Hello friends,
As the weather really starts to change, I find myself reflecting on the abundance we have experienced here at Knitting4Peace. I am so grateful to share that since our Create-A-Thon, we have received an incredible outpouring of donations. Boxes and bags filled with lovingly crafted hats, scarves, blankets, and Peace Pals have been coming through our doors.
Each piece represents not just yarn and stitches, but the time, talent, and love of the maker.
These items are already making their way to those who need them most—children, families, and individuals facing challenges both here at home and around the world. A handmade blanket will bring warmth on a chilly night. A scarf or hat will be a shield against the cold. A Peace Pal tucked into a child’s arms will provide comfort in moments of fear or uncertainty. Your work truly makes a difference in ways we may never fully know.
Autumn also brings a gentle reminder to find time for ourselves—for knitting, crocheting, quilting, or whatever craft feeds your spirit. As the days grow shorter, may we each carve out moments to create, reflect, and connect with what matters most. Perhaps that includes joining our monthly Craft Circle? From all of us at Knitting4Peace, thank you for your generosity, your hands, and your hearts. Together, we continue to stitch peace, one piece at a time.
With gratitude- Kelly |
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Peace Makers Event: Yoga for Knitters with Pam Peterson We’re excited to announce our autumn Peace Makers Workshop with Pam Peterson, founder of Yoga for Knitters! Pam will share why yoga is so beneficial for crafters and lead us in a virtual, all-levels practice. Every age and experience level is welcome!
This event is exclusively for our monthly donors. If you’d like to join us, become a Peace Maker today at any level — it’s easy to sign up at knitting4peace.org/donate. Monthly donors help sustain our mission, and this event is one of the many ways we say thank you!
About Pam:
Pam Peterson is a certified yoga instructor with over 20 years of experience and a lifelong knitter. Through Yoga for Knitters, she helps crafters stay healthy, mindful, and connected.
Invitations will be emailed to all active monthly donors — we can’t wait to see you there! |
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Community Member of the Month: Mary Sue I. and Janice P. |
Community Members of the Month: Mary Sue I. and Janice P.
This month we are highlighting two long-time members of the Knitting4Peace family who are increasing the impact of their donations by not only sending in donations to our K4P headquarters, but also donating locally, and then sharing that information with us. Mary Sue, who lives in California, and Janice, who hails from New Mexico have both recently begun using our new Local Donation Report Form to let us know about their local donations. Both continue to send items to us at our Denver headquarters as well.
Mary Sue enjoys the company of good friends who gather weekly to chat, knit, and crochet. She has been knitting for K4P since 2012 and has donated hats, blankets, booties, and Peace Pals. During the Covid pandemic, Mary Sue started to share items locally to save on postage and found that hospitals were appreciative of the Peace Pals she made. She also connected with a group who sent items to Tijuana for immigrants in dire need and shared items with them. More recently, Mary Sue began working with a non-profit dental clinic that serves young children with intense needs. The children find great comfort in choosing a special Peace Pal to hold as they receive anesthesia and later recover from surgery. Mary Sue shared a heartwarming story of a young 3-year-old who was distraught and crying prior to surgery, but calmed almost immediately when allowed to choose a Peace Pal.
Mary Sue often receives bits of unusual and expensive yarns from friends. She delights in using these yarns in her Peace Pals and believes it makes the Peace Pals even more special for the children who receive them. After making over 2,000 Peace Pals, Mary Sue says that it’s important to keep learning new things to do as you’re helping others and that If you believe you can make a difference, it will help to put aside thoughts of some of the challenging things that are happening in our world.
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Janice P. of Santa Fe, New Mexico (above) learned of Knitting4Peace from her daughter who saw a K4P drop-off box at a local Colorado church. Janice was a prolific knitter and after years of knitting for her children, grandchildren, and friends, she was eager to begin sending items out to others. She believed it was one small thing she could do to positively impact the world.
For many years, Janice had sent items to the Knitting4Peace headquarters while also donating locally. She then saw a Knitting4Peace newsletter article that asked that K4P makers share local donation information so she began filling out the Local Donation Report Form to share more information about what and where she was donating. She enjoys knowing that her donations are part of a larger movement and that she can tell Knitting4Peace about her local impact at the same time.
Janice currently knits locally for the Many Mothers organization, which provides a broad spectrum of compassionate support to pregnant women and families with infants and toddlers as they navigate their new world. She regularly makes baby blankets, infant hats, and socks for the young infants. Janice also likes to “mix It up” with both her knitting and crochet. She enjoys making hats and mittens that she sends to Knitting4Peace headquarters. Although she is quite busy in her community, Janice says that if you “grab a few minutes here and there it eventually gets done.” She also says that she strongly believes that knitting and sharing handmade items with others is “something small” she can do to counteract some of the negativity in today’s world.
Thank you, Mary Sue and Janice, for all you are doing as active Knitting4Peace makers and for being our Community Members of the Month! You both definitely do have a positive impact on so many and we appreciate you so very much!
