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Make a Special Scarf for Some Very Special Athletes!
Crocheters and knitters are well known as some of the most caring and giving folks around, and the Special Olympics always seem to touch a special chord when it comes to lending support to some very deserving individuals. Participating in the Special Olympics can be such a positive and life-changing experience for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. I have witnessed it firsthand and seen the joy and have sense of pride and accomplishment that being part of the Special Olympics gives these extraordinary people who work so hard to achieve their athletic goals.
Knitters and crocheters have a wonderful opportunity to extend a warm gesture (literally!) to these special athletes in the form of cozy, handmade scarves stitched in the colors of the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games logo. What a wonderful way to give them a personal "hug" to wish them well in their upcoming games! Please read the following press release from Coats and Clark, sponsor of the scarf project, and show your support for the Special Olympics athletes with the heartfelt gift of a handmade scarf.
Coats & Clark Sponsors Scarf Project for the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games
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Athletes at the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Idaho will be wrapped in a little handmade love, courtesy of knitters and crocheters across the country. Charlotte-based Coats & Clark is sponsoring a project to provide each athlete with a scarf created in white and delft blue Red Heart® Super Saver® yarns, which happen to perfectly match the colors of the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games logo.
The Special Olympics World Winter Games Scarf Project is now in its second year. The program began in 2007 when World Winter Games organizers decided to give handcrafted scarves to athletes to wear to the Opening Ceremony. They asked local crafters to participate, and the headquarters office was inundated with over 1,000 scarves!
David Gish, an athlete from Idaho who participated in the 2008 Special Olympics Invitational Winter Games, says his scarf is a symbolic memento from the event. "Getting the scarves was very special for the athletes because we knew someone spent their time to make them especially for us," says Gish. "It is something I will have forever, and I know they will be just as special to the athletes next year at the World Winter Games."
This year, the World Winter Games aims to give a scarf to each athlete, the delegates supporting them and various dignitaries who will be visiting the Games, and they need help to meet that mark. This is where Coats & Clark comes into the picture.
"We're thrilled to sponsor this project. Our goal is to see 5,000 scarves donated. It's a big number, but I'm confident we can do it," says Vicki Blizzard, media relations and special promotions director for Coats & Clark. "Knitters and crocheters are dedicated and generous and are known for rising to this type of challenge."
Coats & Clark is promoting this project through its Web site, electronic newsletters, various consumer shows and magazines, so that knitters and crocheters around the country (and around the world) can send scarves to be given to the athletes. No special patterns or skills are required to create a scarf. Crocheters of all ages and skill levels, as well as schools, scout troops and other local groups are actively encouraged to participate. "Our only rule," says Blizzard, "is that the scarves are knitted or crocheted by hand using delft blue and white Super Saver yarn, because these colors were chosen specifically by the World Winter Games organizers."
Scarves can be simple or complex -- last year's scarves ran the gamut from basic stitches to complicated colorwork and stitch patterns. Personal notes from knitters and crocheters who want to send their best wishes to the athletes are encouraged and should be firmly attached to the scarves, which will be handed out before the Opening Ceremony.
Completed scarves must arrive by January 15, 2009, and should be sent to:
2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games Scarf Project
3150 West Main Street
Boise, Idaho 83702
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About the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games
The 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games will be held in Idaho, USA, February 7-13, 2009, and will include up to 3,000 and 6,000 volunteers athletes from more than 100 countries. Competition will take place in seven winter sports -- Alpine Skiing, Cross-Country Skiing, Figure Skating, Floor Hockey, Snowboarding, Snowshoeing and Speed Skating. Competition and other activities will take place in communities and venues throughout Idaho, including, but not limited to, Boise, Sun Valley and McCall.
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A Couple of Great Patterns for the Special Olympics Scarf Project
If you'd like to make a special scarf for an athlete in the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games, here are two patterns that you might find fun to use. They are completely different in style, but both lend themselves well to the blue-and-white color scheme of the World Winter Games. Just remember, the scarves must be made in Red Heart Super Saver white and delft blue yarns. Both of these colors are available at Annie's Attic for quick and easy ordering.
The striped scarf in the Boucle Muffler Set is a super-easy design that will work up quickly. Although the pattern calls for boucle yarn, the scarf will also look great worked in the smooth Super Saver yarn. I would suggest making the shorter version of the scarf for the Special Olympics athletes.
When I came across the Flowering Granny pattern, I instantly saw a wonderful "snowflake" design in the scarf's border motifs -- absolutely perfect for winter games! Wouldn't it look fabulous to work the main body of the scarf in delft blue, and then for the end motifs, work round 1 in white, round 2 in delft blue, round 3 in white and round 4 in delft blue? The reverse color pattern would look great, too.
You'll see that both patterns include instructions for a hat as well. These are included for your personal stitching pleasure. Please send only scarves to the Special Olympics Scarf Project. Your kind generosity and support for the athletes of the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games will be appreciated more than you know. Thank you for putting your crochet hooks and knitting needles to work on their behalf!
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Fun at the Crochet Guild of America Conference
Last month, I attended the summer Knit & amp; Crochet Show in Manchester, New Hampshire. This event is the national Chain Link conference for the Crochet Guild of America. As always, it was an incredibly fun, invigorating and enlightening experience.
