Form a knitting circle

Form a knitting circle. Knitting for charity in a community of friends is good for the soul!

Heart to hand:
The circle makes the squares. The squares make the circle.

The same as a book club, a knitting circle can be the basis for life-long friendships. Being united in a common purpose, by knitting for charity, makes the effort even more meaningful.

How many times have you thought that you would love to get involved in a craft, or a group or do some good in the world. Sometimes we are so busy, it all seems way too hard.

This knitting project is a really simple way to start. Not expensive, little required and a fantastic outcome. Eight people in a group, each knitting 5 squares would be enough for a child's blanket.

And a great way to kick start a life-long hobby which, apart from knitting for charity, will see you creating many wonderful items of clothing, gifts and perhaps even a heritage blanket for yourself or your loved ones.

Wool today is exquisite, multi-textured and in every colour imaginable as you can see in the beautiful blanket my mother, Zanny knitted for me.

This wonderful display of wool is at Purl's Palace, Daylesford, Victoria, Australia, which is well worth a visit. You can view her site at www.purlspalace.com
Photo by Jack Sarafian.

Here are some suggestions for how to get a knitting circle together:

1. Download the 'Square Circle' invitation. Click here. 2. You could start with your immediate family and friends and ask them if they know anyone else who would be interested

3. Settle on one regular date, ie second Wednesday of every month. Try not to change it once you start, just to accommodate one member. Once the regularity is affected, the group tends to break apart. Just make it on a 'come if you can' basis.

4. Agree to host it on a rotational basis, or go to your local wool or craft shop and ask if they would host it for you after hours. Great benefit for them!

5. If at home, decide whether the host is going to supply food and beverages. If you have a group of 8 – 12, then you are only involved in this once every 8 – 12 months. Your efforts will be greatly rewarded by the conviviality of sharing food together, but also the enjoyment of meals shared at other member's homes. Food is definitely a topic of enthusiasm for most people and recipe sharing an added benefit!

6. Make sure for the first meeting that everyone brings at least one ball of 8 ply wool, a pair of 6mm needles and a darning needle. If they are already involved in a knitting project, ask them to bring it to show the group.

7. Print out the knitting and sending instructions for the squares for everyone

8. Please join our mailing list for the Square Circle ezine. This way we can keep you in touch with our knitting project and the success of your blanket for our charity for children.

9. Also, please contribute your knitting circle stories, patterns, and successes, and if you make a heritage blanket, please send us photos.

Zanny's bowling friends set to knit after a day's hard bowling. Proves you can knit anytime, anywhere!

Welcome to Square Circle. We look forward to a life time's association and making many blankets together