Category Archives: Local Yarn Shop

charity, Community, knitting, Local Yarn Shop, Yarn

Helmet Liners for our Troops in Afghanistan

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Nonna’s Yarn Cafe is doing a wonderful project and are asking all knitters to make helmet liners for our troops serving in Afghanistan.

A friend of the shop owner’s is involved with K-help and has asked us to make helmet liners for our troops in Afghanistan. These liners are to be knitted in 100% wool, like Galway or Cascade 220 in dark colors such as black, greys, green.  The shop has the pattern and a finished liner in the shop for added help.
 
And to make it more enticing, with every liner returned to the shop for our troops that is knitted with wool purchased at Nonna’s will receive a coupon worth 10% off your next purchase of regularly priced yarn.
 
Every Tuesday evening in November the shop will be giving free lessons on how to knit the liners.  Therefore take advantage of this opportunity to learn how to knit in the round using circular and double point and at the same time you will be making some soldier feel warm this winter.
 
The shop will be shipping the liners by December 13, 2009. I hope all the knitters out there will help out!

charity, Community, crochet, Local Yarn Shop

Hat Box Foundation

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I don’t know of anyone who knits or crochets that doesn’t love to make gifts for those they care about. Well Jennifer Aquino and Julie Abdallah have taken that idea to the big leagues by starting the “Hat Box Foundation.”

This organization began when a friend asked Jennifer if she could knit a hat for a child undergoing cancer treatment. The gift was received so well and the response so wonderful that Jennifer’s sister Julie decided one hat just wasn’t enough. The Hat Box Foundation is currently active in 34 states, but has a goal to reach all 50 before the end of this year.

I have made hats for many I know and care about who are undergoing chemo as well as for those I don’t know by donating them to a local cancer center where a few friends work. Many know that October is breast cancer awareness month. Well, this is a perfect time for those of us who stitch to make a commitment to do some “social stitching” as I like to call it and pay it forward by making and donating items for those who need it most. I promise to make some hats and send them to the Hat Box Foundation. I hope you will consider making and sending some as well.

The Hat Box Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation. You can find out more by going to: http://www.hatboxfoundation.org/.

Local Yarn Shop, New Jersey, Yarn

Getting Back on Track

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OK, this hasn’t been a great summer. I haven’t done a lot of spinning, crochet or really anything creative. So, I am trying to get back into a creative mode. While down in Denville today, I decided to visit one of my favorite local yarn shops, Nonna’s Yarn Cafe. They recently moved to Broadway in the middle of Denville center, so I thought I would check out their new space.

It looks great! They have a great new shop with lots of new yarns. I picked up a beautiful purple-ish tones from Ella Rae Lace Merino. This hank has 460 yards and is 100% Merino Wool from Italy. It only gives knitting needle recommendations, so I’ll have to use a WPI (wraps per inch) tool to determine what size hook I should use. My immediate guess would be a D or E hook size.

If you don’t have a WPI tool, and the yarn doesn’t specify a crochet hook, a good place to look is the Yarn Standards website from the Craft Yarn Council of America.

I am not sure what I will make just yet with my new purchase, but I know it is going to help spark my creativity!