Dear K4P Newsletter readers-- Be like Mary Sue and Janice! If you donate some of your handmade items locally, please do let us know so that we can record them. Just fill out the brief Local Donation Report Form. This is a great option for those who wish to save on postage or want to donate items that are heavier or are items we currently do not accept. Please don’t hesitate to let us know if you have any questions or encounter any problems in completing the form. Many of you also make note of local donations when you send us donations via mail while some email us to let us know what they are doing locally. Both are fine options as well. Thanks for keeping us in the loop and helping us expand the reach of Knitting4Peace! We are grateful to be in partnership with you.
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Consistency is Key: Finger Puppets
We have been so excited to see quite a few sweet Fingerprint Puppets, which have been created from the pattern that Natasha Hanson developed and shared with us during her recent Create-a-thon Workshop. Many of you have sent these in and we have begun distributing them to our Community Partners who are enthusiastic about using them in their programs. We continue to have a strong need for finger puppets and here are a few guidelines to keep in mind:
-Finger puppets that resemble people and animals are very popular. They should fit on an adult’s index finger and be long enough that they do not easily fall off. If they are too short (fingertip length) or have a loose fit, they easily fall off fingers. -We can use some finger puppets that are smaller in width so that younger siblings may use them as they talk with babies. They must still be long enough to remain on a finger throughout play. -It is really important that there are NO items attached that could pose a choking hazard to young infants who may mouth the puppets. So, no beady eyes, buttons, sequins, antennae on bugs, etc. -Also, beware of dog/cat hair and perfumes.
-If you make finger puppets that “go together” as a set, please attach them with yarn or put them in a small plastic bag so that we can make sure they are sent out together.
Please don’t hesitate to let us know if you have any questions as you make these special items which help to increase language development for infants and are also being used as “reading buddies” in elementary school programs. |
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Mittens and Baby Blankets |
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Item Requests: Mittens and Baby Blankets
We regularly hear from our Community Partners that mittens are among the most treasured items they share with others. Unfortunately, we are rarely able to fill all the requests we receive, especially for children’s mittens so please keep sending them in! We hope you know that we are so very grateful for each pair you send in and that we are aware of the time and skill needed to make them. Thank you!
We can never have too many baby blankets and they are usually sent out almost immediately after we receive them! Thank you for responding to our requests for small (26” – 30”) sizes as we are now able to do a better job of being able to meet this need. We continue to need baby blankets in a variety of sizes (26” minimum to 52” maximum) as there are so many of our Community Partners who request and deliver these items to families with young children. Recent recipients of baby blankets have been several elementary schools who host community clothing pantries for their families, Family Tree, Motherwise, UC Health NICU, and the Global Health program in Guatemala.
Thank you for helping meet this important need! |
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The Fine Print:
*Customers must have a registered King Soopers or City Market loyalty card account to link to your organization.
*If you do not yet have a King Soopers or City Market loyalty card, they are available at the customer service desk at any King Soopers or City Market
REMEMBER, purchases will not count for K4P until after your register your loyaltycard.
You must swipe your registered King Soopers or City Market loyalty card or use the phone number that is related to your registered King Soopers or City Market loyalty card when shopping for each purchase to count.
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| Have you registered with your Kroger store yet?
Please consider linking your Kroger rewards card with K4P. It's free to you and allows us a small monthly donation from the corporation.
Our assigned Kroger NPO (Non-Profit Organization) number is HL532.
To Use the King Soopers or City Market Community Rewards Program:
Simply visit the appropriate link below for your store:
For King Soopers Stores - go to http://www.kingsoopers.com
For City Market Stores - go to http://www.citymarket.com
Once logged into your King Soopers or City Market account you can search for Knitting4Peace either by name or HL532 and then click Enroll. New users will need to create an account which requires some basic information, a valid email address and a loyalty card.
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Please note: Our donation intake is run solely by volunteers. Unfortunately, we do not have the capacity to immediately acknowledge each package as it arrives. Remember, you can always track your package with your carrier.
Remember, mailing costs qualify as tax-deductible nonprofit donations. Keep your receipts! Due to a lack of storage, K4P cannot accept yarn donations unless they are new and still in the original wrapper.
Thank you for understanding. |
| Mail or bring items to: 2600 N. Leyden St., Denver, CO 80207 Drop-Off hours: Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, 9am-12pm The church is no longer staffed by an assistant so please be sure to go during the timeframe mentioned above.
Ring the doorbell and you will be let into the church to drop off your items. EACH mailed box or dropped-off bag must include a note with the DATE, NAME, MAILING ADDRESS, E-MAIL, AND PEACE POD.
Did you make a local delivery this month? Click the button below to report it and don't forget to send pics! |
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Special thanks to Park Hill Congregational Church for their continued support and allowing us to share their space in Denver. |
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HAVE A QUESTION ON HOW TO MAKE SOMETHING? ASK ARNA! |
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Are you ready to support the mission of Knitting4Peace? Donate using the button below! |
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Contact Arna@knitting4peace.org with questions about patterns and guidelines. Check out our social media posts for the latest news (links below). If you have questions about deliveries or donations please email info@knitting4peace.org. ALL donations sustain our work. Donate online or mail checks to:
2600 Leyden Street, Denver, CO 80207
Donations to Knitting4Peace are tax-deductible. |
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