Knit a Care Square 2019

Knit a Care Square 2019

It is the third year for Knit a Care Square and we’d like to say a big thank you to this wonderful community.

Over the last 3 years, the number of blankets have grown…

2017: 15 blankets were completed by a relatively small number of volunteer knitters, designers and joiners and then donated to Hutt Street Centre.

2018: 111 blankets were completed by a growing community of volunteers and donated to 4 locations including Hutt Street Centre, Mary Magdelene Centre, The Smith Family and St Vincent De Paul.

2019: 400 blankets were completed by more volunteers and a growing number of ‘hubs’ which are groups who have taken responsibility for all aspects of the blanket making!

The collection of blankets have been donated to over 18 locations including

1. Uniting SA Emergency Rescue
2. Marion Life
3. Adelaide Day Centre
4. Salvation Army
5. Mary Magdelene Centre
6. Unity housing
7. Northern Adelaide Domestic Violence
8. A helpful Hand
9. Baptist Care SA

More of the locations

1. Treasure Boxes
2. Puddle Jumpers
3. Blakeview Community
4. Junction Youth
5. Gawler and District Children’s Centre
6. APY lands John Flynn Uniting Church Alice Springs
7. SA Poverty – Heart and Soul
8. SA Refugees and Migration Centre
9. St Vincent De Paul

Our growing community of individual knitters donating to our 9 drop off centres around Adelaide has been inspiring.

From as young as 12 to our oldest 95 year old knitter, we are seeing the passion and fulfillment gained.

A wonderful story this year was around a group of year 6 students from Trinity Gardens Primary. Their teacher amazingly taught all students to knit squares and design blankets and it became so much more

They discovered mindfulness and patience,

They replaced technology with engagement,

They shifted from isolation to connection,

With family and friends as they all worked on the blanket project.

AND of course, our special blanket donations to community causes

This year, our decision to create some blankets and raise funds for special causes, has brought even greater sense of gratitude and community connection for our volunteers.

• Trojan’s Trek
• Animal Welfare Association
• Leukaemia Foundation
• Still Aware (via Les Jolly’s Ride to Save Lives)
• Uniting SA Christmas Appeal

We also donated blankets to

• Flinders Cancer Wellness Clinic
• Rockets Basketball Club (raising funds for Jenah)
• Cancer Voices (raising funds for bowel cancer)
• The Marilyn’s (raising funds for breast cancer)

We love how the Knit a Care Square community is there to support and contribute

When we call out for a special cause, people respond when they can and do it with joy!

One call-out this year, was for knitted socks as a special request from one of donation locations. We were happy to be able to pass some on!

Over the year, WE have continued to share our heart-felt message of appreciation

• thankyou cards, sent to all new volunteers
• message cards, attached to each blanket donated

WE have also changed how we hand over our blankets

• we have moved from securing the blankets with an elastic band to placing them in pillow cases (provided by the community, so thank you again!)

WE ran 2 ‘Darn and Yarn’ events

at Café Outside the Square in Whitmore Square Adelaide.

• we laughed and got to know each other a little more
• we shared ideas and tips
• we learned and practiced new approaches (sewing in ends, joining stitches and for some learning how to make ‘plarn’ and crotchet with it!** Darn with Plarn – another of our community projects emerging)
• we established our new currency of ‘food and personal care items’ – in exchange for the coffee and afternoon tea, people donated items (that were forwarded to families struggling to buy such items after paying bills etc. *** Share Care and Fare – another of our community projects emerging)

Some other highlights from 2019 

We were kindly invited to several events over the year, where we set up knitting nooks for the guests at tables supporting valuable causes: multicultural evenings, refugee fundraiser, welcoming evenings, community centres (Thanks Ingle Farm!)

We formed collaborations with Girl Guides SA who are kindly inviting the schools and other organisations to contribute a few stitches when they attend the campsites they offer.

We were invited to speak on radio stations to encourage other community members who love to knit, to participate.

We also gave Knit a Care Square a mention to Eddie Betts at this book launch, to further spread the word.

We were asked to contribute to a story written and photographed by our Community Project Photographer – Claudine Burgess (Define and Shine).

What is in store for 2020…

To date, we have embraced the ideas and contributions of the community itself and we will continue to be guided by what unfolds.

One idea that was generated from those who attended the ‘Darn and Yarn’ around raising funds for a cause, through raffling the blankets.

 So… as we embark on raising funds for bowel cancer next year (through our involvement in the Jodie Lee Foundation 80km Trek), 3 blankets will be raffled for this cause.

AS you know, our mission is to respond in real time… to what is happening in the world and around us.

For that reason, we know the path has not yet been truly revealed…

So we await… and prepare to be our best for those in need in 2020.