"Heroes in Waiting"

The dear friend who knit this insisted on remaining anonymous. "It's a group effort," she says about Northern Loops and our blankets,"I just happen to have more time than the others." And so she turns out these lovely warm creations for someone who will never know her name or how much she fussed over needing that last ball of wool for that mauve colour on the end to finish it properly.

And she is right. It is better to be known by what we do and the stitches that we keep. The person who gets this blanket will only need to know that someone somewhere is looking after him/her. The stitches, which grow into blankets, are a statement of our faith in the fabric of our community.

I continue to learn from my knitting friends--not just stitches or tips of the craft or even patience to try something new, but the reminders about how to be a bit more wise as a human being. I know I need reminding of that and I believe that our young people need to hear it, and, more importantly to see it in action.

As I sat in the Castletown council and learned of one young person responsible for 14 acts of vandalism who had now been apprehended I was reminded that one of the reasons I started Northern Loops was three young girls playing in traffic--jumping into the street and daring each other to get close to the oncoming cars, and then jeering and making obscene gestures at any drivers who stopped. They probably think of knitting as old lady fuddy duddy and lacking the excitement of dodging in and out of traffic and they certainly don't think of themselves as "heroes is waiting"--a phrase from this morning's thought for the day on BBC. I don't know how we can reach them, but I believe they are heroes in waiting and we can welcome them around the table at Dunnet Church Hall and give them a pair of needles and let them discover just how much more they have to offer the world than they thought.

Northern Loops Comes to Dunnet Church Hall!

Ever since we stepped on to the pedestrian precinct for Knit in Public Day last June, I have been promising to set up regular sites on each side of the county, and now at last we are on our way!


Northern Loops Thurso will continue to meet once a month on the third Thursday of the month, beginning Feb 17th, 2:30 to 5pm at United Reformed Church.



And now Northern Loops Dunnet will kick off in the Dunnet Church Hall February 3rd! Drop in for a knit, natter, or cuppa. Bring your needles and wool or use ours. If you have always wanted to learn to knit--now is the opportunity. Drop in between 2 and 4:30.

If you want to use your needles to make a difference in your community, then come along and lend a stitch. Northern Loops is all about sharing skills and making a difference while having a good time.

We have done squares for blankets for Project Linus and we now have a couple other opportunities. We have requests from local rescue dog charity and also from Ovarian Cancer. Whatever we choose, we'll have an opportunity to make a difference right here in our own community with our knitting.

Dunnet Church hall is back from the main road. It is accessible either from the church or down its own wee lane just west of the hotel. We'll have signs up and put the kettle on for you! Parking is available right in front of the hall--no need to park in the hotel parking lot.

Need directions or a lift? Call or email me: sharon.gunason@gmail.com

When is a Blanket More than a Blanket?

At the factual level, this blanket was the result of a conversation in a car park. A friend offered to do a blanket for Northern Loops to pass on to Project Linus even though she could not come to meetings. We laughed as I pulled the skeins of donated wool out of the boot of my car, which held more wool than a flock of sheep.

With all the many things going on, I forgot about it until I got a phone call that the blanket had been left at Castlehill for me. I was delighted at the thought of it, and the recollection of the conversation made me smile.

When I collected the blanket, I could feel not only the warmth of the wool and the lovely cables that invite the fingers to play with them, but what it represents. Because someone might sometime take some comfort from it, a friend spent her time and energy thinking about how to make her stitches mean something to someone that she will never see and who will never see her.

Now this lovely blanket reminded me of what we're all about when we are at our best. And in the middle of a gloomy winter it gave me a much needed reminder of what Northern Loops is all about. Each and every stitch is an opportunity to celebrate our best selves. Doing a little something for someone who needs it just because we can.