KasSnippets - December 2013

 

REPORTS FROM SOUTH AFRICA

NELSON MANDELA MEMORIAL SERVICE DAY

a tribute from Knit-a-Square

On Saturday 8th December Ronda visited the home of Nelson Mandela to pay a personal tribute and to represent Knit-a-Square.

Reporting KAS in South Africa : 

On this Sad Day, Let us Celebrate !!!!

We woke up on Friday, 6 December to the very sad news that the father of our nation, Tata Nelson Mandela (Madiba) had passed away at his home in Houghton.  On behalf of all the members of Knit-A-Square we pay loving tribute to this most profoundly humble, kind and forgiving man and what better way to honour his memory than with a KAS distribution?

We teamed up with two South African businesses, Accutronics and Eketsa Interior Design, and headed to Bophelong, an informal settlement situated near Vanderbijlpark, which is in the southern-most part of Gauteng. The staff at Accutronics and Eketsa have been supporting Bophelong Children's Home for two years now, and, as part of their corporate social responsibility initiative, collect much-needed food, clothing and other items for the home and provide them with support wherever possible. Today they were taking a special Christmas delivery of gifts for the children and food to keep them going over the festive period.  Knit-a-Square was made aware of this project via one of our volunteers, Gina, who belongs to the same community forum as Tobie from Accutronics and we asked whether we could join their Christmas initiative and distribute some of your warm, hand-knitted blankets, beanies and tops to the children.

 

  Gratitude from the heart and not a dry eye in the house

To read the rest of the report please click here 

For other recent reports :

Our Wonderful Welcome in Snake Park !

Tea with the Susonke Gogos !

 

THE KNIT-A-SQUARE SHOP

The new 2014 edition of the KAS calendar is now available for purchase in the shop!

You can buy it now for $9.95.

 

Many thanks to Sandy for designing next year's KAS calendar, it is full of beautiful photos of the kids and your knitting masterpieces. The money from every purchase helps us to continue the distributions and support for the kids, their carers, the creches and the gogos of South Africa.

Please go to the Knit-A-Square Shop today and purchase something special to support the day-to-day operations (KasOps) directly in South Africa. This month we are highlighting Snacks - an important element of the distributions.

"KAS REACHES GREAT HEIGHTS FOR CHILDREN"

A JOURNEY AROUND THE WORLD !

 

This challenge is going to take us around the planet whilst reaching great heights & piles of squares - 178,000 to be precise, in order to reach the top of Table Mountain, Cape Town in South Africa!

We are going to need 50 squares for every foot climbed!

Since the last month we have taken trips from London, across the Rockies, into Brazil and Tunisia. Then it was back to Scotland, Wales, Ireland and England with a diversion via Wyoming!  Then we visited Italy, Switzerland and Paris for a croissant and coffee! Niagara has just fallen and we have zipped across to New Zealand! Currently, we toppled two targets in the UK this week - Nelsons Column and The Cutty Sark at Greenwich, now we are in Cornwall at The Eden Project and we need 9,000 squares to reach the top of the bio-domes!

KAS has a surplus of hats & beanies, therefore please would those of you who make hats switch to squares as essentially, 1 hat = 3 squares and will help build the piles to reach our target just that bit quicker!

Here is the link to KAS Reaches Great Heights for Children

 

 

WHAT'S GOING ON IN SOUTH AFRICA?

  

PHOTOGRAPHS FROM KAS DISTRIBUTIONS

There have been some late Autumn distributions including the

 Big Smiles Day Centre

 

We have more photographs to come from Evaton and Bophelong Children's Home for publishing in 2014. 

The Sprout Foundation Report

29th November : Christmas came early this year! Look at all these happy faces. Thank you again Knit-a-Square for your continuous support. It is MUCH appreciated by all of us.

You might also enjoy reading a report from Mama Ntombi Community Projects - 

One Child at a Time

This month we featured the story of Ntokozo who was burnt when her grandmother was cooking and the pot tipped over spilling hot oil on her leg. Ntokozo was spotted at the Mama Ntombi 24th November Sunday session and was taken to hospital for treatment.

