knitting for charity

When my dad died December 16, 2006 I thought it was the end of the world. I had no clue what to do. I was only 21 and my dad was so young. I felt like I hadn't had enough time with him, and I wished I had never been mean to him. I didn't think I would ever get through it, and I never thought the pain would stop. I thought absolutely nothing could help me.

I talked to my mom and a friend who had lost their father, but it didn't make me feel any better. Then January came. I went into my local yarn shop (LYS), Finely a knitting party, and she was doing a charity. Knitted baby hats for sick kids at CHOP. I thought "why not", took her several different patterns, and some yarn, and went home. I sat down and started to knit, slowly at first and then faster and faster as I thought about losing my dad and how much it hurt to lose him.

I knit one hat, then two, then three, then four. By the end of the fourth hat I had ran out of time to knit anymore for the CHOP charity. I handed them in, but wanted to do more to help, so I went into my stash and knit four more to put away for the next year. They never made it to the next year, I started to give them to people at the knitting shop I knew were having a baby or a grand baby. (As it turned out, the January charity changed from CHOP hats to slippers for interim house so at least the hats went to a baby who could wear it.)April came, and again I put down my projects and picked up a pattern and yarn from the LYS, this time for dishcloths for nursing homes, I made three for the nursing home and 3 or four for my nephew who was yet to be born. September came, and it was pumpkin hat time, I only had time to make one for CHOP in the middle of all my Christmas knitting which I had started in June, and might I say I knit quite a lot for Christmas last year.

As I knit these items for charity, my nephew, and other family members, I noticed I wasn't crying quiet as much. I was still very sad and it still hurt that I lost him, but everything seemed easier. I realized I was knitting through, the hurt, the sadness, and even the anger. Almost a year and a half later, the pain and sadness is still there, but I have learned how to live and knit with it. In fact I have learned to knit through all pain, might it be a hurt shoulder, or being in the hospital, the knitting seems to help. I actually can't stand when I can't be knitting, especially because my stomach hurts so much from who knows what that I can't even concentrate on something as simple as knit one row, purl one row.

I plan to keep knitting for my family, and for charity. I am always trying to find a great AIDS charity to knit for, since I know and knew people with the disease and I wanted to help them in anyway possible, even if it was something as simple as a knitted hat, scarf, or mittens, just to give them something that would remind them that someone out there cared about them, even though they don't know them, and hopefully put a smile on there face. Knitting is definitely a cure for just about everything.

The first four hats I made for CHOP.