About Knit a Care Square (KACS)
Background
Knit a Care Square is community project where people from all walks of life – age, location, occupation, skill level – (people in aged care facilities, school children, community groups, workplaces, families) contribute towards knitting squares that are eventually joined and distributed to those in our community, who are doing it tough in some way.
We regularly share what is happening, how things are unfolding and new pathways being created.
You can pop in to our Knit-a care-square zoom session each Wednesday at 10:30am ACST using this zoom link.
You can also visit our blogs here.
Our Face Book page: Knit a care square
You can also join the RTHB Community (no charge) below which enables you to join in conversations on this site. Just click <Add to Cart>
Information, Videos and Frequently Asked Questions
We invite you to knit squares-
- plain knit – garter stitch preferable (less curling)
- or patterns that finish quite flat
- technique tip: slip first stitch and knit into the back of the last stitch (to create a neat edge)
- 20cm X 20cm square (cast on between 40 and 45 stitches – best to test your own tension)
- size 4 needles
- 8ply wool or acrylic
- sew in loose threads (using darning needle)
- knit squares (details in tab below)
- donate balls of wool (8ply wool)
- donate our ‘signature blue wool’ used to join squares
- design and create kits (that make up to become blankets, usually 5 squares across and 8 squares down, however some smaller and larger sizes never go astray!)
- join squares to make blankets (often crotchet stitch, or sewing stitch)
- have your facility available as a drop off spot (a list of drop off spots are available below)
- pick up and drop off (squares, blankets, wool etc)
- gather groups to knit together
- train others (kit designers, joiners, sewers)
- share the word
- or perhaps use a Community Drakes Knit a Care Square swipe tag to assist in gaining credit for wool
- Knit4Charities, Knit and Natter – groups
- Tranmere; 22 Tennyson Ave, (leave in crate at the front door)
- Treasure Boxes – Unit 4, 1/5 DeLaine Avenue, Edwardstown, SA
- Blow its a hair thing – Rundle Place, Adelaide
- Concept Collections- 48 Birralee Rd Regency Pk
- Blackwood area – (contact Kay)
- Flava Food and Coffee – Christies Beach
- North East area – (contact Gloria)
- Elizabeth Rise Community – 7/26 Hamblyn Rd Elizabeth Downs (Monday’s 10:30am-12:30)
- Reach Physio + Rehab – 25A Newlands Drive West beach, Monday – Friday 9am-5pm, Sat 9am-1pm
- Tea Tree Gully Toy Library (Tues & Thurs 10-1,Wed 2-5)
- Brother Bear – 10 Gawler St Mt Barker (8-2pm)
- 6 Mitton Court, Mt Barker (box on porch)
- Arkaba Medical Centre – 257 Fullarton Rd Parkside (ask for Belinda)
- Hallet Cove and District Lions – Op Shop Shed: 36 Quailo Ave Hallet Cove Thurs&Sat (9:30-12:30)
- Palais Semaphore (gaming room)
- Farm Fresh Market, Murray Bridge ( Tracey)
- 5EBI Byron Place, Adelaide
- A Suzette Powell – Coordinator for AKWAK (Grange Library once a month) or her home in Algester (contact her from our Facebook page or leave us a message)
- Jeannie Buttery (Can be contacted from our Facebook page or leave us a message)
- Knits Needles & Wool (150 Charles Street, Launceston 7250)
Community Groups
Create ‘hubs’ to knit, sew in ends, design blankets, join blankets ready to donate
** This could be created in a rural community, or another state, or country!
(We can help kick start the project, based on what has helped so far)
Schools
- Learning and meaningful activity: teach knitting, make squares, design and join blankets
- Team building, learning, creative and meaningful activity: sort squares, organise squares into rows to form kits (to hand over to the community to join and form blankets to donate)
- St Vincent De Paul
- NDVS (Northern Domestic Violence Service)
- Uniting SA (Emergency Relief)
- Hutt St Centre
- Mary Magdalene Centre
- Smith Family
- Salvation Army
- Gawler and District College Children’s Centre
- Heart and Soul
- Anti-Poverty Network
- Baptist Care SA
- Junction Youth
- Marion Life
- Treasure Box
- A helping hand
- William’s Wardrobe
- Cafe Outside the Square
- Wrap with Love
- Aussies Knitting for War Affected Kids (AKWAK)
- And more…
- The Marilyn’s – raising money for Cancer Council SA
- Cancer Voices
Several blankets throughout the year are also auctioned for people.
Highest bidder receives the blanket in exchange for donating the bid amount to an humanity based organisation.
To date we have had bidders donate to:
- Leukaemia Foundation
- Animal Welfare
- Trojan Trek
- Uniting SA Christmas Appeal
- Our latest auctions raising funds to feed those doing it rough via Cafe Outside the Square ‘the Soup Kitchen’
‘Loving being involved in this project!’
‘It has helped me give up smoking’
‘It has helped the arthritis in my hands’
‘I love that it gives me purpose’
‘I now have something worthwhile to do at night!’
‘I love seeing my squares appear in the blankets’
Knit a care square was inspired at a time, when the realisation of the win win for people knitting and the people receiving blankets.
We have written a blog that shares the background story. Read blog here.
It is a project that brings happiness, wellbeing and comfort – whether you give (in creating the blanket) or receive (in using the blanket).
We have many personal stories shared by people in care facilities, people who are lonely, have disabilities, looking for purpose.
We know that people WANT to HELP and be involved in purposeful, rewarding and fulfilling projects and that’s what Knit a Care Square brings.
Thank you to one of our volunteers, Kathy Bryker,
for this wonderful idea, to attach a beautiful crocheted heart to each of the blankets.
We feel the blankets are complete with this addition!
If you would like to contribute in this way, Kathy has done a video for us to learn how. Visit here
Here are some instructions on making the hearts if you are interested.
Feel free to contact us no matter where you live, or what community you are a part of. Knit a Care Square can begin anywhere, at any time.