Stitches of Prayer

It's been heartwarming to witness the outpouring of support that Americans are sending to the survivors of hurricane Katrina. About 250 survivors were sent here to the D.C. Armory this week. Yesterday, I got a quick tour of the Armory yesterday with my boss. It looks like a very well run, organized operation. The people will either end up settling here in DC or they will be given tickets to travel to wherever they need to go.

I have wanted to do something tangible to show my support, so last night I attended a prayer shawl ministry group in Maryland where the women are knitting prayer shawls that will be sent down south to help bring comfort and encouragement to some of the Katrina surivors. I started knitting a beautiful fuschia mohair trianlge shawl in a basic garter stitch at the meeting last night. After we finished knitting we all stood in a circle and blessed the shawls and prayed for those who will receive them.

Below is the information about the ongoing workshops they will be hosting to knit and crochet some shawls for our neighbors to the south who have lost everything.

*Stitches Of Prayer*
Workshops to benefit survivors of Hurricane Katrina
Saturday, September 10, 2005

Saturday, October 1, 2005

Saturday, October 22, 2005
10AM to 4PM at The Lutheran Church of St. Andrew

Do you knit? Crochet? Can you cut yarns or tie on fringe? Sew onbuttons? Would you like to learn? Help will be available for beginners. Join us as we gather to create tangible symbols of God's love and mercy — shawls, throws, ponchos, hats, scarves. Come for an hour or two — Come for the day Donations of supplies and cash are welcome.

Contact Bobbi Hayward at the Church Office or bobbi.hayward AT gmail.com for more information.

EVERYONE IS WELCOME

The DC Knit blog is back

I'm back in action here at the D.C. knit blog.

The D.C. Knit Out & Crochet 2005 will be celebrating its 5th annual event this October 23rd on the National Mall. Here's a few tidbits from the most recent press release:

National knitting author and designer Nicky Epstein will be joining us again! Nicky will be demonstrating edgings from her new book, Knitting Over The Edge. Bring your yarn and needles to join her and your copy of her books to have them autographed. Sales are restricted on the National Mall so be sure to bring personal copies of her books to the event.

Many thanks to those of you who have jumped in to help us make knit and crochet kits that will be used to teach with at the event. We’re getting close to having 1500 kits (750 knit and 750 crochet kits) ready. Join us on Saturday, October 1, noon. to 4 p.m. at Institches, 8800-F Pear Tree Court, Alexandria, VA, 703-360-4600 for the last kit-making event to make knit kits. Yarn and knitting needles will be supplied.

Of the estimated 6,000 people who attended in 2004, nearly 1,000 were taught to knit or crochet. More are expected in 2005! As such, we’re gearing up to expand the Education area at the event which means more teachers are needed. We are desperately seeking volunteers to teach the knit stitch and/or the single crochet stitch on October 23. Volunteering to teach for an hour will go a long way to help us have the coverage we’ll need for the afternoon. Sign-up today by emailing knitoutcrochet@yahoo.com or by visiting www.knit-out.org to download a volunteer form.

Do you love fashion shows? Find them inspiring? Amazed at how patterns look better in person than on paper? Well, you can take part in the “From Local Hands Fashion Show” and help encourage more to knit and crochet through your work. We’re looking for all levels of knitting and crocheting and all kinds. It’s not too late to enter the fashion show. We’d like to hear from you ahead of time so that we can plan the Show line-up in advance. Shy about modeling your entry? Don’t worry…with advance notice, we can find someone to model the entry for you. Visit www.knit-out.org and send in a completed fashion show form with a photograph of your entry. If you’re working on your entry, send us the form now and the photo later.

Visit www.knit-out.org for the latest event info. Share the attached flyer with your family and all your friends and post it on community bulletin boards. Buy your official Event Bag before the event and become eligible for wonderful door prizes. Official event bags can be purchased by mail or at our booth #103 at the Original Sewing & Quilt Expo on September 29 through October 1 at the Dulles Expo and Conference Center in Chantilly, VA. Plus, grab your knitting project and sit and knit at the Expo’s “knitting center” What a fun!!

Scarves, scarves, scarves! Everyone’s making them. Everyone’s wearing them. Enter Washington, D.C.’s Knit-Out & Crochet 2005 SCARF STYLE CONTEST benefiting Food & Friends and the Orphan Foundation of America and you could win an Ultimate Sweater Machine ™ and a kit from Caron ® International. To enter, design and create an original knit or crocheted scarf. Be creative: experiment with stitch patterns, colorwork, embroidery, yarns and any other special design elements to make the scarf uniquely your own. Contest Rules: 1. Contest is open to all ages, knitters and crocheters. 2. Bring your own finished scarf to the Scarf Style Contest table by 2 p.m. on Sunday, October 23, 2005. 3. All entries must be an original design to win. Scarves created from patterns in the book Scarf Style will not be accepted. 4. The winners will be announced at 4:30 p.m. at the DC Knit-Out & Crochet and must be present in order to receive their prize. 5. The decisions of the judges will be final. 6. All scarves entered become the property of Capital Crocheters & Knitters, Inc. (CCK) and will be donated to Food & Friends and the Orphan Foundation of America. 7. Prizes are awarded as presented and cannot be redeemed for cash.

Knit! Crochet! LOOK WHO’S KNITTING AND CROCHETING NOW! That’s this year’s theme for Washington, D.C. Knit & Crochet 2005. We want to show the world that knitters and crocheters are multi-faceted people of all ages and backgrounds. Whether you’ve just learned to knit or crochet or have been for years, we want to hear from you. Write to knitoutcrochet@yahoo.com and tell us why you knit and/or crochet in 25 words of less along with your name, age (or age range), gender, occupation (if retired, your previous profession). We will post replies on www.knit-out.org and present them on event day.

Capital Crocheters & Knitters, Inc.a 501(c)(3) non-profit organizationdedicated to promoting the educationand arts of knitting and crocheting.

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The DC Knitting In the City group will have a booth for the third year in a row at the Tacoma Park Folk Festival on Sunday, September 11.

If you can teach either knitting or crochet and will be available on October 23rd between 12 and 5pm, the Knit Out needs your help. Please email evelynbgould AT yahoo dot com if you'd like to volunteer to teach or be a knit or crochet doctor.