2024 BARN ACTIVITIES

Amy September 10, 2024 at 7:14am

Estelle reflects on the past 12 months...

Can you believe that it’s been one year since we have relocated to our new KNIT-A-SQUARE venue. We’re grateful that Ronda has encouraged us to continue with the passion we all have…to warm and comfort vulnerable children. Elaine is holding our candle to celebrate our first year…no candles to blow out on cakes since Covid!

Audrey, Sheldon, Elaine, Estelle and Liz

Such a pretty square.

Aren’t these gorgeous? I the seahorse Amy.

What a treat…35 neatly bundled squares all the same size.

A super large parcel from The Czech Republic. Thank you Šikovné Ruce Pomxi and your team for these 350 squares.

Sheldon has a way with arranging toys.

Blanket of the week. Wow Sharon B this is one exquisite blanket…the perfect choice of colours.

It has been a most successful year considering we only meet once a fortnight. Liz, Audrey, Ana, Sweetie and I have made 457 blankets, the majority coming from Liz and Audrey. Elaine has made and resized 422 squares and Sheldon must have held up over 600 blankets to be photographed.

All the way from Australia thank you Wendy Hinson we love your blanket.

Liz made good use of your squares Antoinette Nothling surrounding granny centre square.

Love your smiley face Bev Jeffery.

A happy blanket to put a smile on any child’s face.

My Christmas blanket thanks Elaine for the fluffy star squares and Sharon Bedgood for the PJ’s and squares in squares.

This one I just enlarged the exquisite center panel.

Without our incredibly talented and generous contributors this would not be possible.

Amy September 4, 2024 at 8:50am

From Estelle and her gathering on August 27...

As the weather is getting warmer in Johannesburg we were able to move outside for our KNIT-A-SQUARE ‘opening’ morning. Once again the post is pouring in…our worldwide and local contributors are certainly keeping us busy sending beautiful, colourful squares.

Everyone doing their bit…from knitting the squares, sorting and bundling ready for the fabulous blankets

KNIT-A-SQUARE produces for the vulnerable children.

Beautiful granny squares, teddies and beanies from Lesley King.

The cutest little soft animals included in Claire Leeson's package.

Fabulous blankets from Antoinette Nothling's team plus squares, beanies and hand warmers.

A riot of colour from T Green.

The toys we received this month delightfully arranged by Sheldon Bolle.

This memory popped up on my Facebook page today….can you believe it was 5years ago Vivenne?

For our many new members this pic was taken in our old barn.

Sheldon Bolle you’re a star once again thanks for all your help today and “ looking after” us oldies.

Some of our blankets this week...

This one’s from me, Estelle - thanks for sharing these beautiful flower squares Viv.

Thank you Diane Burns for your fabulous Christmas blanket.

This one’s from Lesley King.

9 blankets from Liz today.
Love your owl Liz Gyldenhuis…Ada Breeuwer will love it.

Fabulous farm square Bev and so we’ll put together Liz.

Lovely PJ’s from Gail.

And now for Audrey’s blankets.
A fabulous blanket to add to our Christmas pile thanks Audrey and all who sent sent the super squares.

I spy some of yours there Sharon Bedgood.

Thanks Ronda for joining us, the post and transporting all our blankets and goodies to Kempton Park. It’s always great to catch up.

Diane Burns > Amy September 9, 2024 at 1:10am

I'm amazed to see my Christmas parcel has arrived already, posted on 2nd August, being opened on 27th August. If that is snail mail then I'm happy😄. Wonderful blankets on show.

Amy September 4, 2024 at 1:56am

The Barn Activity from August 22...

The morning at Knit-a-Square was full of activity and the time disappeared before we were able to finish opening our post … then today (Friday) Bernard was called to collect a whole lot MORE!

Wonderful the way our post is pouring in … it gives us such hope and allows our Bryanston ladies to keep busy also!

Hundreds of teeny squares from a chemo clinic … a difficult time for knitters we acknowledge, but after having supplied all the wool AND leaving clear instructions as to our requirements, we WERE a little disappointed with the results.

