Independent Knitting News

[tag]Marjorie Sonnenburg[/tag] served the Shawl Ministry for years in her community but discovered that knitting bears was more fun.  The 83-year-old Sonnenburg has knit probably more than 200 bears for the [tag]Mother Bear Project[/tag], which has has sent more than 38,000 bears to children in Africia and Hati.  Sonnenburg gets handwritten thank you notes from the children who have received her bears.  She is happy to know that the bears make a difference to the children’ lives. In most cases, the children have nearly nothing in the world.  The bears are knitted or crocheted with a message from the knitter that they are loved by someone halfway around the world.

There is also a 93-year old woman, [tag]Phyllis Schmidt[/tag], who in February, 2009 completed her 100th bear and is busy working on the next 100 bears. Having made 100 of them, Schmidt is now a member of the “100 Bear Club.” As a member of the club, she received a congratulatory letter from the organization’s founder and a pin made in Africa.
All bears are made from the same knit or crochet pattern. They are made from a World War II-era pattern that was chosen because the bears are lightweight and easy to send.  According to the Mother Bear Project website “Each pattern will include a tag for you to sign your first name and attach to your bear’s wrist before sending it back.  We will sew a red felt heart on your bear and ship it to one of our partners for distribution to the children.

This is a humanitarian project that knits together people of many faiths. And because it is funded entirely by private donations of bears, materials and cash, it has no affiliation with government organizations. Some of our partners who work with the children receiving the bears are affiliated with religious organizations.”

Drop off locations are around the country,  All bears are made from the same knit or crochet pattern which can be ordered through Mother Bear Project. You can order the pattern for $5.00 online or through US Mail.  You can also purchase a complete kit to make your donated bear.

The Knitting for noggins program began last year by [tag]Arkansas Children’s Hospital[/tag] to provide warm hats for those who came to the hospital for treatment, and the response was exciting, over 27,000 hats were received from across the country and from two foreign countries.

This year, the organization is hoping to receive 30,000 hats between now and October 14, 2007. There will be a [tag]Knit-a-thon[/tag] on October 14 at the Hospital from 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. Download a printable flyer to give to all your friends!

If you do not live in the Arkansas Children’s Hospital area, there are several location listed on the Knitting for Noggins volunteer page that suggest where to send your completed hats.

[tag]Volunteering[/tag] is a wonderful opportunity for people to give back to their community and for some to help fill a void in their life. If any of your knitting groups or guilds are looking for projects, sick children always seem to pull at the heart strings. This is an easy way to use up left over yarn from previous projects.