Each year, Yarn & Thread Expressions identifies a charitable group to support, and this year we have chosen Knitting4Peace. Wei will support their mission by creating Peace Pals, cuddly and adorable little 6” to 7” knit or crochet dolls that are distributed to children in global areas of conflict.
We are incorporating this project into the upcoming San Diego Yarn Crawl by asking crawlers to knit or crochet one or more Peace Pals between now and The Crawl (September 15 – 18) and drop them off at Yarn & Thread Expressions either before or during The Crawl. For each Peace Pal you donate, you will receive a raffle ticket for a special drawing open ONLY to our Peace Pal participants. This is separate from the raffle-basket being given at each participating Yarn Crawl shop.
You can create the Peace Pals from yarn you already have or you can stop by and purchase a Peace Pal Kit. The kits, available now, sell for $10.00 each, and 100% of the proceeds will go to support Knitting4Peace. Everything you will need is included in the kit: all the yarn, pattern, stuffing, and tapestry needle. We will collect the dolls for crafters, in order to send them on your behalf to Knitting4Peace for distribution around the world.
In keeping with the Knitting4Peace theme of 3’s (Per the Knitting4Peace organization, 3 represents the individual creator of the item, the recipient, and the Spirit of Life that creates and unites all of Creation), we are encouraging crafters to form teams of 3, and the first team to bring back their finished dolls will receive a special prize.
If a crafter is not able to return their Knitting4Peace doll by the Yarn Crawl, don’t worry – we will still be happy to receive your doll. (Please remember, you won’t be able to participate in the special drawing if you bring your finished doll in after the Yarn Crawl.)
“Knitting4Peace is a grass-roots organization dedicated to crafting hope, healing & peace one stitch at a time through non-violent compassionate action. We are committed to the well-being of women, children, and families we may never meet; we plant seeds of hope for a future we will never see. We are non-violent revolutionaries – armed with the power of prayer, the skills of our hands, and the care in our hearts – united in a compassionate fight for hope, healing, justice and peace for all women, children and families. No exceptions.
Our members knit, crochet, and weave as an outward and visible sign of our real work: knitting together the global Beloved Community. As we knit/crochet/weave, we pray in languages and traditions that are as varied as the colors of the rainbow. We pray for each other; we pray for the recipients of the items we create; and we pray for hope, healing and peace in our world. We do our work one stitch at a time … one day at a time … stitch after stitch and day after day. The tangible items we create are personally delivered to women, teens, children, infants, and families in local and global areas of conflict.
We are intentional about incorporating an element of 3 in everything we create. This element of 3 symbolizes the person who creates the item, the person who receives it, and the Spirit of Life that creates and unites all of Creation. “
Knitting4Peace is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in June 2006. They are a widespread community: thousands of knitters, crocheters, weavers, quilters, and financial supporters live in communities across the United States and Canada. Their motto is: “Crafting hope, healing & peace one stitch at a time.”
Get Your Peace Pals Kit Today
Visit Yarn & Thread Expressions to purchase your Peace Pals Kit to provide comfort to a child in need.