When..." stories, that these ladies are so happy to share.

God bless you for enjoying what you do. It's your generation that will continue to keep the Crochet movement going. Don't mean to put any pressure on you, now.....:)

Yes, I Blog, Thanks for your comments and follow... -- Nancy