Holy Needles

Holy Needles was formed in March 2009. We crochet, knit, sew, and quilt matching beanies, booties, and blankets for newborns of families in need, blankets, hats and scarves for homeless, blankets for chemo patients, pillowcases for children in transition, and prayer shawls are created to provide comfort for emotionally needy. Our items are distributed at local hospitals, the VA, other groups, and charitable organizations in Tucson, AZ. Our goal is to gracefully meet the needs of the needy.

Showing posts with label Polartec. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

29 Chemo Blankets Delivered on 9/30/11

On September 30, 2011, Holy Needles delivered 29 chemo blankets to oncology treatment centers in the NW region of Tucson. When cancer patients receive chemo treatments, these quality blankets (made with Polartec fleece) will keep the patients warm and cozy.

blankets laid in a chemo treatment area

Arizona Oncology on Orange Grove received 11 chemo blankets.

11 chemo blankets were delivered to UMC Oncology on Orange Grove.

Kim, a member of Holy Needles delivers 6 chemo blankets to Arizona Oncology in Oro Valley.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Edging Fleece with Crochet

Fleece Blanket using Skip-Stitch blade to crochet edge

Easy-to-follow instructions for making a blanket using a Skip-Stitch blade (blade available at http://skipstitch.com/ )

Place fleece on self-healing cutting mat. Cut fleece into size desired, removing selvages (if necessary). (Rounding corners is optional... use plate or container cover to create rounded corner).

Position see-through ruler over 1/2" - 3/4" edge of fleece.

Using a 45mm rotary cutter with the Skip-Stitch blade installed, run cutter along edge of ruler with enough pressure to perforate the fleece.

Reposition ruler to continue cutting. Place a blade tooth in the last perforation in the fleece, and continue cutting.
With right side facing you, just to the left of a corner, start edging the fleece by putting your hook (size H is favorable) through a hole, from the front, picking up the yarn from the back. Pull through and continue to work a single crochet. Chain 1. Continue single crochet, chain 1 around the fleece, completing the round with a slip stitch atop beginning stitch. (Work 3 single crochet stitches in each corner if you did not round the corners).
Options: crochet only this initial row, add another row of single crochet, or try anything creative!

Scallop pattern: work this into the foundation row, or after a second row of single crochet, or try something different!

From the front side of your project, slip-stitch into the foundation row.

Skip a stitch and work 3 double crochet stitches in the next stitch .(or 3 hdc)

Skip a stitch and slip stitch into next stitch. Continue around, finishing the row with a slip stitch into the original slip stitch. (compromise as needed for a neat finish).

Finish by weaving in ends. NO KNOTS!

#crochet #freeCrochetPatterns #howtocrochet

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Chemo Blankets... Created for Use in Oncology Centers Around Tucson

Some of the 'chemo blankets' created for patients to use in local Oncology centers, to keep warm and cozy while they receive treatment.

#crochetedge

Blankets Given to the Homeless at Z Mansion

with the generous donation of fleece from Polartec, Holy Needles made and donated over 200 blankets to the homeless of Tucson...

lots of help unloading the 200 blankets from Pam's trailer!

every Sunday morning, Z Mansion in Tucson feeds the homeless

one happy recipient!!

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Tucson's Arizona Daily Star article: Group makes, gives out 200 blankets for homeless

http://azstarnet.com/news/local/article_62214218-6bb4-5622-a181-eb02d658daff.html

published December 20, 2010

Some homeless Tucsonans received the gift of warmth Sunday at downtown's Z Mansion.

Two hundred black fleece blankets were passed out to men and women at a weekly brunch hosted by WORKship Methodist Church, which was founded by Tom and Em Hill.

The church provides hot meals for the homeless each Sunday outside the Z Mansion, which the Hills own.

On Sunday, the guests - the volunteers don't refer to them as homeless - were served sliced ham, mashed potatoes, salad, fruit, cheese and sweets.

As the guests left, each was given a sack lunch and gift bag full of toiletries and other treats.

Their hands were also full with new fleece blankets.

