Pneumonia Vests on display before being sent to shivering children Photo courtesy Duncan Thorn Photography Knitting for Shivering Children In early February of 2008, a group of about 20 women from Beach United Church and the surrounding community responded to the call to “knit vests for shivering children.” With the help of The Naked Sheep, who supplied knitting lessons and vest kits, and Le Soleil Cafe, who donated treats and coffee, they met monthly to finish as many vests as they could by Mother’s Day. Today, newcomers have joined the original group, and a network has sprung up of relatives and friends who were also quietly knitting vests in their homes. Bundles of colourful vests arrive at the church office, sometimes from anonymous donors. Some women come to the meetings with a dozen vests finished, and mysterious donations of yarn appear at the church. On Mother's Day, the vests are displayed and blessed during the Sunday worship service; as many as 500 vests and caps can be counted hanging around the sanctuary. These “pneumonia vests” are then sent to Canadian Food for Children, an international non-profit organisation that ships containers of food, clothes and medical supplies to Africa and South America. The vests will protect children in hot climates from shivering at night when the temperature drops.
The knitting group meets throughout the year and newcomers are always welcome. For more information and details on the next knitting session, contact: church office Pat Davies (416-465-3081)
patriciadavies@rogers.com Check out this article from InsideToronto.com
Little Known Knitting Facts: Knitting was invented around 1000 CE with just one stitch—knit. The purl stitch arrived on the scene around 1500. The first knitting guild was formed in Paris in 1527. Only men were admitted and it took six years for students to become full-fledged master knitters. In 1571, a statute called “An Act for the Continuance of the Making of Caps” was passed in England in an attempt to give the cap-knitting industry a boost. In this statute, every person at least six years old had to wear a cap knit in England on all Sabbath and holy days.
To learn more about knitting and have a really good time, join our BUC knitting group!