Love Knits is the perfect expression to describe what you can do for someone when you don’t have the words to say. It is incredible how love can be expressed through the many stitches woven into a handmade blanket, hat, scarf, or anything else.
This past summer, I so desperately needed to share my love with the little baby growing inside my belly. At 24 weeks pregnant, our sweet little baby girl was about to enter this world. After having one preemie already, I knew that our situation was desperate. As each day passed, I hoped that our baby girl would hang on for just one more day. I had a lot of time on my hands to show our little girl how much I already loved her and it all came out through my knitting and crocheting. It got out of control! As summer turned into fall, I made blankets, teddy bears, hats, play food, baby shoes… it was a small thing I could do when I couldn’t do anything else but wait patiently in my hospital room. My sweet daughter Anna Joy was born 11 weeks later – a complete miracle to our family and my doctors. I can’t help but think that while I was putting my worries into my knitting, I was helping my daughter grow bigger and stronger.

Throughout my adult years, I have often used handmade knit and crochet items to express my love for people. If you’ve ever thought twice about giving away that long scarf that slowly turned into a triangle… DON’T! I would gladly accept 10 triangle scarves and wear them proudly before accepting any bought gift. Handmade things are THAT special to me, because they can change people’s lives – both of the ones who make them, and the ones who receive them.

J.J.
London, ON

Then it grew and more people started coming, talking about Love Knits even outside of the gatherings… there was a buzz going around. Girls and even guys were telling us that their grandma’s had taught them how to knit and they would be at our next meeting. Our next meeting was very exciting and we had so many people that we ran out of needles and knit using pencils! It was a blast!!! There was so much learning and love floating around it was very heart warming.

We had to conclude our gatherings at Brock because we all went different directions for the summer, but we are all continuing knitting and teaching others. Our plans for next year include making hats for the homeless shelter across the street as well as selling our headband creations around school and giving the money to the homeless shelter. I’m sure more ideas and knitting and crocheting skills will come out this summer and I can’t wait for the next year!

Kristyn Wagner
St. Catherines, ON

My husband and I had the opportunity this past fall to take a commercial office space and transform it into a meeting space, with the idea of using it for some sort of community outreach, whatever that was going to look like. We both had felt like this was God’s timing to do this, so we collected as many old couches, tables, chairs, lamps, etc. as we could. Our initial idea was to start a community meeting place, but for the moment, it remains our Love Knits meeting spot, which is perfectly nestled about halfway between the two farthest members.

Our group, while still pretty new to the community, has been a great getaway for young women and young moms. A fair amount of women even bring their little ones with them and just let them play about on the rug while we knit, drink tea and talk about what’s happened since we’ve seen each other last. The most fun I’ve had since starting this Love Knits group is helping the new knitters and watching their excitement for the craft grow. At the moment we’re knitting hats for a local group that is going on a mission trip to New York City. I’ve had the opportunity to pass out yarn and talk to other women outside the group about knitting and kind of get them excited about it that way, and we’ve had an awesome response. I’m excited to see what God has in store of our little group, and for what new friends we will make.

Ashley Graham
Woodstock, New Brunswick

In December 2010 my Mum finally started to recover, and is now almost back to full strength. She has completed several crocheted items, and the headband she made me in hospital will probably be one of the most special and treasured gifts I have ever received. ‘Love Knits’ could not be a truer statement- to work so hard to create something for someone shows dedication, selflessness and love. If everyone had one handmade, crocheted or knitted item from someone who loved them, wouldn’t the world be a better place?

~ United Kingdom

When I was younger, I asked my mom to teach my how to knit. She taught me how to knit a scarf, and it was terrible. It was long and made of yarn but looked nothing like something that was made to keep me warm. It wasn’t even straight. I gave up and my mom ended up redoing it for me so that I had an actual scarf to wear. It was not until I met Julie and heard about Love Knits that I thought as an educator I could inspire my students to learn a skill and use it to give back to someone in need.

Well lo and behold, I got the hang of it and I was “hooked” for lack of a better term, As did my students. Various students of mine came together to learn and collect one, two, three hats and then a couple scarves and Love Knits caught on like wildfire. My students were excited to use their own money to purchase yarn and spend their free time crocheting or knitting something that they would make for someone who needed to keep warm during the warm Canadian winters.

