Worldwide Knit in Public Day DC Style

 

I received an email this morning with this information attached for Worldwide Knit in Public Day. I always giggle when I think about an event centered around knitting in public, when it's something that I do almost every day. As one fabulous fellow knitter once quipped, "If you have seen me, you have seen me knitting." I may swing by this event 'cause it sounds like fun. Hope to see you there!

World Wide Knit in Public Day
June 11, 2011

Join us as we knit with hundreds of other knitters around the world on the same day!
Where: Marketplace at Woodridge

A Year Round Farmers, Artists and Quality Craft Market
1915 Rhode Island Avenue, NE Washington, DC
       
When:  10am to 1pm
Bring:  A chair, drinking water and your knitting
World Wide Knit in Public Day was created in 2005 - and is the world largest knitter event.

To find out more about WWKiP Day – please visit http://www.wwkipday.com.

Crochet For Knitters Class To Benefit Disaster Relief

To help support the disaster-relief aide so desperately needed in Japan, and other parts of the world, Aylin Bener and Claire Wudowsky will teach a Crochet For Knitters class on Sunday, April 17 from 1 pm to 4 pm at Aylin’s Woolgatherer (directions can be found at the end of this note) 100% of the proceeds from this class will go to Doctors Without Borders.

Do you have a fear of knitting patterns that include a few crochet stitches? If so, this class is for you. In this class you will learn basic crochet stitches and edgings, and how to use crochet to embellish necklines, button bands, and edges of garments. Once you try it, you’ll never be afraid of crocheting again. The cost of this class is $50.00/student.

If you cannot attend on that date and you would like to donate to this amazing organization; you are welcome to send a check to the shop and we’ll provide you with a copy of the handouts from this class.

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) http://http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org
From the MSF website:
“MSF has sent medical teams to support the government-led earthquake and tsunami response in Japan. Our teams are running mobile clinics and conducting needs assessments, which will determine the full scope of MSF’s response.
At this point, MSF USA is drawing on unrestricted donations given to MSF to fund our efforts, and MSF USA is not accepting donations specifically earmarked for recovery efforts in Japan.”
Therefore, the proceeds from this class will go to the MSF general fund.

Aylin’s Woolgatherer http://www.aylins-wool.com
Aylin’s Woolgatherer
7245 Arlington Blvd., Suite 318
Falls Church, VA 22042
703-573-1900

Directions from Washington, DC:
Take Rt. 50 into Northern Virginia approximately 8 miles to Graham Rd.(Next stop light after Annandale Rd.) Turn left and make the next right into Loehman’s Plaza shopping center. Go to the 3rd floor of “7-11 building” in the middle of the center.

Directions from the Capitol Beltway (I-495):
Go to Northern Virginia. Exit onto Rt. 50 East. Proceed just under a mile to Graham Rd. (4th traffic light after the Beltway) and turn right. Make the first right turn into Loehman’s Plaza shopping center. Go to the 3rd floor of “7-11 building” in the middle of the center.

More Tiny Baby Caps, Please?

I received an email in December from Save the Children requesting my participation in their 'Caps for Good' program, which is just like their previous 'Caps to the Capitol' program where they were requesting the donation of very small hand knit and crochet caps to be sent to developing nations where newborns die simply because they are too small to maintain their own body heat. At any age, our bodies vent heat off of the tops of our heads. Putting one of these caps on a newborn's head helps their little body retain that precious body heat so that they can stay alive.

I have been thrilled to knit up these little life-saving caps to send off to save babies. They are a breeze to whip up--I can finish one hat while watching a movie, bind off and start another before the movie ends--and they are just incredibly adorable. And I have to admit, as a mother, it pulls on my maternal instincts. If there is something that I can do to help other mothers around the world keep their babies alive, healthy and warm I want to do it.

So, I am putting the word out once again here on my blog and in the Knitters and Crocheters Care group on Ravelry, and also for my local DC knitting peeps I will be putting together a charity event in order to spread the word and get more baby caps made.

The caps, along with any monetary donation you'd like to make, get sent to Save the Children. You can download the free baby cap pattern to knit or crochet at the CYC Warm Up America website.

Now that you are all done with Christmas knitting, you can get those needles all warmed up again and crank out a few tiny caps and save a few babies. It's fun and it really feels good.