I wanted to involve the community in a craft that would minister to others. Knitting and crocheting came to mind, but we would need a small and simple project for beginners.
I decided on a baby blanket for stillborn babies. With this project, patrons could make as large or as small a blanket as they wanted, and families of still born babies would receive something warm and soft to wrap around their babies.
The Sheep to Sweater Series featured five different programs surrounding fiber arts and the process of making wool yarn.
Constellation Cross-Stitch is a beginner's class where patrons of all ages can learn basic techniques in cross-stitch and embroidery. Patrons utilize skills such as hand/eye coordination and hand dexterity, and they leave with a piece of handmade art for their home.
The DIY Chunky Knit Blanket Class teaches patrons, ages teen through adult, to knit a cozy throw blanket with no special tools required. The class is free; participants only need to bring their own yarn.Â
Our goal was to provide a fun, inexpensive craft for people who could not afford, or travel, to attend a class in another city.Â
The Crafting for Charity group has existed at the Morton Grove Public Library since 2014. They meet once a month to work on their current project, choosing each project based on needs in the community.
Most recently the group undertook a project to create 75 Twiddlemuffs — knitted or crocheted hand muffs with various items (buttons, beads, etc.) attached — which serve the dual purpose of keeping hands warm while giving the fidgeting hands of many Alzheimer’s patients something to play with.
Children (ages 8 to 11) signed up for a series of beginning knitting workshops taught by older adult volunteers. Over three sessions, children learned basic knitting techniques that led to a completed project. Each session was led by five adult volunteers and was limited to 20 children.
Our first series — Knit a Kitty — was so successful that we have since offered three more. The workshops filled up quickly, and most children returned to attend subsequent classes.
