Neil’s Cooking for Suicide Prevention Services

Posted on February 26, 2010 by Neil

50 Men Who Cook

This coming weekend 50 men will be demonstrating their culinary skills at 50 Men Who Cook, a delicious fundraiser event for Suicide Prevention Services and Neil will be one of them. Come join us at The Lincoln Inn Banquets, 1345 South Batavia Road (Route 31) in Batavia, Illinois on Saturday, February 27, 2010, from 6:00 – 9:00pm.

You get to sample countless individual tastings from each chef’s station and cast your vote for your favorite in each of several categories. In addition to the great food, there’ll be live music, a raffle and a cash bar.

Come Taste Mighty Mousse

Best of all your ticket will benefit Suicide Prevention Services – a non-profit organization dedicated to reducing and eliminating suicide and suicide attempts through education, advocacy, and collaboration. 50 Men Who Cook will raise funds that will be used to increase awareness and provide outreach about suicide.

Tickets are available at the door for $60. Everyone that shows Neil a knitting or crochet project in progress will receive a special gift from Wool and Company.

You Helped Raise $26,000 to Heal Haiti

Posted on February 16, 2010 by Neil

Thank you for your support of our appeal to Help Heal Haiti. We have closed our current fund raising and we just wanted to let you know that as a result of your generosity we were able to raise $13,066!

We have forwarded all this money to our partner Knitting Fever who will write a matching check to double the total to $26,132.

Dido Shawl and Scarf Pattern

One month after the devastating earthquake, the emergency medical aid organisation Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders continues to work diligently to respond to the needs of the Haitian people, and your contributions will help to fund that effort.

If you missed our opportunity to donate to Doctors Without Borders and leverage the matching funds, you can still contribute and get some fabulous knitting patterns in exchange by visiting P/hop – a charity knitting project that raises funds for Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders. Incredibly generous designers donate their time and knitting patterns to p/hop, including the stunning Dido Shawl and Dido Scarf pattern pictured that has been generously designed and donated to p/hop by Åsa Tricosa.

Helmet Liner Inspiration

Posted on January 28, 2010 by Neil

Don’t forget to bring your helmet liners by and drop them off, we’ve almost reached our January goal.

Knitters Raise $26,000 to Help Heal Haiti – Update Saturday

Posted on January 23, 2010 by admin

Saturday, January 23rd 2010, 4:00 pm. Geneva, Illinois.

(Read previous updates)

Click on this Logo to Donate

We closing in on $13,000 in donations received from you – the knitting community. Thank you again! Remember that will soon be $26,000 when it is doubled by the generosity of Knitting Fever. And this will be a cash donation to Doctors Without Borders.

Don’t send shoes, send money. Don’t send baby formula, send money. Don’t send old coats, send money. Read the article in the New York Times by Stephanie Strom that describes how cash is the most important thing you can give right now.

Knitters Raise $26,000 to Help Heal Haiti Update Saturday

Don't let this catastrophe fade from our sight.

We will be ending this fund-raising activity soon, so let’s have one more push – please, please, please help us by continuing to spread the word about our appeal. Pass this on to everyone you know – let’s make sure that we maximize Knitting Fever’s generous offer of matching dollars. Tell your friends that they can help Haitians immediately by donating to Doctors without Borders here (Médecins Sans Frontières). Use the “Share This” link below to twitter, facebook, blog, email.

Want to see how some of your money will be spent ….

Thank you once again.

Help Heal Haiti by Knitting

Posted on January 14, 2010 by Lesley

Disaster Strikes Haiti, Thursday January 14th 2010

Click on this Logo to Donate

Read down to get current updates.

If you’re like us your heart is breaking as you watch the reports of the death and devastation that the earthquake has brought to Haiti. Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the Americas, where people live on less than $2 day, and it has been hit by another natural disaster.

The American Red Cross is estimating a death toll in excess of 40,000, and the lack of the most basic resources will make that toll rise if help is not immediate.

So here’s a way to help. Donate to Doctors without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières) and in return you gain free access to download the knitting patterns pictured below. For every dollar we raise one of our vendors will be matching (up to a maximum of $50,000). Knitting Fever, who supply us with some of your favorite yarns, including Noro, Louisa Harding and Sirdar have committed to making the match. Now that’s awesome – let’s see if we can max out that offer!

Click on comments below to get latest updates on fund raising.

Doctors without Borders work to provide medical aid in crisis situations – including natural disasters such as the Haiti earthquake. The Haiti disaster needs a rapid response with the specialized medical and logistical help that Doctors without Borders can provide.