Burns                                            After hospital treatment

 

Mama Ntombi dressed Ntokozo

10th December Ntokozo wounds are healing nicely

22nd December completely healed!

Sabelo, who we featured last month, along with his two sisters has been 'adopted' by Lisa through the Mama Ntombi adoption programme which enables a family to be provided for by an adoptee, and who will receive regular reports.

 


Photo

 

Olwethu is also progressing well, here she is on 22nd December!

BLANKETS !

The Knit-a-Square Blanket Album continues to grow,  you may even spot some of your squares!  

 

 

You may recall that last year the students of Beaulieu College Outreach helped to open hundreds of parcels from a giant back-log that was choking Ronda's garage.  Well the students hadn't forgotten and contacted KAS to say they would like to do 'something' again.  They were speedily supplied with a number of blanket square packs to turn into blankets!

Please click above and see all the beautifully results created by the students!

 

The JBay Recycling Project & Stitch Witch News

The Stitch Witch Group held a Teddy Bear competition so that all the children who attend the recycling sessions received a bag containing not only a teddy, but crayons, an activity book and cookies! The competition winner was Sandy Pio who managed to produce 60 of the 320 bears received.  

This Jeffries Bay Community project has continued to go from strength to strength, undoubtedly helped by the presence of our lovely Stitch Witch team who continue to contribute blankets along with the help of the ladies of the Sunshine Club.

 



  

 

ISSUES - WE NEED YOUR HELP WITH !

Zero Tolerance

 

With regard to the completion of the Custom Slip

attached to your parcels!

Please do check out the discussion, ZERO TOLERANCE, in Postage Information, created by Anne to help prevent unnecessary raids on our much needed funds by South Africa Customs & Revenue!

Sadly a parcel recently arrived from the UK declaring a value of £12 sterling.  Unfortunately, the writing was not perfectly clear, and, South African Customs & Excise insisted it said £72 sterling, and Ronda had to pay 300 Rand (£17.50 or $30 US) to bail it out. This sum far outstripped the value of the goods contained in the parcel, plus it used up valuable cash that Knit-a-Square would prefer to spend providing the children with extra food!

 

 

Judging from the number of comments posted already, instructions to Postal Office Clerks does tend to vary, rather adds to the confusion. Canada and the UK will accept '0', but sometimes USA and Australia do require a figure. The USA, Helen has found her office accepts a value of $1, elsewhere  Debbie uses '0' without any difficulties.  Bev in Australia has found the $1 is accepted at her post office!

Anyhow, we are asking everyone to spread-the-word about filling in the forms extra carefully in order to safeguard Ronda's piggie bank!

KAS SQUARE MEASURE

 

 The KAS Square Measure, is being revised and worked on, with the help of Adelina in the UK.  We are tweaking it a little as the information concerning the Custom Slip is going to be added and the ruler (that shrank) is being removed.  However the existing Square Measure is perfectly useable and works well as an information pack all rolled into one!

 

SORTED IN AFRICA

Here are a couple of opening day photographs.  To see more open day photographs please go to Sorted in South Africa

 


To read this delightful letter, please click on Society of St. Vincent de Paul and choose View Full Size which makes it easier to read.

 

The Society thanked Knit-a-Square members for the toys we sent them to use as Christmas Gifts - and they certainly came in handy!

 

Ronda and the team packed up 900 beanies which were sent for distribution at the Community Policing Forum's Christmas Outreach (scroll down the page) in Kya Sands. They were very gratefully received!

Over the years Ronda has received lots of wonderful and charming letters from school children who want to help.  We'll share them gradually that came from the 3M class, Ambleside, Tasmania Island (Australia)  - as we are coming to the end of the year we will make these our final letters!  The letters have been delightful, but due to being written in pencil it is not easy to find one that will post clearly on the page!

