KasSnippets - February 2015
REPORTS FROM SOUTH AFRICA
by Ronda Lowrie
Wandi, Lindi, Wendy and I went to the Chiawelo Community Centre on Tuesday to collect blankets from the gogos – they had sewn together 116 blankets! We also used the opportunity to inspect the venue for our training and ascertain where we can hang our promotional posters inviting ladies to learn to knit.
Our lovely co-team workers at the Chiawelo Community Centre, wearing the beautiful scarves sent by Ute Sadler
We are literally reporting to you all from beneath a mountain of mail, gorgeous blankets and all your wonderful contributions! Things have been somewhat crazy on this end what with the exciting GSK Scarves for Schools project; the Skills Development Project which will officially launch in March; additional office space which meant yet another move for KAS and Hobby X around the corner. Not to mention the bags of mail that arrive on a daily basis.
GSK Scarves for Schools sponsored by Med-Lemon in association with KAS
The navy blue scarves have started to trickle in and having seen the various online discussions, we look forward to receiving a deluge soon! Thanks for always participating in these campaigns with such enthusiasm.
Full Report :
Onwards and Upwards for Knit-a-Square South Africa!
FURTHER NEWS ON THE
NAVY BLUE SCARF CHALLENGE
by Pam Antink
NAVY BLUE SCARF TOTALISER
To help us keep track of the number of scarves produced we are going to produce a running total, but to help us visualise it, one scarf icon will equal 10 scarves received, when we have received 50 scarves these will be replaced by a school bus! So our aim is to create as many school buses as possible. The challenge is a long term project and will run into 2016 at least.
10 scarves received in South Africa =
50 scarves received South Africa =
Current Total : 44 scarves
we should have our first busload very soon!
To see the rest of the discussion and patterns please click here
HOBBY-X 2015 in SOUTH AFRICA
5 - 8 March - Johannesburg
[5th March is for trade only.]
Once again Knit-a-Square will be attending Hobby-X!
It would be great if we can attract some more volunteers for the office. The team especially need help with data input into the computer to produce the monthly square lists and send out emails to let members know that their parcel has arrived.
KNIT-A-SQUARE APPEAL
Pay the Office Rent for a Day !
(or even half a day!)
As Knit-a-Square develops and grows it is vital that the team work in decent sized offices, that do not require them to carry the mail bags up a flight of stairs. Thanks to the USA-lead appeal for shelving they are now racked out and there is more floor space for our ladies to move around.
Wendy and the team have been working on a number of new items for the shop, but they are not quite ready at the moment, and Linda who now looks after the website is on a much deserved break with husband Dave! Therefore, for this appeal we are asking members to donate via the KAS SA website page : KAS SOUTH AFRICA
Once on the page, please click the "Donate" button in the centre of the page, just below Ronda's name, to make a direct contribution to the appeal. In the square provided please indicate the donation as 'Office Rent'.
The office rent for a day is 533R = $47USD or £30
We know many members would love to contribute, but may find this sum beyond their means, so please, just contribute what you are able - every cent is appreciated and nothing is wasted!
PayPal does not require you to have an account as it has a 'guest' system for people who only want to use it occasionally and you may use your bank card, here is the link to a step-by-step instruction process in Helpful Hints
PayPal will require an address, please use the following when prompted:
Ronda will report back in next months KasSnippets the number of days we have accumulated!
*******
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!
We have left Scotland and travelled across the sea to Ireland, followed by Australia and Switzerland. Currently we are in County Wicklow - Ireland, but are likely to be in Jordan very shortly! Thanks to Lina12345 of Switzerland, we have been able to close some of the larger gaps with additional mountains from the Czech Republic to welcome to the many new members from that country who have joined this last month!
Our current target is No.163 at 130,000 squares
Here is the link to KAS Reaches Great Heights for Children
WHAT'S GOING ON IN
SOUTH AFRICA?
SORTED IN SOUTH AFRICA
- THE OFFICE
The backlog of parcels are still pouring into the office, thank heavens we have the additional office space!
See more pics in Sorted in South Africa
Packing Slip - revised version!
The South African volunteers appreciate the Packing Inventory Slip that many people include in their parcels. It makes the job of recording each item much easier. Now that the Inventory Slip has been used for a while, Wendy and Ronda have asked for a bit of a revision to help them with recording the thousands of squares that arrive each week.
An added feature of the Packing Slip is the ready to use mailing label.
Here are the easy to follow steps:
1. Fill in the "This package contains" describing what and the quantity you are sending in the parcel.
2. Fill in your contact details in the "Contributor Details" section. You don't have to fill in everything unless you want to, but we'd really like a name and country to put on the Square Lists.
3. Cut along the line marked with the scissors.
4. Put the top part of the form inside your package, before you seal it.
5. Firmly tape the bottom part of the form with the address on the outside of your package.
[If the label is the wrong size for your package, hand-write the address and "No commercial value" declaration instead.].
6. Send your parcel !
The form comes in 3 options: pdf; doc; and large print
Click HERE for a Packing Slip form or for French Language version see below :
The JBay Recycling Project for Children
& Stitch Witch News
The weekly sessions started again on 29th January, and in 4 years the children have collected 278 tonnes of recyclable material that hasn't ended up in a landfill.