Completing my fourth blanket this month - sitting down in the Barn is unusual

but after a cortisone injection I was feeling a bit “elderly”.

As always - THANK YOU to our amazing contributors for continuing to keep us busy providing warmth and loving encouragement to the growing numbers of orphaned/vulnerable children in Gauteng alone. We are enthusiastically breaking ground in new informal settlement areas since moving to the East Rand.

What a beautiful blanket from Patricia!

We LOVE this little gift but have no idea who sent it sadly… hoping the sender recognizes it and knows how it touched us all.

Delighted to receive the final consignment of 6 boxes from our dear friends Elaine and Pam in UK - after 15 years of their sending large boxes full of KAS items twice a year or more, they are taking a well-deserved rest !

Huge van delivering our K4L boxes.

There they are … can’t wait for next week.

The transporter team enjoying tea and chocolate cake.

Enjoy the pics.

Amy August 18, 2024 at 8:04am

The Barn was filled with activity on August 15. Here is Ronda's report...

Yet another busy Thursday in the KASbarn … this time with a SPRING -CLEAN done by Viv and Wandi and a BIG beanie sorting marathon thanks to Jan …

So thorough … lifting all the pallets to sweep and dust.

Jan, our beanie queen …

Ably helped by Viv and Wandi.

Neatest storeroom.

Looking the other way … how wonderful!

Wandi 2 drove across Johannesburg (literally) to the West Rand Clinic Oncology Centre where chemo patients have been knitting squares for us over several years, while undergoing their treatments … … wool and knitting needles supplied by KAS.

Wandi 2 off to the West Rand with more wool.

Starting to count the oncology patient squares … mostly teeny weeny ones.

Enjoy the pics …

Viv sewed this blanket up during the week.

… and Wandi 1 made THIS one (Wandi 2 would like to take the credit )

Lindi settling at her table to start the morning … many piles to sort out.

An unusual shaped scarf.

Wandi 2 explaining to Jan the complicated “lobola” system in South Africa,

which can cause young lovers to make an extra long journey to the altar.

Amazing what one finds amongst the beanies ! A cute little head-band.

Amy August 13, 2024 at 8:06am

From Estelle on the August 13, gathering day...

They say there are 133 days till Christmas. The stunning Christmas blankets and squares are starting to roll into KNIT-A-SQUARE…what creative contributors we are blessed to have.

From Patricia

Audrey’s fabulous Christmas blanket I think it’s her first this year.

A few of your Christmas squares are incorporated into this blanket Cathy Riley.
Sharon Bedgood, how do you like Sheldon’s new Michelin tyre shoes?

Stunning squares and beanie sets from Sharon Bedgood.

Thanks Sharon you know what puts a smile on our faces this time of the year.

We used today’s opening session mainly to sort our odd sized squares into bundles as there has been a lull in the post and not many parcels to open. I collected knitted items and squares from La vie Nouvelle yesterday which together with the post we received, should keep us busy till our next meeting.

A lovely soft blanket for one of our smaller children. Thank you La vie Nouvelle.

The dearest little jumper from La vie Nouvelle.

Thanks for spoiling us again Sheldon by making our tea and coffee and serving us. I couldn’t take the pics with you soooo thanks!

Liz and Audrey never fail to bring their beautiful blankets for our Show & Tell so here goes….

And now some blankets from Liz. Lovely squares from Gail and Ada’s famous Ellie’s.

Audrey’s brought 9 blankets today including her Christmas one.

Audrey has had a wonderful time making use of Gail’s beautifully knitted PJ’s in so many of her blankets.

’s hen and goat…love the goat and I think these stunning squares are from Carol Rawlings.

Bev Jeffery'ss hen and goat…love the goat and I think these stunning squares are from Carol Rawlings.

More from Gail and Bev.

Homage to the flag of South Africa.

One from me…Sharon B’s car and all the blue/ yellow squares from Elaine Joubert.

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Amy August 11, 2024 at 6:30am

From Ronda and the team on August 8...