Holy Needles, a local group that fashions beanies, blankets and booties for disadvantaged newborns, produced 200 blankets over the last couple of months to pass out at Sunday's brunch.

"It feels absolutely awesome to help the community and make them something they can use," said Donna Bishop, coordinator of Holy Needles.

More than 20 volunteers cut the fleece into blankets.

"They'll cover the head and the feet and keep them nice and warm," said Bishop, who volunteers at the brunch once a month with Casas Church.

Earlier this year, the group received a donation of 750 yards of fleece from Polartec that allowed it to branch out and help others.

Holy Needles donates more than 500 baby items to hospitals and birthing centers every three months.

But on Sunday, it was all about another needy group.

Michael Moyers was ecstatic after a volunteer handed him a blanket.

"It will keep me warm," he said.

Joyce Thompson was amazed by the quality of her new blanket.

"This is soft," she said. "For me, it's so cozy. I'm going to wrap myself up in it."
Holy needles... The local group is always in need of donations of fleece, yarn and cash.

Contact the group by e-mail at holyneedles@gmail.com or go to its website at holyneedles.blogspot.com for more information.

Contact reporter Andrea Rivera at arivera@azstarnet.com or 807-8430.

The Explorer - The Voice of Marana, Oro Valley and Northwest Tucson Archives News Holy Needles makes, donating 200 blankets for the homeless

The Explorer - The Voice of Marana, Oro Valley and Northwest Tucson Archives News Holy Needles makes, donating 200 blankets for the homeless

Published: December-15-2010 12:10am

Special to The Explorer

Holy Needles, the Northwest group that creates handmade needlework for needy people, is donating nearly 200 fleece blankets to the homeless this Sunday, Dec. 19.

The Casas Church-based group formed in March 2009 to create beanies, blankets and booties for Tucson’s disadvantaged newborns. In its 21 months, Holy Needles has distributed more than 3,600 items to those in need.
Donna Bishop, coordinator for Holy Needles, sent an e-mail to the clothing company Polartec last spring, asking if it would have any scraps or end rolls it could donate. “I told them a little bit about who we were. Their response, 12 rolls” of free, high-quality black fleece, adding up to 750 yards of material, more than 4/10ths of a mile.

“It’s an awful lot,” Bishop said.

The donation gave Holy Needles “an opportunity to reach out to others in need, beyond newborns,” a release said. Members have created blankets, trimmed with a crocheted border and a cancer ribbon symbol, for chemotherapy centers. Lap blankets and shawls have been created and bordered in crochet for the homebound. Infant blankets are also trimmed in crochet and distributed for newborns in need at local hospitals. Fleece from Polartec has also been used to create teddy bears and scarves.
Each of the blankets for homeless people is 70 by 90 inches. Presentation of those blankets begins at 10:30 a.m. Sunday at the Z Mansion, 288 N. Church Ave.

On average, some 40 women meet twice a month — the third Monday from 1 to 4 p.m. in the Ocotillo Building at Casas Church, 10801 N. La Cholla, and the last Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon in the Saguaro Building at the church — to create items.
People are welcome to join Holy Needles, Bishop said.
“Our door’s always open, even if they don’t know how to do crochet, knit, quilt or sew,” Bishop said. “We teach them. A lot of the people involved are new at the craft.”
For more information, go to www.holyneedles.blogspot.com.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Blankets, Blankets, Blankets... Thank You, Polartec!

Getting ready to deliver 200 blankets to Z Mansion, Tucson, for the homeless. Each blanket is a generous 70"x90" size, and they are made of Polartec fleece. In April, 2010, Polartec donated 750 yards of fleece to Holy Needles. This gave Holy Needles an opportunity to expand it's ministry, to create more items for more people! Among the items are blankets. Blankets for homeless, for chemotherapy patients, for homebound, as well as for newborns.

Labels were donated to Holy Needles by Casas Church, and are sewn to the blankets.

Polartec fleece blanket for the homeless, labeled, rolled and held together with a crocheted band.

53 Adorable Fleece Bears Created!

Carol Smith was recently involved with creating 53 black fleece bears, which were delivered to an orphanage in Hermosilia, Mexico through Caring Ministries, in time for Christmas!