To see more of the photos from the various Monday sessions please click on
JBay Recycling Project for Children
Mama Ntombi Community Projects !
Nzuzo turned 6 on 15th February 2015 but he is unable to go to school because he does not have a birth certificate. He is orphaned and is under the care of Mrs. Nokuthula Mazibuko who found him wandering around lost, lonely and hungry when he was 3 years old.
SPREADING THE WORD,
MEMBERS & GROUP NEWS!
Promotional Materials
by Anne Powell
We have 2 items in the Promotional Material category that people have found useful for promoting Knit-a-Square to friends and family.
The business card is perfect to hand out when you are talking to someone about our squares.
Or perhaps you may wish to leave a little stack of cards in your local yarn shop or other places.
Another item is the KAS Rulers to use as handouts when attending functions.
They can easily be printed at home and laminated for durability using commercially available laminating sheets.
Knitting in the Czech Republic
by Eva Adamkova
I want to share how proud I am of all the ladies in the Czech republic (small country in the heart of Europe) who have decided to support this project. I translated the KAS web page into Czech language a few months ago. The website was shared on Facebook four days ago and we have almost 600 members now....Almost everybody in the Czech republic is now busy with knitting or crocheting....and wishing from the bottom of their hearts only the best to all the children in South Africa.
We love knitting, we love children, we love supporting those in need.
Big THANK YOU to all volunteers around the world.
Eva's Team has also attracted over 100 knitters from the
Slovak republic as well!
Website Link : https://upletctverec.wordpress.com/
Facebook Link - already has 1,000+ followers! https://www.facebook.com/groups/596303797168730/photos/
To follow Eva's Blog on the Knit-a-Square Forum for more news and wonderful photos of the various contributions, please click:
There are more than 500 women knitting for Knit-a-Square in the Czech Republic!
Waiting Room time? Knit-a-Square!
by Debbie Posmontier
For the past few years, I have had a basket of knitting and crocheting supplies in the waiting room of my chiropractor's office. Dr. Krimmel and her staff have been kind enough to encourage their patients to knit or crochet while they wait for their appointment. There have been many squares made by group effort and several people have joined KAS because of this experience. As you can see, the basket has needles and yarn and rulers and information. Whenever I go for my appointment, I collect any completed squares and include them with the ones I am sending that month. Perhaps you can put a basket in an office near you? Just another way to spread the word about Knit-a-Square!
This basket is still in place and is being refilled with yarn by several other patients. Recently, a woman brought in a crochet hook and now patients are crocheting squares, too. There was a young boy knitting one day when I was there. He learned to knit at the local Waldorf school. A blind, handicapped woman heard me talking about KAS and wanted to know how she could help. She said she'd learned to weave on a potholder loom when she was a girl and so we searched for a suitable size loom and loops and Dr. Krimmel gifted her the supplies and she is weaving squares!
Waiting Room Time to Knit-a-Square
KNIT-A-SQUARE on YOU TUBE
The Beauty of Charis
has made a vibrant and enthusiastic YouTube video
in support of Knit-a-Square.
Christina has made a number of videos, and, it is so good to see a confident young woman supporting Knit-a-Square in this way!
Link to YouTube video : The Beauty of Charis
Our own Knit-a-Square Song
has now chalked up 3,138 views!
Click here for another listen to our Song!
Andrea Palmatier's KasBlog
Wear a Square!
So, what does one do when faced with Siberian-like conditions? Combat the growing sense of cabin fever by spending ten minutes donning an extra pair of socks, two layers of clothes, scarf, parka, heavy duty gloves and a hat, then squeeze into snow pants and boots and go tobogganing for 30 minutes. Subsequently spend another ten minutes taking everything off and making hot chocolate.
To read the rest of Andrea's interesting blog please click here
THE BLANKET ROOM COLLECTION !
More blankets have been recently added to the collection. This one, rightly described by Wendy as 'magnificent' is a beautiful Memory Blanket, made by Sharon B's sister, named Gram's Garden, as their Gram was the best gardener in the family!
KAS MONTHLY THEME
February Theme - Think Like a Kid!
lead by Anne Powell
Knit-a-Square has named 2015 The Year of the PJ !
