-Knit a Square

I am so excited!!!  A couple of weeks ago I did a review for this book about a boy who started a foundation that helps AIDS orphans in Africa through basketball (there is more to the story, but for today's excitement that explains it) So, last week I started reading it to Katarina (this isn't an independent reading book for her right now, because there are some things in there that involve more explanation than her dictionary is going to give her) and in the book he talks about figuring out what you have a passion for and finding something you love and putting the two together to make a difference.  Now, Katarina already has a passion for building wells, and has been saving money to send for that (seriously, I did not make her do this, she saw it one day while I was watching James Robison and it rocked her world that those kids didn't have water) but since we have been reading this book, she has been all about the AIDS orphans.  Which gets a little interesting when she starts telling the supermarket check out woman statistics about AIDS deaths in Africa.  Because this is obviously what all six year olds do at the supermarket, right?  That will get you some funny looks, but we are all about education and information in our family.

She has been talking all about what she could do to make a difference.

Last night I found something that is perfect!!!  It combines her new passion with something that she has wanted to do for a long time...learn to knit.  Ever since I taught myself how to knit this last year, she has been begging to learn.  I tried teaching her right at the beginning (which would be about a year ago now) but I think that the combination of her fingers being a little to small and maybe some motor skills that hadn't set in (well, she was only 5) were just too much, and she couldn't do it.  I promised her that we would try again, after she turned six, and haven't had a chance the last couple of months....until today!

Here is the story!  I was reading Beautiful Dreamer last night (which you should be reading too!!) and she had a post about a new project that she is involved in.  Knitting hats for orphans.  Well, that got my curiosity up and I had to investigate more.....here is the scoop......

Knit a Square.  All you have to do is knit (or crochet) 8x8" squares.  You send them to Africa (not just to Africa in general, there are very detailed postal directions on the website) and then women sew all the squares together to make blankets for AIDS orphans.  Isn't that amazing!!??!!!  On the website they have a message board you can join, which of course I did (because I never do things halfway, you know!) and I wrote the most obnoxiously long post full of questions and already five people have responded and answered.  I am telling you, these people are seriously my new favorite "internet-ers"!  

So, when Katarina woke up (because y'all know all this took place at 3am, the time when Tracie does everything but sleep!) I showed her the website and the videos (watch the videos people!...please) and she was so excited...jumping up and down excited.  We got out my yarn and needles and she started working on a knit stitch, and I have to say she is doing pretty good.  She is ssssssssslllllllloooooowwwwww, but that is to be expected.  She did ten rows of knit stitches today and by the fourth row she was doing it pretty much without any help from me.  (I am going to knit squares too, so we will average more than one a week...lol)  Also, they are asking for little construction paper books with pictures and such in them that one orphanage they work with has asked for, and Katarina is going to do some of those.  (she can't wait to get her little crafty hands on that project!) 

Here is my question folks out there in bloggy world....do you knit? (or crochet)  Have you ever wanted to learn?  If so, please go check this out.  It is so awesome and especially for someone who is just starting out, there is noting simpler than a square.  Anyone could do it.  If guilt works for you, just remind yourself that my six year old is doing it, and you don't want her to show you up, now do you?   If you are ready for a challenge you could do a hat or a go-over and if you need help there is patterns on the site.  When I looked at the pictures I just saw these sweet blankets with all these squares that came from Australia, and Canada, and the UK and US (and probably other places, I'm just listing the places the people from the message board were from)  all sewn together to give warmth to a precious child in Africa, and I couldn't not get involved in that.  It was just the coolest thing I had ever seen!