 

Nixon Street Primary - Tasmania Island, Australia

KAS GROUP NEWS &

SPREADING THE WORD

We have received an email from the students at United World College South East Asia - East Campus, Singapore.  The school incorporates a Global Concerns Project into the education of the students. Here is a statement of intent from the college :

“Global Concerns is a dynamic initiative enabling students to put their ideals into action by establishing project groups which actively address specific issues about which the students care deeply. The projects focus on working to support causes and communities through direct links with partner organisations outside Singapore.” 

“The UWC Movement believes that to achieve peace and a sustainable future, the values it promotes are crucial: international and intercultural understanding; celebration of difference; personal responsibility and integrity; mutual responsibility and respect; compassion and service; respect for the environment; a sense of idealism; personal challenge and action and personal example.

Student Nupur Chatterji  has started a group called 'Knit Kare' and there are currently 20 eager students participating in producing squares to send to KAS, and, we have been promised further updates as the project develops. Below is a photograph of these wonderful students!

* * *

The new KasBlog 

One Square at a Time 

written by Laurie Fortier (Canada) can be found on the Forum menu bar KasBlog.  We have added a new box on the right-hand side of the Forum front page which will alert you to when a new blog is available.  Laurie updates the blog very regularly - often twice a week!

The Knit for Life Team

Pam Johnson & Elaine Jones are trying to win £300 ($450) to buy yarn for their teams of ladies to knit squares for KAS! You can help by voting for them every week (I do on a Monday).  The competition started on 4th November and runs for 16 weeks. Although Knit for Life hasn't won yet, but we are amongst the most viewed profile - so they are in with a very good chance! To read more go to Knit for Life.

To vote, please go to the Galaxy Hot Chocolate Fund

 

KAS MONTHLY CHALLENGES

The December 2013 Challenge It's a Red Month lead by Carol Playford has produced a wide variety of squares incorporating red!
 
December 2013 Love & Hope December 2013 First batch  December 2013 Red 11 Red for December  7 Red & Royal squares Red and white December Challenge by Susan Donaldson  Rainbow-1 A few more..... Rainbows and Reds  December Reds - Illusion Happy Face  Reds December 2013 November 2013 Going red!  jazzy catsRevamped squares.. 3 December Reds red squares by Ann Clements reddish
The January Challenge - our Annual Winter Drive is being lead by Anne Powell with the focus being garments. This will give members time to create them and get them in the post so they are received by Ronda ready for the South African Winter Distributions in May and June when the first of the cooler weather arrives!

 

 2014 Challenge Themes

Here is the complete list for 2014, but there is a possibility that March and September will be swapped around - Gitta's husband has decided to whisk her off to Paris during March!

JANUARY - WINTER DRIVE - Anne Powell (emphasis on long sleeved garments)

FEBRUARY - HEARTS - RED, WHITE & PINK - Laurie Fortier

MARCH - AROUND THE WORLD IN 30 DAYS! - Bev Jeffery

APRIL - COLOUR COLLISION - Elaine Jones

MAY - MELLOW YELLOW - Sunshine, flowers & all things yellow - Sue Gillman

JUNE - DAY OF THE AFRICAN CHILD - Robin Monsees

JULY - STRIPES, ZIG ZAGS & TEXTURES & MANDELA DAY THEME - Anne Powell

AUGUST - THE BEAUTY OF BLUES - Susan Haines

SEPTEMBER - VARIEGATED YARN - Gitta Seyfert

OCTOBER – FAVOURITES  favourite yarn, patterns etc - Mary Anne Fellows

NOVEMBER - BUGS, SLUGS & HUGS - Linda Maltby

DECEMBER - UN-CHALLENGE - time to relax, have fun, and get ready for the holidays - Susan Haines

 

SQUARE LISTS - TALLY - ITEM COUNT

November Challenge KAS cuddle Jumper 28 Hey , hey I'm a monkey... November 2013 Roly-Poly 3

Square Lists for November are ready for viewing. 

Received in November : Squares 9,255 (264 blankets);

Tops 185 and Beanies 456

For further details go to the discussion page Square Lists - Tally - Item Count for previous months.

