Sorting Hats

November 28, 2022

This is what 500 sorted hats look like:

And these are the main 2 sorting elves after the sorting and starting the next step: distribution:

We should have taken a photo of an SUV stuffed with about 1000 hats to go out.

At least 1000 hats have been distributed so far, and more are coming in . We are now starting the coldest part of the start of this winter, and distributions will continue for at least another month as more hats come in. Hats are collected year-round, so it's never too late to drop them off at the yarn stores in our list. 

Thursday, 11/17, 11:30-4:30 Knitting for Charity

Winter has arrived and you know what that means!  We are busy collecting "gifts of warmth" to hand out to those in need.  

This is our 15th year for this project....join the the kindred spirit knitters at Steven Be's on Thursday, November 17th from 11:30 to 4:30.  Pack up your needles , yarn, and any donations you might have.  We do collect year round and drop off items in the big basket right inside the door at the shop.

Bring a snack to share and a beverage with a lid..on case of spills. 

Looking forward to seeing you there!

map and phone number: https://www.stevenbe.com/contact.htm

Knitting at Kingfield Farmers' Market, Sunday 10/30

The knitters have a table at the Kingfield Farmers' Market this Sunday, October 30th from 9:00 to 1:00.  This is an opportunity to bring awareness to our Hats for the Homeless project in hopes that new knitters join the circle.  Bring a knitting project and any hats that you may have finished.  We will have patterns  available.

The Kingfield Market is located at 4055 Nicollet Avenue So. There will be lots of vendors so you can also shop for locally grown produce.

RSVP if you are planning to come. In another few weeks we will begin to deliver our "gifts of warmth" to those in need...schools, shelters, foodshelves, and community service agencies.

Thanks for your continued support of this project...this is our 15th year. Since I have moved, we will no longer be dropping off donations on my front porch. Drop off your donations at these 3 local yarn shops...Harriet and Alice at 50th and France, Steven Be's at 35th and Chicago, and Ingebretsen's at 1601. E. Lake Street.

Questions:  612-598-4919
Barbara Melom

Greetings to the Hat Knitters!

Yes, we are still knitting hats and other "gifts of warmth" for those in need. Our plan is to start delivering hats toward the end of October.

A big change for this year. Out of town donations should be mailed to:

Kathy Zanner

6450 York Avenue So.

Edina, Minnesota 55435

If you live in Minneapolis, please drop off your donations at one of the neighborhood yarn shops:

Harriet and Alice's at 3922 W 50th Street, Edina, MN 55424,

Steven Be's on 3448 Chicago Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55407 or 

Ingebretsen's at 1601 E. Lake Street, Minneapolis, MN 55407

Thanks for your continued support of this project.

Barbara Melom

GIVE THE GIFT OF WARMTH

There's a maxim floating around the internet these days that goes something like this: "If you do not find joy in the snow, you will have less joy but the same amount of snow."

One of the take-aways from that wisdom is it message to those of us who don’t ski jump or go ice fishing. We live with the challenge of finding some way to find joy at a time of year we’re tempted to stay home, look out the window, and hope the “January freeze” is nature’s promise that we will soon find joy in warmer and warmer and warmer ……………  and, so on. Joy will arrive  --  if not real soon.

But for some of our neighbors, joy is a far reach. For many, snow and cold are simply seasonal barriers complicating their lives. Joy is just that mulch more difficult to find.

So Hats for the Homeless has always been about more than just bringing the gift of physical warmth. We’ve always carried the feeling of giving the warmth of our hearts.  This is the essence of reaching out to those who struggle to find their place in the community – simply to bring them hats both for their heads and their hearts. To let them know their community holds them in the warmth of love and regard.

And this is about our finding a joy in “the snow”. It is about the joy we feel in seeing hats go on heads and, more importantly, smiles appear on faces.

The 2021-22 Hats for the Homeless project has distributed over 4,200 hats this year. As before, we bring hats to shelters, group homes, hospital ERs, schools, churches, food shelves, drop-in centers, just to name the more common recipient sites. In addition to hats, scarves and mittens, we received 25 pairs of warm and wooly socks.

Thank you to all the generous knitters for your “gifts of warmth”. Keep the needles clicking. We still have a few more weeks of winter.

For patterns and more details, check out the blog:  www.hats4thehomeless.blogspot.com

Best wishes for the upcoming year, Barbara Melom