To read Anne's introduction please click here
Here is a selection of the recent single colour squares - which are the backbone of KAS blankets and provide a wonderful frame for the above more exotic squares:
MARCH - Colour Collision - Rainbows, Kaleidoscope, Nifty Neons - Elaine Jones
APRIL - Variegated Yarn - this is one of the most popular and is enjoyed by the members - Bev
MAY - One-Color Squares - PJs and Textures [Including Autumn Glory, Pretty Pinks, Ruby Reds ... and so on.] - Gloria Grandy
JUNE - Stripes & Zig Zags - another popular item - Pam Antink
JULY - Christmas - Glorious Greens & Reds - Debbie Posmontier and Sue Gillman
AUGUST - "Flags - the international KAS community" - Heather Mensah
SEPTEMBER - Fabulous Faces - Smiley faces, Animal & People faces - Robin Monsees
OCTOBER - Grannies & Garters - Susan Donaldson
NOVEMBER - Oceans/Land/Sky/Space - Valerie Zalewski supported by Linda Maltby
DECEMBER - Year End UFOs, Stash Busters, Plain Janes, Easy Peezies and other Favorites - Susan Haines
TALLY or ITEM COUNT NEWS
by Linda Maltby
2015 January Squares List
The parcels keep pouring in and the volunteers are valiantly sorting the thousands of squares that arrive each week. January saw 455 parcels opened and 20,732 squares sorted !! Although they would love to send everyone an email to tell you that your parcel has arrived, they don’t have the time, the energy or the personnel to complete one more task ! For now, please check the monthly Squares List for your name.
The January Squares List is available on the website:
Click on ‘Received Squares’.
Squares: 20,732 [592 blankets]
The graphs for Tops and Hats are available HERE.
Please remember to include the packing slip.
MARCH PATTERN OF THE MONTH
by Linda Maltby
KAS Cuddlebug
Crochet pattern by Elaine Jones (UK)
Knit pattern by Christine Johnson (UK) and Karen Bennett (UK)
Cute Cuddlebugs will soon be crawling all over South Africa,
keeping children delighted with their antics or creeping into a lap to bring a smile to a sad face.
Imagine the hours of enjoyment for the children.
There are many ways to embellish and personalise your Cuddlebug.
The numerous body sections and legs provide plenty of scope for adding numbers, letters, flowers or anything else that inspires you.
Perhaps you will create a Cuddlebug family !
The Cuddlebugs come in both
species
You will find more toy patterns in
SQUARE HEART OF THE MONTH AWARD
Edited this month by Gloria Grandy
The Square Heart Award for February 2015
goes to
Mili K - Savudrija, Croatia
Mili joined the Square Circle Forum in May 2011
and she soon became the "Queen of the KASCuddle"
Here are a few of her lovely warm creations ...
... and this is only half of them !!!
To read the rest of the award please click here
KAS FACEBOOK PAGE
FINAL THOUGHTS
Here are some of the lovely photographs recently added to the Distribution 2015 discussion - it really is what Knit-a-Square and its members are all about!
Replies
Thank you so much Pam for keeping us updated on all that is going on! This is a stellar report, so much to see and savor.
I am glad to see the navy scarves will be an ongoing project as I have sent 5 but need a short time out on scarves to do other KAS projects before diving back into it again. I love the idea of helping pay office rent too.
As for Eva gaining KAS 600 members for KAS from the Czech Republic in 4 days...wow. And the Slovak ladies too ---how awesome these women all are....I love how willingly they are giving to help the South African AIDS orphans. God bless them every one!
The number of caring people in the world just staggers me sometimes...and I love it!
Thank you SO much Pam, for yet another lovely KASsnippets report - you bring it all together quite brilliantly to keep us encouraged across the world ... and focussed on working with each other to show love to the children of SA.
Knit-a-Square is sincerely grateful to you, and to every single person who contributes in any way at all, to the great blessing this project has become for us all !!
Thank you Pam for the news. It really is a colour explosion when we read KasSnippets.
I have watched the young Charis' video and shared it on FB and Pinterest so I know it will inspire people.
For heaven's sake. I just love these reports! I, once again, listened to the KAS song and suddenly was bawling my eyes out. I don't know what could have come over me but the love for these children and for the thousands of crafters the world over who help them. The inspiring stories above about Eva in the Czeck Republic and the TEAM she started, and Debbie's waiting room basket and the YOUNG lady with the UTube video..! And this all started with one idea in a home. We CAN do something, and I am SO happy to be part of it that it just fills me with love. Thank you KAS!
Wonderful, Pam ... as always!! I'm always finding things I didn't know about ... like Charis's great video. What a lovely young lady she is! And I just LOVE her video :)
Our Kas Snippets is always jam-packed with valuable information, beautiful pictures, and fantastic write-ups! Thank you for pulling it all together in one little "magazine" ... xo
My pleasure Glo - it tends to write itself, I just gather the information together, and, look for something extra to keep in my back pocket as a surprise. Was checking on the song video count and spotted Christina's video just out of the corner of my eye - what a joyful find!
Colour, activities, snuggled children, creativity! Thank you, Pam, for bringing it all together.
I look foward to reading each report, and can't wait to share to my group the wonderful and exciting news of KAS. The photos really are encouraging to my children as well. Thanks!
Thanks, Pam, for another smashing issue of KasSnippets! It's hard to pick my favourite bit, but I have to say "Hats Off" to both Eva Adamkova for the wonderful work she is doing and to Christina for her amazing video.
I am also excited that we have a chance to help out with Pay the Rent. I tried out your instructions above, and it is easy-peasy to donate. Here's hoping many Kasfolk will jump into this with whatever they are comfortable giving. I know it will make a huge difference.
OK - those are some of my favourite bits - but the absolute winner for me is the photo at the very end, of the wee one in the purple and green hat...... Cherub..... pure cherub!
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