 PACKAGE INVENTORY

Please do not forget the  Package Inventory develped to help make parcel opening day easier for the team in South Africa has proved a great success in speeding up the whole process.  Now the team have 'test driven' it for several months, Gina has modified the design so that it truly meets the office needs. The file is below, or, click on the link above in order to read the discussion.

 

KAS Package Inventory.pdf KAS Package Inventory.pdf

JANUARY PATTERN OF THE MONTH

by Linda Maltby

 

Traditional Granny square- a crochet pattern

 


  

The Granny square is described as any square worked in rounds.

This is the Traditional Granny Square pattern.

 

No one knows where or when the Granny square originated.

The first published pattern was in 1897 in Weldon’s Practical Needlework.  Even then, it was described as a good way to use up scraps and leftover bits of yarn.  People were probably already making ‘Granny’ squares but this has been accepted as the first time the pattern was in print.                                 

One theory to the name is that when a woman became older, she was often the one who took the bits and bobs of yarn and made squares and sewed them into blankets. 

Thus they were Granny’s squares.

 

Granny squares for the children in South Africa need to be made with a heavy worsted weight/DK yarn to provide an adequate layer of warmth. 

 

 

 

 

 

Whether you make one Granny square or 35, the child who receives them will love them

…and love showing them off !

 [Link to granny square pattern]

 

The Granny square is one of the many patterns to be found in the

KAS Pattern Book.

If you see another pattern you would like to try, please do!

 

SQUARE HEART

OF THE MONTH AWARD

Edited this month by Laurie Fortier

This month the Square Heart Award goes to

This month the Square Heart Award goes to 

Jeni Nesbitt from Glasgow, Scotland!

AKA, Harrison's Mom

Jeni has been a devoted member of KAS since 2009.

She started the wonderful Yarn-aholics thread here on the forum which is so therapeutic for all of us


 

KAS FACEBOOK PAGE

 

We have received an additional 119 Likes on the Facebook page so far during November-December taking our total to 6575!    We also copy the messages etc received on Facebook to the Forum for anyone who is not a member of FB.

FINAL THOUGHTS

There have been a number of landmarks along the way during 2013, especially the arrival of the KasVan via the generosity of G4S, and, KAS was able to move into offices and vacate Ronda's home!  Obviously, the recent resignation of Sandy who co-founded KAS and saw it through its first 5-years is another.  However, any organisation is only as good as its members and supporters who continue to do everything they can to make a truly practical difference to the lives of the children we serve.

There have been many distributions, all of which touched our hearts, but for 2013, none has probably quite had the visual impact that the USA lead fundraising appeal had on the children of Nancefield.

The photographs of Nancefield Distribution November 2013 start with the arrival of the KasVan filled with dried food for the teachers to provide meals for the children. 

Knit-a-Square members took this cavernous gym with one piece of equipment (the little house slide) for the children to play with

to an explosion of colour!


The Knit-a-Square mandate is to reach children of all races, who have lost parents through HIV/AIDs. Our Forum members and the team in South Africa, plus, the worldwide contributors from 60 countries, come from all cultures, races and religions. 
We come together as a team who truly care!
 
 May you all enjoy a peaceful Christmas and a New Year filled with love and happiness!!!!

 

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Replies

  • A very wonderful and informative report as always!  Many great accomplishments!  I'm sure more to come - go KAS!!

  • Another wonderful issue, Pam - maybe the best one yet!  It's been a wonderful year, with lots of progress on many fronts.  It has set the bar high for next year.... but we can do even better...... just watch us grow!!

  • Wow! What a bumper edition of KASsnippets to finish our year. Thank you so much, Pam for putting it all together and to our other friends who have contributed items to these monthly updates. So much to be thankful for this year....a KASvan, new offices, Nancefield fundraiser, Laurie's KASblog, all the wonderful stars who were recognised through the square heart award for their ongoing support of KAS and EVERYONE who has contributed knitted/crocheted items and /or  expressions of comfort, friendship and support to our fellow KASers, making this the greatest community I know.  :))

    Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a wonderful 2014. xxx

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