KENOSHA, Wis. (AP) - The saying “Many hands make light work” held true recently as residents and friends showed up at Kenosha’s Creative Space, crochet hooks or bags in hand.
The purpose? To see just how many crocheted “granny squares” they could connect and form into blankets for the homeless.
Kenosha resident Allison Carr began holding the Grandma Jean’s Warm-Up “crochet in’s” as a way to help those in need and heal her own grief after her grandmother, Jean Ann Martin, passed away in May. She soon found that others also loved the idea of “crocheting for a cause.”
Since starting the charity in August, “I have over 6,500 squares, and I’m still counting,” said 31-year-old Carr, who learned to crochet from her grandmother and mother. “I’m going to have over 70 blankets.
“Thirty-four states donated and more are coming. We had squares sent in from eight countries, including Africa, Spain and Australia. I have more bags at home. It’s blown away my expectations,” she told the Kenosha News .
It takes about 130 4-inch by 4-inch squares to make an adult blanket and 108 squares for a kid’s blanket, though square sizes may vary.
Bags and bags of squares sat waiting to be connected and people arrived with more bags. Some also donated finished blankets. It was a huge uptick from the 20 blankets Carr had hoped to end up with when she started.
The blankets will be given away to those in need at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church with the help of Arnetta Griffin, who’s been feeding the homeless through her God’s Kitchen outreach.
“She knows the people who need them most,” Carr said. “She knows the people who are actually on the streets.”
What’s surprised Carr is how her idea has touched others.
Local businesses, including Paielli’s Bakery, Costco, El Fuego Gyros, Summit Restaurant and Draeger-Langendorf Funeral Home also have been supportive and also provided food for their work sessions.
The squares come in the mail with personal notes or makers connect through Instagram and Facebook, sharing what it’s meant for them to do this.
“Your grandma would be so proud,” wrote Monica from Canada.
“This is in memory of my grandmother who taught me to crochet,” wrote another contributor.
Seventy-six-year-old Kenosha resident Edith Zorn, who’s been crocheting since she was 5, also thought it a great cause. Not only was she the first to volunteer, but she was there at the event busily crocheting squares together in her own little assembly line.
“I saw it in the paper and thought I’d come help,” she said. “I think it’s a wonderful thing to do something for the homeless.”
What Cheryl Riedlinger liked was being able to spend time with others doing something she’s loved making since she was eight. “You meet other people who are into it and help others at the same time,” she said.
Carr’s mother Sharon Johanek, and her aunts, Sheila King and Gerri Haberle, also couldn’t help but chip in. Her other two aunts, Kathy Kohler and Mari Steagal are also involved, but couldn’t attend.
“It’s nice to do something, that’s what mom taught us,” said Johanek. “I thought this was kind of an ingenious idea.”
Haberle said that their mom would never have expected these results.
“She’d be surprised, she was very low-key,” she said. “It’s really amazing, the social media aspect. It’ll be exciting to see next week.”
Handing out the finished blankets won’t be the end, Carr said. She plans to keep going and hopefully form a non-profit organization.
“Crocheting makes me feel close to her,” she said of her grandma. “I just had this strong urge to do something.”
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Information from: Kenosha News, http://www.kenoshanews.com
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