Hi to our KASpeople

A few pics taken over the last two weeks in the barn and at various distributions made.

Icy weather persists so we are working hard to deliver warmth and love to the children most in need.

We are being kept busy with dozens of community service hours accreditations for high school kids as well … as stream of them coming to deliver their work - no pics for obvious reasons - but it’s good to see that today’s youngsters are made aware of the struggles of so many of their peers!

Precious Wandi

Portia and Michael visiting with LOTS of blankets.

Lindi, Wandie and Norma

Lots of folding to do before the blankets are stacked on the shelves.

Wandi shows us a blanket she stitched together.

Thank you for ongoing support … we are blessed that Knit-a-square has been sustained over the last 16 years through the incredible support it has received from you ALL !

Knit-a-square

Knit-a-square. 14,920 likes · 4 talking about this. Helping to keep the orphans of South Africa warm.

Amy July 31, 2024 at 10:42am

From Estelle on July 30...

All ready for KNIT-A-SQUARE opening day with plenty of post to keep us busy and an almost clear table.

After 10 years at KNIT A SQUARE I still get excited about the post.

Some of the lovely squares from Carol Rawlings.

Thanks for visiting us Ronda and taking all the beautiful blankets, toys and goodies our incredible contributors send us.

Ronda, Sheldon. Audrey and Liz

Almost forgot all the fabulous toys we received today. Thanks Sheldon Bolle for arranging them so beautifully.

As we don’t have shelves to pack, a cake to photograph and hundreds of blankets to fold please bear with us if there are similar photos every opening day. Our show and tell is a way of getting the blanket pics to The Blanket Room on The Forum.

This fabulous blanket arrived in the post from Chris Chiplen.

Another one from the post thank you V Goodwin…love your colour combination.One of the 9 blankets Audrey brought today.

The ladies at Kempton Park sent this one to us think it’s from Bev Jeffery.

Ada Breeuwer does it again…you never fail with your gorgeous animal squares Ada.

Sheldon's blanket of the week. Stunning bird squares from Bev Jeffery and PJ’s from Gail. Thanks Audrey for stitching it together.

Super squares from Sherryl Fontuin one of our local contributors.

Another local contributor I think…Nellie Potgieter?

And now for Liz’s creations. I love the way you added the “ potjie pot “ ( a cast iron African three -legged pot) to Amy's heart square in a blanket made up with the colours of our flag.

Love these squares thanks Ana Forssman.

Combined effort- stunning knitted squares from Bev, crocheted together by Elaine Joubert and I crocheted the border.

Liz handing out a blanket to a shivering guy on a cold Mandela Day morning.

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Amy July 15, 2024 at 7:52am

From Estelle dated July 9... sorry for the delay, we were hit by Hurrican Beryl and things are just settling down.

Winter temperatures have reached freezing point in many parts, of Southern Africa…even the giraffes are feeling the drop in temperature.

Once again KNIT-A-SQUARE has been the recipient of the beautiful bright squares knitted by Antoinette Nothling's team at the World Wide Knit in Public Day she arranged. Many thanks to all of you.

All set for the happy knitters and crocheters.

From Antoinette’s team.

We were kept busy all morning with a BIG parcel from France- is that one of the many you sent Valerie Zalewski.

Our first parcel ( that I know of) from Jamaica and many from our loyal contributors around the globe.

Our first parcel and the beautiful blanket below from Jamaica…from Pat Sawyer The WesleyChapel UMC.

Thanks Ronda Lowrie for sharing the post.

Busy bees and a well deserved cup of coffee for Sheldon.

Once again Sheldon thanks for all your help and looking after the ladies making their tea and coffee.

20 x 20 square?

Elaine only needs one hand to sort the squares.

Christmas squares are starting to roll in.

Our thoughts and prayers are with all our contributors who been affected by Hurricane Beryl.

Here are some of the blankets that were shared today.

This memory popped up today felt I had to share it.

Susanne Leverton July 11, 2024 at 3:09am

thank you for photo of my delivery So happy to see that parcel has arrived at last.

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