VIDEO EZINE 17th April
Do view the latest video ezine, which includes Eileen Fletcher's wonderfully evocative video created to accompany a slideshow talk - beautifully crafted with the addition of music that perfectly compliments the words outlining the situation faced by the orphan children of Africa and the hope that KAS members have provided and continue to do so.
How your squares warmed orphaned children
In addition, we have another video called The House from Denise Sherman, featuring Erin explaining the value of the work and support of KAS members and the backing that we have given to the shelter for young girls, some of whom have been trafficked from other African countries. The House is warm, but most of all shows the girls what real love and care is!
POSTAL STRIKE in SOUTH AFRICA IS OVER !
Ladies knitting up a storm overseas ... today's post was BIG and arrived EARLY !! Oti's and my biceps like Popeye's - yay !!!
WHAT'S GOING ON IN SOUTH AFRICA?
HELP ON DISTRIBUTION DAY (from anywhere in the world!)
If you're like me, you often wish you could help out on a distribution day... If only I wasn't on the opposite side of the world!
Well here's some good news - now we can all help out with distributions in a very specific, individual way. There are three new, slightly unusual items to the Knit-A-Square shop today. These items let you purchase something special to support the day-to-day operations directly in South Africa.
For example, you could :
+ Provide snacks and fresh fruit for the Kids!
+ Put fuel in the car!
+ Let everyone know what's happening!
Please check out the Knit-a-Square shop and discover how you can help support Ronda and the team in South Africa!
Ronda's Winter Drive - Visit Flickr Gallery to view the wonderful contributions being sent.
Blankets - more and more completed blankets have been added to the The Blanket Album - you may even spot your squares!
JBay Recycling Project - The Stitch Witch Group was created last November after the successful distribution of 100 blankets and 250 hats supplied by KAS. This week saw their first 'home grown' blankets made available for the children to purchase in exchange for all the recyclable material they collect! The children regularly collect 2.5 tons per week! Gitta, commented that it was very emotional to deliver the first lot of blankets to the Project.
Nolukolo Mphitikezi is in love with her beautiful
Stitch Witch Blanket!
DISTRIBUTIONS & BLANKETS
Maleboho 2010 distribution
Posted on the classroom wall
Cuddlies being distributed!
Great friends!
Mozambique Floods February 2013 - KAS responded !
A camp in Johannesburg 2012
Ten Thousand Homes Project
Sfiso & Lizzie & their children, Nomawethu, Palesa, & Freedom recently lost everything in a fire. Thanks to Knit-a-Square.com, we were able to give them warm blankets just in time for winter!
18th April - update
TODAY they broke ground for their new HOME!
Ronda : Collected 47 squares thus morning from a very dear friend who turned 90 last week !! Knit-a-Square loves and thanks you, Jo !!
KAS MONTHLY CHALLENGES
The April Challenge - Sea, Seashore & Shells lead by Laurie Fortier (Canada) has proved to be great fun and variety of squares has been simply wondering. Also, some members used it to pay tribute to Jan B's Block Stitch Square Pattern which was the April Pattern of the Month in tribute to Jan's passing.
Visit the Flickr Gallery to view the full collection.
The Challenge for May is being lead by
Gitta Seyfert (South Africa)
and the focus will be Variegated Yarn Squares
Here is the list for the rest of the year for those of you who like to snap up bargain yarns in preparation! The list can be accessed on the Forum - Challenge Themes for 2013
SQUARE LISTS - TALLY - ITEM COUNT
The March Square Lists are ready for viewing.
Received in February : Squares 4,861 (136 blankets);
Tops 159 and Beanies 292
For further details go to the discussion page 2013 Square Lists for further details.
This months figures may appear low, but due to Easter, two opening sessions had to be missed, plus the Postal Strike did not help! Many items sent in February are likely to be listed on the April figures. Ronda is introducing an extra opening day to clear the backlog as we need to get the squares sewn into blankets and distributed as quickly as possible. The cool weather has arrived early this year.
