Knit In 2013 At Mona Vale Library – Friday 9th of August
All over Australia this Knit Ins are being held annually with one object in mind put best by Wrap with Love, the not for profit organisation so many nimble fingers support:
'Cold humanity is our concern, people caring about other people.'
There are millions of people in the world suffering extreme cold. In 1992 Wrap with Love began with the idea to help as many people as possible by providing warm Wraps to ward off hypothermia and in the past 20 years we have sent more than 323,000 Wraps to people in over 75 countries, including Australia, with the help of our hardworking and generous volunteers.
Most of us can knit and sew. Just one square provides one twenty-eighth of warmth, and collectively, twenty-eight assembled squares create one whole warm and sheltering Wrap.
This year, the fifth year Mona Vale Library has hosted Pittwater’s own annual Knit In, providing a yummy morning and afternoon tea, the Pittwater Stitchers, a group of ladies who either knit, sew or crochet every Friday at Mona Vale Library (10am -12) were a little busier then usual. Piles of colourful squares were stacked on tables, crochet hooks, knitting needles and those who are skilled with thread and needles toiled happily at all tables. While we were visiting the ladies one local supporter dropped off a whole ‘wrap’ ready to be finished by being sewed to a backing piece.
Liz Daly, whom we first met at the Soibada Knitters meetings on Wednesdays at Avalon’s Maria Regina (12pm -2.30/3.00) and also liaises between many of our local knitting groups and Wrap With Love, was on hand and gave us a little insight on her own group, The Newport Ladies:
In 2002 a friend and I heard Barbara Holbrough on the ABC (Local Radio http://www.abc.net.au/local/) talking about WWL. We both felt that we would like to do something to support the organization. We have now grown to a group of 12 and we come together every few weeks to sew squares into blankets. We receive squares from groups in the local community eg Newport Probis, Peninsular Gardens Retirement Village, Minkara Retirement Village as well as local individuals.
I am a drop off person for WWL. We receive wraps from Pittwater Retirement Village and Westmead Rehab Unit, Westmead Hospital. I collect the blankets from Mona Vale Library Friday Knitting Group, Pittwater Stitchers, and take their blankets out to Alexandria for distribution. Every now and then finished blankets appear at my front door from far-away places like Wagga Wagga and squares from friends in Brisbane and Toowoomba.
As well as sewing blankets for WWL we sew up squares for the Maria Regina Church group who support the community of Soibada in Timor Leste. So far this year from February to July we have sewn 229 for WWL and 41 for Timor Leste.
The tally in 2012 for the Pittwater Stitchers was 211, pretty awe inspiring for someone whose knitting, when attempted, looks like something the cat has played with too often. The Pittwater Stitchers put their own wraps together and Liz delivers them. The quality is so high and the finished products beautiful.
Around 45 Knit In-ers came and went all day Friday, many staying the whole day.
“The library has hosted this event since 2008 and is particularly appreciative of the Friday knitting group the Pittwater Stitchers, who help throughout the year and on the day,” Mona Vale Library Manger Cathy Howie stated in the lead in to Friday’s Knit In, “Residents can start knitting straight away and bring their squares on the day or drop them off anytime during library opening hours.”
Pam Holdom with a wrap she has just dropped in on Friday to Liz Daly (right).
More squares are desperately needed past the annual Knit In though. If you shivered this week and pulled your coat a little tighter against the snow winds prevailing then spare a thought for those who do not have such luxuries right here on the Northern Beaches, elsewhere in Australia and all overseas who are gifted these wonderful shields that are made with love to Wrap With Love.
Idle hands while watching the television of an evening can put some squares together. These can be dropped into Mona Vale Library every Friday morning and the girls will put them together and send them where they will bring a lifetime of comfort to someone you may never know, never meet, but whom you will then have a connection from what is best in our human spirit. It is threads like these from communities here in Pittwater, and all over Australia, by all the people who are rarely seen or heard that are knitting our world into a better place.
Squares should measure 10” x 10” (25cm x 25cm), with full instructions available here online.
Pittwater Stitchers - all are welcome from 10am to 12pm every Friday in Mona Vale Library.
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About Wrap With Love
Wrap with Love is a not for profit organisation incorporated with the Department of Fair Trading, NSW, Australia. Wrap with Love has no annual membership fees or other regular financial support. We rely on your donations. No one is authorised to door-knock or collect money for Wrap With Love Inc. Donations are not tax deductible.
Wrap with Love is a non-denominational, non-racist and non-political organisation. It respects your privacy and does not give out the personal information of any volunteer, or any member of other organisations it comes into contact with.
WE DO NOT BUY, SELL, OR TRADE WRAPS
The Wraps we provide cannot be bought sold or traded. They are caring gifts from the people of Australia to the people of the world.
Over twenty non-denominational and non-political aid agencies collect Wraps from our warehouse in Alexandria, NSW, to distribute them to those in greatest need. We rely on an Australia-wide network of caring volunteers to knit, transport and assemble Wraps.
When Wraps are finished, you can either organise delivery through a local drop-off depot, post them directly to us, or personally drop them into our Sydney warehouse. To find out about how to send Wraps.
See more here www.artsandcraftnsw.com,au/Wrap.htm