Once again, I had the pleasure of meeting many wonderful designers at the Designer Meet & Greet event. I was so impressed with the talents of several new designers I talked with for the first time, and you will be seeing some of their creative patterns in upcoming issues of Crochet! magazine. And, of course, I also saw many fabulous designs from a number of longtime and super-talented crochet designers that I have had the pleasure of working with over the years. You'll be seeing some exciting new things from them, too, in future issues of Crochet!
This year's conference presented its first ever design contest, featuring four categories: women's fashion, accessories, babies and home decor. There were over 100 exciting entries, and the most popular category by far was fashion. First, second and third place cash prizes were awarded in each category, and one entry was selected as the grand prize winner with a $1,000 cash award. The grand prize was awarded to Patricia Williams for her exquisite bridal gown. Patricia, I'm thrilled to say, made her debut in the July 2008 issue of Crochet! magazine with her fabulous Calypso Skirt & Top ensemble, which was also featured in the fashion show at this year's conference.
You can see photos of the winning contest entries here. Visit the Crochet Guild of America Web site to see more fun photos from the conference.
As always, one of the grand highlights of the conference was the banquet, fashion show and silent auction. It was fun seeing the variety of fabulous crochet fashions and accessories on parade, as well as all of the wonderfully creative items donated for the Helping Hands Mittens and Gloves Silent Auction to benefit the Needle Arts Mentoring Program of the Helping Hands Foundation, Inc..
Here is a photo of Agnes Russell, DRG crochet technical editor, Michele Maks, the new Crochet World magazine editor, and me enjoying the banquet.
All in all, it was another fantastic Chain Link conference, and I'm already looking forward to next year! If you've never attended a Chain Link conference, you don't know what you're missing. It is such a fulfilling, exciting and energizing experience -- and definitely worth saving up and planning for. I hope to see you there!
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Some Good Advice for Downsizing Your Oversized Yarn Stash
Okay, admit it. If you are an avid crocheter, there eventually comes a time when your yarn stash begins to take over your house and something has to be done (no, the idea isn't to make an extra guest bed, or a plush chair or a soft pillow out of those excess skeins to help reduce the stash!). Lesley Arnold-Hopkins offers some great suggestions for putting some of that over-abundant yarn supply to good use.
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Crochet in a Crunch
No, I'm not talking about hurriedly trying to complete that crochet project that needed to be finished "yesterday." Sandi Marshall of About.com offers a free pattern for an afghan square that's comprised of lovely textured rows (which she calls "crunch texture") that are divided by rows of plain single crochet. This pattern would be very pretty in a variety of crocheted fashions and accessories as well.
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Crochet While Commuting
If you ride the bus or train to work or school every day, how do you pass the time? Check out number four on this list. It's a great idea!
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High-Fashion Crochet
Clothing designer Giuliana Testino is working with underprivileged women in Lima, Peru, to turn her garment ideas into stunning, high-fashion crochet wear. The income earned from their needlework skills is helping these South American women support their families. And, their work is exquisite.
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Straight From the Hip
A new designer-based self-publishing group called Straight From Today's Designers (SFTD) announces a new venture that takes designers' patterns directly to their public. Their first release, Crochet Belts From the Hip: Raw, Uncensored Designs, offers 19 original belts from top designers, most of whom are very familiar names to crocheters. These creative designs are a veritable treasure trove of wearable art and innovative stitching. The 34-page booklet is available for instant download for $15.00 at SFTDonline.com. Check it out!
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Inquiring Minds Want to Know
A number of readers have written to ask, "What is the best type of glue to use on crochet projects?" Actually, there is not just a single type of adhesive that is appropriate to use on all crochet projects. It depends on what the item is and its intended use.
With so many choices available today, crafters have access to a variety of adhesives that can be used effectively on a wide range of surfaces. Because the surface of crochet is porous, certain types of glue work better than others. The texture of the crochet thread or yarn will affect how the adhesive will work. The tighter the twist, the stronger the hold of the adhesive will be.
Worsted yarns have a tendency to soak up liquid glue. A thick, tacky glue works better (in lieu of purchasing a tacky glue, you can apply liquid glue to another surface, such as a piece of waxed paper, for example, and allow it to thicken to a tacky consistency before applying it to the crochet surface).
Hot glue provides one of the strongest bonds on crocheted surfaces, but it must be used carefully and sparingly, applying just enough to invisibly secure the item. If too much hot glue is applied and it squeezes out around the piece being glued, it quickly creates an ugly, hard ridge on the fabric as it sets. Used minimally so that no excess is visible, hot glue is a great choice for crocheted items with pieces that really need some extra strength. Just be sure and carefully clean off any glue strings that are left behind. While I have not actually tried this myself, I've read that using a hand-held hair dryer on the "hot" setting and moving it back and forth over the glue strings makes them disappear. I would suggest testing this on a small practice piece of crochet fabric to which something has been adhered with hot glue.
If you have a crocheted piece with glued-on accents, and it will be washed, be sure to use washable fabric glue, or your embellishments will likely come loose when the piece is laundered. A spray adhesive that provides a temporary hold is a great choice when you're trying to get the placement just right for pieces that will be permanently glued. Once everything is positioned like you want it, then you can apply your permanent adhesive.
A word of advice: Gluing decorative embellishments on a crocheted project is generally recommended if the item is being used for display purposes only. If it's going to receive a lot of wear and tear (especially if it's for children), the best adhesive is still a good secure stitching with needle and thread. If you want it to stay on, sew it on.
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