"Stay calm and carry yarn."-Logo from a knitter's tote bag
A wise woman once told me, "when all is cold and wrong in the world, SD, just knit". It's probably because there's a certain unexplainable comfort in knitting just like hot chocolate and a US Weekly on a very cold winter day. Or maybe the comfort comes from an image of a grandmother knitting away by a fire. Whatever it may be, knitting and crocheting is hardly just for Grandma these days, with the hobby having a large following among hipsters for the last five years. At the height of the trend and with so many cute yarn stores around, I started to learn to knit a few years ago from my Mom (she'll tell you some stories..) and have been working on the same scarf for about three years now. It's awful. But I have to admit after reading about this special cause, I and others may just be willing to pick up those needles (or crochet hooks..it's on 2011's list) again.
Save the Children's Caps For Good program is asking novice, occasional and expert knitters alike to knit or crochet a cap for a newborn. The caps will be sent to Save the Children's newborn health programs in Africa, Asia and Latin America. According to the organization, "nearly 4 million babies die each year in their first month of life--half within their first 24 hours-mostly from preventable or treatable causes." But the good news is that with this program, "baby caps are a simple and effective tool that can keep babies warm and ultimately contribute to reducing newborn deaths in the developing world."
If you know how to knit or crochet, the action kit gives you patterns (additional patterns can be found here) to get started. When you're done, fill out a cap tag with a personal message (also in the kit) to the mother and baby abroad who will receive the cap. The kit also includes a form to write a letter to President Obama to bring his attention the cause. Mail your cap with tag and letter to Save the Children by February 28 (this is the deadline as caps will be distributed around the world after this date) and sit back and revel in you accomplishment.
Since the end of the month may be pushing it for us novices, do not fret. You can send in your cap as part of next year's campaign and in the meantime still do your part by making a contribution to newborn care by making a donation to Save the Children. As little as a $10 donation can provide mothers a newborn care package.
image source: caps in collage from various shops at etsy.com, goodgoes.org
-SD
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