Mission Statement:

Our mission is to provide hope, love, and healing to our community through the work of our hands while exploring our own relationship with God through knitting.

Handiwork provides an opportunity to for us to meditate and fellowship while providing practical goods to those in need. Knitting in solitude gives us a time and space to listen to God, knitting with others allows us to celebrate God's presence with us, and the gifts we make are a tangible symbol of God's love for us all.

The K1,G2 Story:

Everyone's knitting story is important. Our stories are linked to a rich history of knitters who have strengthened their communities by their knitting. Knit One, Give Two started in the fall of 2005. Named for the "pattern" of our ministry, we took on the goal of outreach through hand-crafts. During the year, we made hats and scarves for Room in the Inn, baby hats for General Hospital, and pillows for Belmont's homebound members. We also started three ongoing ministries and held a knitting retreat.

Information:

Who:     Knitters of all proficiency levels (see Beginners' Kits)
What:    Knitting fellowship, devotionals, prayer, discussions, and community projects*
When:   Wednesday, 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Where:  Belmont United Methodist Church, Room 120 or Parker Hall (please see calendar for the 
            schedule)

*During our meetings, you can knit whatever you like. Our projects are optional and voluntary. One of our goals this year is to provide a stash of yarn to our members to defray some of the cost.

Links

Calendar
Ongoing Ministries
Current Needs
Free Patterns
Beginners' Kits
The Stash
Community Projects
Devotional
More Links
Contact

  Calendar

Fall/Winter 2006 K1,G2 Calendar

September 20:  Fellowship knitting in Parker Hall for “Stories from Africa”

September 27:  Fellowship knitting and devotional in Room 120 – Fall Project #1

October 4:  Fellowship knitting and devotional in Room 120 – Fall Project #1

October 11:  Blessing Fall Project #1 & knitting in Room 120 – Fall Project #2

October 18:  Fellowship knitting and devotional in Room 120 – Fall Project #2

October 25:  Fellowship knitting and devotional in Room 120 – Fall Project #2

November 1:  All Saints Service – Sanctuary

November 8:  Blessing Fall Project #2 & knitting in Room 120 – Fall Project #3

November 15:  Present Project #2 to Miriam’s Promise in Parker Hall

November 22:  Thanksgiving Service – Sanctuary

November 29:  Fellowship knitting in Parker Hall for “The meaning of Advent”

December 6:  Blessing Fall Project #3 & knitting in Room 120 – Fall Project #3

December 13:  Present Project #3 to Community Care Fellowship in Parker Hall

December 20:  Christmas Celebration in Parker Hall
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  Ongoing Ministries

We have three ongoing ministries that are provided for our Belmont UMC community. These are baby booties for the newborns to start them on their walk with God, sunshine scarves for the women of the church suffering from serious illness, and prayer shawls/scarves for someone in your life who needs a touchstone either for a great joy, a spiritual journey, or recovering from grief. Please come to our meetings for patterns and more information about these projects.

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  Current Needs

Please let us know of someone in our church family who is in need of the ongoing ministries of K1,G2 by contacting Ellen Duke: 615-517-5383 or ellen@ellenduke.com 

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  Free Patterns

The patterns listed below are in MS Word format and can be downloaded by clicking on each.

Basic Hat Pattern by Ellen Duke

Sunshine Scarf by Ellen Duke

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  Beginners' Kits

We are providing instructions and a starter project for those wanting to learn how to knit. To request a kit, please email or call Ellen Duke: 615-517-5383 or ellen@ellenduke.com 

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  The Stash

The stash is located in Room 120 in bins in the back corner of the room. This yarn is for K1,G2 projects only. Please take as much as you need, but please use all you take. We LOVE donations to our stash!

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  Community Projects

Here are our upcoming community projects. See the calendar for their due dates.

Fall Project #1: Items for Nashville Cares 

AIDS is an epidemic that has recently fallen by the way side of media attention. According to the Nashville Cares' website, "The number of AIDS-related deaths has risen since 2000 after falling and being held in check for several years in the late 1990s. Last year a person with AIDS died on average every three days in Middle Tennessee," (From data provided by the Tennessee Department of Health. Compiled by Nashville CARES). For more statistics on how HIV and AIDS are still affecting Middle Tennessee, please visit their website: www.nashvillecares.org/about_hiv_aids 

Through our own awareness of this problem, we join a global fight to end the suffering caused by HIV and AIDS. Something as simple as just being aware of this need causes us to act. We have the capacity to touch someone's heart and to let God's love flow through us to make a difference in this world. Just as Jesus healed through touch, we have the opportunity to create a healing moment in our community through our knitting.

The loving act of knitting a washrag or small blanket has the chance to warm the heart of another human being. Our combined energy through knitting, prayer and educating ourselves about HIV and AIDS, will bring us one step closer to eliminating this horrible epidemic.

A Prayer:
God, make us aware of the suffering in our world and let that awareness move us to act. Help us be like Jesus and use our hands to heal our neighbors who are suffering from HIV and AIDS. We are angry that ignorance and fear causes hatred in the world and has let this disease become an epidemic. Let us create a movement of love, compassion, and a desire for understanding. We thank you for the chance to show Your love in the world through the gifts of our knitting. Amen.

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  Devotional

Psalm 139
Psalm 139: 1-16

O Lord, you have searched me and known me.
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
You discern my thoughts from far away.
You search out my path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
O Lord, you know it completely.
You hem me in, behind and before,
And lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is so high that I cannot attain it.

Where can I go from your spirit?
Or where can I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there;
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
If I take the wings of the morning
And settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
Even there your hand shall lead me,
And your right hand shall hold me fast.
If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me,
And the light around me become night,"
Even the darkness is not dark to you.

For it was you who formed my inward parts;
You knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works; that I know very well.
My frame was not hidden from you,
When I was being made in secret,
Intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes beheld my unformed substance.

Thoughts:
In our most frustrating moments when we feel that no one understands where we are coming from, we can remember this song of thanksgiving. There is always someone who knows our most true selves and we can take comfort that God understands us.

In the beginning of Psalm 139, we are reminded that there is nothing we can hide from God. In some ways, that can be a scary concept. Are there things about yourself you wish you could hide from God? God hears our prayers, our fears and doubts even before they leave our lips. During your knitting meditation, pray through the rhythmic flow of your needles and yarn without words and know that God hears what your heart speaks. In silence, become aware that you yourself were knit by God and be thankful.

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  More Links

Yarn stores:
We have tax exempt letters on file at Angel Hair Yarn Company and an additional %10 discount. When you go to check out, tell them if your purchase is for Belmont UMC. Please do not use this discount for your personal yarn.

Angel Hair Yarn Company - http://angelhairyarn.com/ 
Haus of Yarn - http://www.hausofyarn.com/ 
JoAnn's - http://www.joann.com/?&rId=GOOGBRJOT 
Michael's - http://www.michaels.com/art/online/home 
Threaded Bliss - http://mythreadedbliss.typepad.com/ 

Charities:
General Hospital at Meharry - http://www.nashville.gov/general_hospital/ 
Heifer International - http://www.heifer.org/ 
Miriam's Promise - http://www.miriamspromise.org/ 
Nashville Cares - http://www.nashvillecares.org/ 
Room in the Inn - http://www.grass-roots.org/usa/roominn.shtml 

Knitting Information:
http://www.knittingpatterncentral.com/index.php 
http://www.masondixonknitting.com/ 

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  Contact

For more information, contact Ellen Duke: 615-517-5383 or ellen@ellenduke.com

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