Despite the frigid weather conspiring to keep people at home, last week’s Afghans for Eden crochet-a-thon at the Winkler Library resulted in four finished blankets and several more in the works.
The library put out an open call on Tuesday, Jan. 21 for people to stop in and help crochet afghan squares or assemble finished squares into blankets to be donated to the patients of Eden Health Care Services.
Fifteen people stopped by throughout the day to help out. Numerous donations of completed blankets, yarn, and squares were also made in advance of the event.
“The weather was not in our favour yesterday, but you take that into account when you’re planning a January event,” said organizer and library clerk Linda Funk on Wednesday. “I was pleasantly surprised by how many people came out.”
Four blankets were ready to go as a result of donations, two more are well underway, and a stack of 279 squares are awaiting assembly as a result of the event. As well, 2,050 grams of yarn have been donated towards the project so far this year.
While the crochet marathon is a once-a-year event, the library accepts donations of finished afghans, squares, and yarn year-round. Until the end of February, the Little Yarn Barn in Winkler (169 George St.) is offering 20 per cent off select yarns in support of the project. Mention “Warmth in Winter” at the store.
A basket with yarn and needles is always set up in one of the library’s reading areas for anyone who wants to stop by and sew for a spell.
“We never stop, so the numbers just keep going up and up,” Funk said, noting anyone who wants to help assemble some of the hundreds of squares in the library’s possession is welcome to get in touch with her there to volunteer their sewing skills.
“We’ve got a whole bunch of colour coordinated ones that should be easy to put together,” she said. “Whatever style people want to use to put them together is fine—sew, crochet, something fancy, something plain. As long as it holds together in the wash, we’re good … they’re all warm and they’re all beautiful.”
The afghans are given to patients once they complete their mental health treatment at Eden’s psychiatric hospital and are headed home.
“It’s sort a gift to you from the community of Winkler. An extra hug to carry with you,” Funk said.
It’s a gift that is most appreciated by the patients, shared Irma Klassen, Eden’s volunteer coordinator.
It’s a privilege she said, to be able to pass on to patients these “beautiful gifts of comfort and warmth as a reminder that there is a caring community that supports them with well wishes as they continue to cope with and work towards mental health recovery.”
The project has inspired others in the community to give back in a similar way, Klassen shared, resulting in 30 afghans being donated to Eden over the last few years.
“A big thank you to all who participated by donated time and resources to make afghans for EMHC,” she said.
