We are so thankful for this beautiful collection of knitted scarves from Massachusetts.
Thank you, generous volunteer who sent these and some yarn. We appreciate you!
A gift from the east coast
Busy hands
Early October brought a beautiful delivery our way One busy lady crocheted these for us!
33 scarves Lots of different colors, and beautifully done. We’re so thankful for this contribution.
We’re working on getting them packaged to have over to the YWCA before next month.
I’m confident these will be a welcome gift to the recipients.
Every scarf makes a difference -whether you can create 1 or 33 we hope you’ll join us.
Scarves from Indiana
We’re so thankful to receive these 4 beautiful scarves in the mail this week.
They came from a family friend in Indiana. It’s so neat how word of this project spreads and people are able to join us.
As I opened the box I found myself examining the scarves and wondering “just how did she do that?” Sometimes I can figure out the pattern and sometimes I can’t. Either way it’s really fun to see all the different ones.
It takes a village
Today we handed over 114 scarves that are packaged and ready to offer comfort. I said “handed off” instead of “delivered” because one of the awesome members of the YWCA staff came to pick them up from me. It was really helpful to have them picked up!
These scarves came from lots of people in several states. Some donate 1 or 2, while some need multiple grocery sacks to get all theirs to me. I really appreciate each person that has donated.
I’m thankful for our “village” that makes this project possible. Here are some of them:
- People who crochet or knit scarves and deliver them.
- People who mail scarves from other places.
- People who help with the packaging.
- People who help get the scarves to the staff so they can be distributed.
- People who tell others about the project so new people can join. (There’s always space and need for more scarf makers)
- Those who have shared yarn or money to buy yarn or packaging materials.
- People who help make the website and the Facebook page work to share info
What an encouragement it has been to see so many people come together in an effort to offer some comfort to people at a really tough time.
Colorful!
These beautiful scarves are from a new volunteer. I’m so glad she found us!!
Travelling scarves
One of our volunteers brought these scarves by for us to package. Her family member came from another state to visit and brought them with her to donate.
It’s so encouraging when word spreads about this work and new people join in the fun.
Fun scarves
These 5 are some we received recently. They’re a beautiful variety of stitches and colors. I’m so thankful for the crafters who join us in this encouraging work!
A Reminder
This time of year it’s natural to wonder if scarves are a good idea. With a heat index of over 100 and warnings about heat stroke, do we really think that giving someone a scarf is a good idea? In a word: yes.
As you can see from this message we received on this day four years ago, the scarves are a good idea, whatever the weather outside.
This morning I watched a sexual assault victim choose a scarf, open it and revel in its softness, read the tag, and cry tears of relief. No matter how many times they’re told in words that they are not alone, sometimes the thing that helps that realization sink in best seems to be the tactile experience of choosing and putting on their scarf, and being told that without knowing them, other survivors care about them and wish them well as they move forward. I was asked to thank Threads of Compassion OKC on behalf of that person. Thank you.
We have a great team!
I am so thankful for the people that have helped us over the years with this project! There are a couple who have been here from the beginning, and others that we’ve just met. We really appreciate each one of them.
A few months ago a reporter from The Oklahoman newspaper joined us and learned about our work. It was fun sharing with her and answering her questions. The article she wrote about us was published February 12th.
While it is a great snapshot of our work, it’s important to know that we have lots of great volunteers that didn’t make it into the article. One of those is a lady who lives in Michigan and has sent over 800 scarves over the years. Yes, over 800!
If you’re looking for a great way to encourage people going through a tough situation, we’d love to have you join us. You can visit with us at a Work Day, or work on your own and drop them off during the week.
Working together
We are nearing the beginning of our 10th year serving together!
Amazing, huh? When we began back in 2010 we had no idea what to expect. I am so thankful for the countless volunteers who have participated in this great work of offering comfort to survivors of sexual assault in Oklahoma County!
Some people have been able to volunteer a time or two while others have been contributing for months or years. Some have given scarves and others have given yarn or funds to help with packaging costs. Some have worked on the website and others have worked on packing the scarves. Some have joined us at Work Days and others have donated at the State Fair or simply dropped off scarves.
With so many of us working on this project together in so many different ways, we wanted to share a few reminders, some “housekeeping” kind of things that can help us continue to work together to offer great comfort. Please take a moment to look over the suggestions below and let us know if you have any questions.
- Please use acrylic yarn. This helps avoid allergies and allows the scarves to be washed without much special care.
- Please create a scarf that is 5 – 8 inches wide and 65 inches long. This helps ensure that it’s a size that can be worn by most recipients, and it helps with packaging and storage. (ones larger than this are difficult to package)
- When changing colors please use a method that allows you to weave in about an inch of yarn, rather than tying a knot in the yarn and clipping the ends close. Ones that have been tied have come untied, both in the laundry, and with use over time.
- At the beginning and end of your scarf please weave in the ends. There are lots of great tutorials online about how to do this, but if you’re looking for a simple diagram, The Crochet Guild of America has a great diagram of this on their site.
Again, “thank you” to those that have participated with us in the past. And, “welcome” to those who are thinking about joining us. We’d be grateful for your partnership, in whatever way you can participate.