Also to view photographs of opening day arrivals Sorted in South Africa ! - well worth a look as you may some of your own!
MAY PATTERN OF THE MONTH by Linda Maltby
May Pattern of the Month: The Plain Jane Square
wrapped in a warm blanket made with
beautiful squares to make one's needles
or hook work faster.
These squares, affectionately called Plain
Janes, are the backbone of KAS. They
are the squares that made the South
African people realize that they were not
forgotten. The world did care!
If you 'only' make Plain Janes, Thank
You. You are helping children survive the
frigid temperatures of a South African
winter.
A comment from Ronda: “How privileged we are to be the ones who take your beautiful work to the children and to see their eyes light up and their smiles break out when they realise how many people, living FAR from South Africa, simply love and care enough to bring warmth and colour and hope and encouragement into their lives in this amazing way!! “
This is one of the many patterns to be found in the
KAS Pattern Book. If you see another pattern you would like to try, please do!
All garments and squares are appreciated.
IN MEMORY - JAN SIMONDS - HOUSTON TEXAS USA
Sadly we have to report another Jan passing this month. Jan Simonds was a part of the
Knit-a-Square group at Clear Lake United Methodist Church in Houston Texas, USA.
Below is a picture of a beautiful blanket that Jan created in 2010.
We send our deepest felt condolences to her family. To read more please go to
Another Sad Loss and read messages from members around the world.
PATTERNS - DEVELOPMENT
We are also developing a 'KAS Square Measure' which will be added to the KAS Pattern Book as a downloadable item, or, for a donation a laminated copy will be posted direct. This will allow members to check their squares against a 8" square jig/template to ensure that the squares are square! This may sound a bit silly, but Ronda receives substantial numbers of rectangles which really slows to down blanket stitching considerably. As you can imagine trying to sew too many odd sizes together can be a problem and considerably slows down blanket production. We are hoping that members will find the measure easy as a quick and simple guide.
It is being finalized right now and we will bring news in the next edition of KasSnippets. Below is side 1 - it will also contain vital information such as the postal address etc., We are also hoping that it will help raise funds, and, make a useful small gift to friends!
SPREADING THE WORD & GROUP DEVELOPMENT
Karen Bennett - United Kingdom is resident activity co-ordinator working for a housing association in England. My role is to support the growth and development of our older and more vulnerable residents who live in our sheltered schemes, some of which do not leave there home due to physical or mental health issues. We aim to prevent social isolation by encouraging healthier lifestyles through physical activities to suit individual needs.
We have recently started up a knitting circle across the 80 sheltered schemes that we support. This was initially to encourage our residents to get together and share their skills in a friendly and fun atmosphere. I decided that is would be good to knit for a charity, giving the residents a purpose to knit and use there skills. The Charity we chose was ‘Kascare Aid For Aids Orphans’ as they had a variety of items that could be knitted or crocket for all abilities.
The response has been overwhelming, we have about 60 residents busy knitting 8in squares, jumpers, hats, puppets and blankets to some sewing quilts. We have had lots of donations of wool and fabric, which has been a massive help.
Harrison's Mum (Jeni)
Well the family entered lots of classes (baking and craft) at the local Horticultural Spring Show a couple of weeks ago. Harrison won 2 firsts, 1 second and a third. I was very proud. Mom, dad , sister Debz and I all did very well too. I actually made a KAS blanket to enter in the crochet class. I even displayed it with KAS leaflets. We got a first! The blanket is now wrapped up and making its way to Soweto as I type.
Jeni's Blog is available on the Forum.
TRANSLATIONS OF THE KAS FLYER
We now how a KAS Flyer - Spanish Translation Created by Dawson Nonn and proof-read by rsail, to add to our collection of translations!