It was contagious. The idea of teenagers coming together for a unified cause to help someone else proves that this generation is capable of seeing beyond themselves and use what they have been blessed with to give back. We decided to give to a specific cause, Light Patrol it was.

There was a set goal that by Christmas time we would collect as many hats and scarves as possible. The deadline came and we had collected 88 hats and scarves. I am a huge advocate for projects that bring forth change and challenge thinking beyond our existence and ourselves. Love Knits gave our student body a chance to see a need and to answer with the call to give where needed and to love with our whole selves without even knowing the name of the person who would receive. We are called to love, but it is up to us to decide if we are going to respond or not.

Joni Allardyce
Mississauga, ON

http://www.joniallardyce.com

I have become even closer with this group of girls, become closer to god AND found my newest and greatest hobby; crocheting! We crochet lots of stuff; I have currently made one scarf & working on my second! We love to knit & we’re doing it all for LOVE, for those who are less fortunate than us – those people who are in need of a scarf or a hat! Imagine the joy on a person’s face, knowing someone out there took the time to make them something, someone who cared and wanted to do good- to better someone’s life other than their own!

With our small group of girls we’re all accepting of one another and are there for each other, we’re always having fun and learning too. It’s nice to know that someone is there for you, even in the worst of times. And the older girls are like big sisters to all the girls. I don’t know what I’d do without LK…and what would life be like without some yarn, crochet needles & a cup of tea?

“Knitting is the excuse, LOVE is the reason” ♥

Meghan Tennant (15)
London, ON

After a quick lesson my skills were below average at best. Somehow I kept managing to multiply the number of stitches I had, 16 turned to 32. So on and so forth. Regardless of my stitch count, I knew the basic knitting stitch, and felt confident to set sail in these uncharted waters!!

I proposed the idea to a couple ladies at work, and after lining up a humble abode, a sweet cake and some tea, it was time to make love knit!! I showed up with a huge satchel of donated yarn, needles and googled “how to knit” just in case! Five fun and fearless ladies gathered, and we were off; picking colours, deciding what needles to use, and eager to knit a glamorous and useful scarf, but then the questions started! Did I mention nobody in this group had ever knit before?

First question: How do you cast on? I quickly learned that this “casting on” business is a crucial part of knitting, without it apparently you cannot knit! As the “host” and “knitting instructor” of this party, knowing how to do this would have been ideal…oops! Luckily, we were relentless and adamant about our scarves and determined to figure this out. Numerous methods were had- Allison tried the “left handed loop-d-loop”, Heidi had a “hundred knot needle”, Rachelle rarely spoke, and Anita attempted numerous ways with no avail. My role quickly switched from “instructor” to “cheerleader”, as I obviously had no clue!

Now one might think that this would make for an awful experience, but we laughed, we joked around, chatted away and after about 45 minutes we figured something out, whether it was right or not, no one will ever know, but it worked!!! A short tea, talk and cake time out and we were ready to rock again. We encountered our share of problems but since we didn’t know how to fix them, we just remained positive!

All in all it was great fun! Good to get together outside of work, relax, hang out and do something new. Thinking that we would actually finish a scarf in one night may have been tad ambitious, as I’ve since learned they can take up to 10 hours, but they are in the works! Rachelle woke up early because she says she is now “addicted to knitting!,” Anita and her son are working together on theirs, Heidi is hoping to make it a weekly event, and mine??? Pssst- I didn’t even like knitting, I just wanted to hang out!

Amanda Newhouse
Wainfleet, ON

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One of the community events that we held at the centre this summer was a Knit Night, inspired by the beautiful vision of Love Knits. We advertised for the event by putting up posters in and around town. There were twelve of us in total that came out for the evening. It was a night filled with great conversation, skill sharing and encouragement! There were many different ages and skill levels represented in the group and it was so great to see one generation teaching the next! We encouraged them to donate their knitted/crocheted items to a charity of their choice, but also gave them information on a homelessness initiative in Owen Sound, called Safe ’n’ Sound, which would gladly be accepting their donations.

Community members showed us their support in so many amazing ways. We received large donations of knitting needles, crochet hooks, and colourful yarn, which supplied the tools for the event. Also, an avid knitter from town graciously volunteered her time to offer tutorials on the craft for beginners! We were so blessed!

Bring Love Knits to your community!

Chantelle Ludwig
Hamilton, ON