And I want to thank everyone for your interest in what we are doing here. I will write back to everyone who has questions and I will soon have a direct email link on this blog to make things easier!
Two bags before felting. You can see the finished results further down.
Welcome Michelle! Michelle is one of our new student intern this year. She is going to join us in our knitting group too!
The pink bag was felted and our client was so happy to use it at the Knit Out.
Bye Devon! Devon is leaving IH and we will miss her. Here is is modelling a just finished scarf.
Above: a shawl to wear for the knit out. And below: a bag our client is showing the group that she saw in a magazine. We then began talking about how to add designs using needle felting. We are going to try it!
Above: a new knitter making a scarf for her mom.
Below, Leslie, a volunteer showing us a handbag she is making from a partially finished sweater.
Fun fur seems to be the in thing right now for our clients.
Above, the blanket where every row is a different yarn in shades of blue. Below: Marcella our volunteer came in with some very cool knitted jewelry.
The black bag felted a little more than we thought but it has turned into an evening bag!
Here is a baby hat and blanket above. Below, a blanket to be donated to the Knit Out cause.
Lucia is teaching one of our clients how to knit socks (above). Below: Lucia is working on a sweater for her husband and Zelphia is working on socks. Both Lucia and Zelphia come each week to help with the knitting group.
Below: Megan at the Knit Out displaying her bucket bag!
Above: Our client gave a scarf and headband to her daughter who is modeling it.
Above: Zelphia at the Knit Out (of course volunteering) along with Leslie Pope of Twisted Sistah Beads and Fibers.
Above: My son came to the Knit Out. Of course, he knits. Below: some of the donated knitted items brought to the knit out.
This is Gwen who organizes the Knit Out. We had a great time connecting with other knitters and learning and seeing some of things created by other knitters and crocheters.
The bag felted beautifully!And Lucia wrote this article about the Knit Out:
My thoughts on the Knit Out
By Lucia Herndon
Try to explain the Knit Out to non-needleworkers. Tell them it's a gathering of knitters and crocheters who spend an afternoon enjoying their craft and the company of like-minded people. If you get a blank stare, don't be surprised. It's hard to describe what goes on and the feeling generated by the event to those who have not experienced it.
The Knit Out is a community event -- community in the best sense of the word. People who enjoyed needle crafts come together to share time. Bonds of friendship are quickly formed, magically formed. Small groups become large groups as room is found for the newcomer. Its like attending a fair, looking at the exhibits. Its just that the exhibits are the people themselves and the items they've made and sometimes wear.
Typically there is an opportunity to make things and donate them to a charitable cause. Last year, needlesmiths shared their talent, skill and passion with District Attorney Lynne Abraham's Urban Genesis Program. Through this project police and court officers provide cuddly handcrafted blankets and huggable stuffed animals (teddy bears) and toys to children found in tough situations such as domestic disputes, family violence or crisis situations. When the word went out and the donations came in, the drop-off table was groaning under the weight of knitted and crocheted contributions.
I am amazed at the quality of work that has gone into some of the items. Intricate stitching, dazzling color work. Imagination has taken the small simple pieces and turned them into extraordinary craft masterpieces. All this work, all this effort, all this time and talent used -- and given away – freely, selflessly, lovingly -- for children they will never know or see.
Yes, I am amazed, but not surprised. I have discovered that is the nature of most knitters and crocheters to be generous to a fault with their skills. It was evident in the way total strangers would sit down together to discuss techniques. It was in the way you could ask a fellow crocheter about the sweater she was wearing, as if she was an old friend. It was in the friendly freedom that allowed spontaneous conversation, sharing and laughter.
While there, I ran across several women who participate in a residential treatment program for alcohol and drug abuse. Their social worker had introduced them to therapeutic knitting and the Knit Out was a much anticipated event. A Sunday afternoon away from the routine. A Sunday with other needlesmiths. “We're just like everyone else,” one woman confided in me. For once, she was not defined by her addiction. No explanations needed. No credentials required. Only the shared passions, interests, and enthusiasm for all things knit and crochet.
That is the Knit Out at its best. Finding common links, ignoring differences. An opportunity to commune with strangers as though they are friends. A chance to meet-up
with old friends and the likely possibility of making new ones.
In a few short hours, it was over. People packed up their yarn and hooks, their instruction books and needles. The event was (and still is) free; no one made a penny from their participation.
But we all went home richer for the experience, the interaction, and the camaraderie. For the time we were all joined by our common thread -- yarn, actually -- the work of our hands are an indication of the working of our hearts.
Let's gather together for another wonderful Sunday afternoon, away from our regular routines for a fun filled time of giving, sharing and camaraderie. The sixth annual Philadelphia Area Knit Out & Crochet Event will be held at The Pennsylvania Convention Center, located at 1101 Arch Street, [between Market & Race], in the heart of Center City Philadelphia, across from The Reading Terminal Market, on Sunday, Sept. 16th from noon to 5 p.m. Bring your yarn, and a ball or two to share and swap with others, needles, hooks, books and your latest needlecraft project. We're all going to have another great time together.
See you there!
