Wholly Knit &
Whine, our parish knitting and crocheting group, meets in the church library at 3:00 p.m. on the first Sunday
of each month. Members bring projects that
they’re working on and relax and enjoy each other’s company and lively
conversation.
In recent years we rallied Region 3 churches
to participate in a project sponsored by Save the Children – “Knit One,
Save One” – which provided hand-knit caps for newborns around the
world. The group knit over 200 caps! In addition, members of our group
knit socks for children in a Russian orphanage, and sweaters for
children for Guideposts’ “Knit for Kids” program.
We’ve also continued to provide prayer shawls and scarves for members of our parish who might enjoy the comfort they can bring. Our group has made a commitment to Virginia Hospital Center to provide baby blankets, hats for preemies, and lap afghans for cancer patients. We even have a volunteer from our group to help teach knitting to patients, usually in the maternity ward, who are on bedrest for long periods of time.
The group also takes field trips. A regular springtime event is attending the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. Who would believe a small team of workers could sheer a sheep, card and comb the wool, spin it, dye it and weave it all in less than 8 hours! That’s just what happens in the Sheep to Shawl contest featured at the Festival.
Several of our members in recent years have been attending a January knitting retreat at the Episcopal conference center in Kanuga, NC. It is great fun to share ideas and techniques with other knitters and see the wonderful projects they are working on, as well as to go on a ‘shop crawl’ to wonderful local yarn stores. Everyone comes away with something new!