You know how much you pay for patterns, so be generous and get some great designs in return. All these have been donated by the designers, and all proceeds go directly to Doctors without Borders.Go on, you know you want to, and as always thank you so much for your amazing generosity

Helmet Liner Progress

Posted on January 5, 2010 by Neil

Marines prefer darker shades of tan,such as khaki.

You are all awesome! The helmet liners are beginning to roll in – for army / air force / navy and marines. We have plenty of yarn in different colors that are suitable. We did get a caught short a little with the demand for needles, but we should have plenty in stock by the weekend.

Here’s a couple of them being modeled by some of the usual suspects … can you tell who is behind those eyes? Leave your comments … join in …

Who's Behind the Helmet Liner?

Heartstrings – 120 Scarves and Still Counting

Posted on December 26, 2009 by Neil

Heartstrings 120 Scarves and Still Counting A note from Kristina …

Thank you all so much for knitting or crocheting a scarf for one special girl struggling with an eating disorder this holiday season.

With all of your help I received 120 scarves. I was able to send 27 to Virginia, I delivered 60 to the girls staying at Timberline Knolls in Lemont, and 33 to the girls staying at Linden Oaks in Naperville. I received so many hugs, warm smiles and even a tear or two. I had the perfect amount to send one scarf to each girl or woman staying at all three treatment facilities.

When I picked up the scarves from the Wool and Company, I was astounded with the generosity and support from all of you! I could never have been able to send these scarves without each one of you choosing to knit one or two or three scarves.

This has been one of the best Holidays, I have learned how much better it is to give than to receive. The feeling you get each time you give to someone else is indescribable, thank you for allowing me to give to as many girls as I was able to this holiday.

I wish you all Happy Holidays. And I look forward to seeing all of the incredibly unique scarves again next year. If you would like to email me, or have any questions, feel free to use the form below.

* Name

* Email

* Subject

* Message

PS We continue to receive scarves which is fantastic as it gets us a jump on next year! Thanks again.

National Helmet Liner Day

Posted on December 21, 2009 by Lesley

A Typical Helmet Liner

Put Tuesday December 29th on your calendar – we (along with lots of other LYSs) are designating that as National Helmet Liner Day. As you may know, some 30,000 service men and women will be deploying to Afghanistan and they need hand-made helmet liners because the ones they are issued with are not close fitting and warm enough.

Our goal is to get 100 liners knit or crocheted by the end of January, and I know we can do it. We will be here with patterns, yarn at a discount, and hopefully some donated yarn that will work, and lots of encouragement.

I know many of you have made these in the past, so if you have any good tips or advice let us know. We have a wonderful new pattern that seems to be just right, and is available in knitted and crochet versions. They must be made out of 100% wool, worsted weight (Cascade 220, Patons, etc) and need to be in black, brown, tan, olive, dark gray or brown/tan variegated. For the knit version, you will need to have size 8 16″ Circulars and DP’S and size 6 16″ Circulars for the ribbing.

If you can’t come in please make a few and send them to us, and we will send you a little thank you surprise! Here’s a copy of the helmet liner knitting pattern and the helmet liner crochet pattern. You can send your completed helmet liners to the address on the pattern, and we’ll make sure that they get delivered.

The spirit of knitting has never been stronger than it is right now, and there is nothing more worthwhile than letting our service men and women know they are cared for, so let’s get it done.

Holiday Wishlist 2009

Posted on December 9, 2009 by Neil

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

Even if the forecast is for lots of snow today, wasn’t it pretty yesterday morning with that light dusting of white on the ground? I can say that because I don’t have to battle the traffic to get to work at the crack of dawn, and can stay in my jammies and knit for a bit. Ahhhhh, sanity time.

And that is a good thing because I am having a serious case of finishitis, and just want to start new things. I blame the new books, they are too full of great projects designed by some evil knitting force just to make us all want to cast on, instead of finishing what we already started. But I do love them and I think you will too.

Thank you so much for all the scarves you have been sending in and dropping off for Kristina to share with the girls who will be in a treatment center for eating disorders over the holidays. She has already picked up a huge box filled to the brim and will be picking up the rest on the 19th so you still have a little bit of time if you want to bring one in. Once again, you have shown the incredible generosity of the knitting community and I just love that. Read more about courageous Kristina, and how she was inspired.

Finally, we’ve just sent out our newsletter with the Knitters 2009 Holiday Wishlist. Read your copy to get some great giving ideas.

Knitting with Company

wool and company – spreading a love of knitting in a fun, creative and informative way

Tag Archives: charity