A reminder that we also have the following translations available :
Japanese Translation again by the wonderful Dawson Nonn
日本語
French Translation - Français by Sarah Shantti & Valerie Zalewski
Italian Translation - Italiano by Sabina Bormioli
SQUARE HEART OF THE MONTH AWARD
Edited by Mary Kristel Lokken
The April Square Heart of the month Award has gone to
Valerie Zalewski (France)
Valerie joined KAS in 2012 and has become a valued member of the Forum - and has been constantly spreading-the-word about KAS in her corner of France. In addition, Valerie kindly updated the French version of the KAS Flyer.
To read the award details about Valerie, click April Square Heart and to view more of her work here is the link to Valerie's photographs .
It was amusing for us all, as Valerie didn't discover the award until the 18th April when she attended her weekly Entente Cordiale knitters & crocheters session. Gill, the organiser, greeted her with, "Someone's in the news today!" Valerie said she was flabbergasted and extremely touched. I've never won an award in my life, and I feel that being chosen for the Square Heart Award is the best thing I can imagine and something that really moves me deeply.
KAS FACEBOOK PAGE
We received an additional 127 Likes on the Facebook page during April taking our total to 5,600! We also copy the messages etc received on Facebook to the Forum for anyone who is not a member of FB.
PREVIOUS CONTRIBUTIONS
In 2010 the pupils, teachers and friends of Kirkwall Grammar School, Kirkwall, Orkney, Scotland sent a huge piles of squares! To see more opening day pictures visit Sorted in Africa. As well as recent opening days photographs, we have been adding from 2010-2011 - you just might spot some of your own precious contributions!
FINAL THOUGHTS
THE COLOURS OF KNITTED or CROCHETED LOVE FROM
KAS MEMBERS TO THE CHILDREN OF AFRICA!
Replies
Wow Pam, What a beautiful edition! So comprehensive! Thank you so much for the update on Sfiso & Lizzie, very touching. I hope to see more of them, when the house is ready. xo
Wonderful! Great to see all that is happening in such a brilliant format xxxxx
Tweeted and FaceBook shared, with the public, the video of the Home. :) My favorite photo by far is the unadulterated glee on the childrens' faces as they are about to be given stuffies. Love it!
I am SO thankful we were able to give Sfiso and Lizzie and their family enough blankets to give them hope after their disastrous fire. I'd be proud to know I'd donated squares for the dad's blanket, he needs to stay warm too! I am so glad to see them starting on their new home. Perhaps our blankets and hats gave them hope. :)
I love the photo of 90 year old Jo and her great collection of squares. She certainly deserves those flowers and many hugs from us. What a KAS Angel!
Seeing the photos of the Mozambique floods and knowing we were there too, I feel so humbled and awed that we're able to help so directly, this is AWESOME. I'm so GLAD we were able to be there. Huge thanks to everyone for helping out there and for all that you do in South Africa. We DO care and we do love the people and the children very much. Our prayers often go to them as well as our squares and hats and toys and socks. Lovely newsletter! Thanks so much. What a boost to my spirits!
(I think the shot of those 3 children on the railway tracks, the grin on one of them, is enough thanks to bring me to tears. That one is sticking with me.)
I agree with all of this! It's so great to see all the places where KAS is making a difference, from the creches to flood victims to displaced families. It's so wonderful to see how something small like making a square can blossom out to change so many people's lives for the better!
Hi, Erica - I do like your analogy of how a simple little square can make such a difference. A great choice of words.
To find out if your knitted or crocheted piece is a square: Pull one of the top corners down to the bottom edge (or bottom to the top if you're knitting). If it meets the opposite corner, it's a square! If it doesn't, keep working. I use this tip when a ruler or tape measure isn't handy.
Great Snippet for April. :o)
It is so inspiring to read the snippets and see the great team from all across the world that is working on behalf of the children. I was absolutely delighted to see that one of my "Sea" squares featured, Thank You to everyone concerned. .
Another great edition of the KasSnippets! Thank you Pam, great job!
Super, Pam! Well done!
:-)
Absolutely fabulous Pam, as always! Thank you so much for all your hard work. The information is so important and visually the document is stunning!
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