Knitting for Peace

I got this book last weekend and have read it almost straight through, though at times it made me cry. Maybe it was just hormonal, but the thought of troops with cold feet and no one waiting for them at home, lonely puppies and kittens asleep on cold cement waiting for a warm home, babies with AIDS and no one to hold, and preemies without a stitch of clothing, made me just want to cry. But this book is inspiring too. People beginning with an idea to help someone else and that idea snowballing to pick up people from across our country and across our world, is simply amazing.

For a few months now I've been kniting for a charity called Warm Woolies (see sidebar also) which collects knitted vests, hats and other knitted children's clothing to send to an orphanage in Russia and also here at home to the Pine Ridge and Rosebud Indian reservations. But as soon as I started reading this book I knew I had to contribute to some others as well. Warm Woolies only accepts items knit with wool yarn, so I've stocked up on wool yarn lately. But I have a stash of acrylic yarn that I've got left over from previous attempts to learn to knit and from some baby afghans that I've crocheted for friends. So once I read about the Mother Bear Project I sat right down and started knitting my first bear. He's pretty cute and I finished 3/4 of him in just a few hours, but I'm a little short on what to do for his face so I've put him down for a few days while I think about it. I'll post a photo when I finish him which should be pretty soon. Anyway, if you get a chance to pick this book up, give it a try. Just make sure you've got the tissues nearby!