Stitches of Hope Feb meeting is a record-breaker!

We had a great Stitches of Hope meeting a few days ago. A new record may have been set – 19 people were there! The weather cooperated and everyone obviously was taking their vitamins and were healthy. Dozens of caps were turned in. We have such fun looking at each other’s work and admiring the choice of colors and stitches. I always learn something.

Let me add a couple of notes: we’re (finally) approaching spring so the caps should get a little lighter in weight. Double stringing the threads creates a thick cap. These make for tricky mailing as they don't like to bend to go into a box.

Also we may want to think of using lighter colors of yarn to reflect spring – peach, yellow, green, pink, lavender. Oh, just the thought of seeing these colors in flowers like tulips makes me tingle!

Finally, we can use more sewers of turbans. This is a big need for this as most of our volunteers crochet or knit. The turbans use lightweight material, such as single knit. I’ve been told they take approximately 15 minutes to cut/sew. Can't beat that! If you have material to donate, that would be a help too.

If you have an interest in contributing to Stitches of Hope either with caps or financially (98% of our donations go toward mailing boxes of caps to hospitals), please contact us at stitchesofhope@gmail.com. We’ll answer questions and direct you to websites with cap patterns.

Happy stitching!

Turban Time

I’ve given most of the attention in this blog to knitted and crocheted caps. That’s because it is winter and these types feel snuggly warm against the cold chill of the season. And most of our volunteers work with these crafts. But at Stitches of Hope we also have a need for sewers to create turbans.

Here’s a photo of some turbans. You’ll notice the model head in lower right sports a macho beard. These wonderful heads were donated to us by a student at a cosmetology school and as they have to learn to cut men’s hair, she had a man’s head. I didn't think he looked too bad in the leopard skin turban. Do you?

I think these are all stylish and fun-looking. I’d wear any of them.

The good news is that turbans take little material and time to create. On of our resident sewers, Karen Story, says one that is cut out takes approximately 15 minutes to sew. That beats the couple of hours it takes me to crochet a cap!

And with only about ¼ yard needed each the turbans can be cost effective. Karen has often found the fabric in remnant bins, which is another cost saver.

And now for the specs about turbans. They must be made with stretchy material. The best is single knit or jersey fabric. Cotton, silk and double knit do not work. The material should also be washed before or after the turbans are made. The cancer wig salon facilitators have also suggested the turbans be made without finishing the seam that goes down the middle. It seems the finishing irritates the bare heads of the wearers.

These turbans are especially popular and requested by cancer facilities year-round. It seems patients like to wear them to bed. Plus they are helpful for a light covering in the hot summers. These turbans are designed for adults, but children may like the style too. The pattern we have at Stitches of Hope could be modified to fit a child’s head.

Please let me know if you would like a pattern for a turban. We will mail one to everyone who requests it. If I find out it is available online, I’ll post that in a future post.

We could really use more sewers for Stitches of Hope. If you have nimble fingers in this area, please know your time and talent could be valuable to cancer and burn patients all across the country.

As usual, I want to say we appreciate all of our Stitches of Hope volunteers! Everyone is an asset in our united fight against the monster of cancer. By working together, we can show cancer patients how much we are fighting and praying for their renewed health by supplying them with attractive, comforting caps.

Take care,

Stitches of Hope Man's cap is patriotic!

This is a man's cap that a volunteer crocheted and donated to our group to send to cancer patients. Notice how the cap is long enough to cover the entire ear. That is especially important in the winter. Thanks for accommodating this need.

We’re snowed in here in the Midwest.

More time for crocheting!

I used to knit as a teen and college-age student. Then a friend convinced me to try crocheting and now I’m hooked! (did you catch the pun? hooked=“crochet hook”)

Oh well, what do you expect after being cooped up all day? My mailman probably isn't too happy with me, making him come to my front door to pick up packages of Stitches of Hope caps to send around the country.

But it is a service offered by the USPS so I don't apologize. For more information on this splendid service go to http://www.usps.com/. Type ‘Click n Ship”.

Through a secure credit card account I’ve set up with the USPS to pay for mailing costs, I no longer have to lug 10 or so boxes each month to the local PO. I put them outside the front door of my door and Voila! The next day the mailman picks them up and hauls them to his van. It couldn't get much easier.

I also order stamps through the mail now and am planning to send an overseas box to my daughter via this method.

Another matter: our Stitches of Hope group is now Facebook. I’m still figuring out how it works, but look me up as a friend. Tell me you heard about me from the Stitches of Hope blog and I’ll invite you into my world. Not too thrilling really, but if you want in, the door’s wide open!

Please tell your friends about this blog and ask friends with websites to link us in. It would be nice to have a broader audience.

Now I have to run! Hubby’s turning in the drive and I promised to learn how to use the snow blower. He doesn't know I’ve been dying to do this for years.

(OK, I’m back after my first lesson. I gotta say, running that snow blower is a blast!)

Take care,

Kayleen Reusser

stitchesofhope@gmail.com

Trinity English Lutheran Church --New Stitches of Hope drop-off location

Great news! A major church in downtown Ft Wayne, IN, has volunteered to be a drop-off site for Stitches of Hope.
Trinity English Lutheran Church
405 West Wayne Street,
Fort Wayne, IN 46802-2186Phone: (260) 426-3424
Email: trinity@trinityenglish.org
http://www.trinityenglish.org/

As you can see from the photo, this church is huge. Founded in 1846, Trinity English Lutheran Church has been at its current location since 1925. After its latest building program, Trinity English now occupies the entire 400 block of Wayne Street and Washington Boulevard. If you need directions on how to get there, use http://www.mapquest.com/.

Having been inside, I can tell you it is a gorgeous building.

Better than the building itself, however, are the people. They have generously agreed to accept completed crocheted, knitted, and stitched caps, turbans; financial donations; or new yarn and other supplies from Stitches of Hope volunteers.

The church office keeps regular workday hours, which makes this helpful for Stitches of Hope volunteers who live in the Ft Wayne area. Now volunteers can drop off items during any weekday.

Several women who attend Trinity English have also expressed interest in creating caps for the group. That is also terrific!

Thanks to ALL of our volunteers. It is so exciting to work with such a caring, talented group who provide boutique-quality items for cancer patients, and other people experiencing health crises. My co-worker Karen Story and I think you are the best.

God bless you for your hard work.