How a small part of Texas was able to send a lot of warmth where it was most needed
#25000 Tuques After viewing the following video last winter, Cate Sweeney saw an opportunity to involve her small library knitting group in something big! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkRKJ6LrHQo
25,000 Tuques Website Includes running tally of received tuques. Currently around halfway to goal. http://jdussot.wixsite.com/25000tuques/english-faq
She planned a “Knit - In” during the regular Knitting Club program, inviting anyone in the area to come and join the small knitting group to create as many hats as we could. The Friends of the Library group agreed to pay to send whatever they collected to Canada for the 25,000 Syrian refugees expected to arrive there within the coming cold months.
She posted it on the calendar on the Bee Cave City Website http://www.beecavetexas.gov/Home/Components/Calendar/Event/2434/293?curm=1&cury=2016
The Austin American-Statesman picked up the event and helped publicize http://www.statesman.com/news/news/local/library-needs-little-help-from-area-knitters-croch/npxRr/
The Bee Cave Bee picked up the event and helped publicize http://www.beecavebee.com/news/local-news/835-library-knit-in
50 people turned out for the 2 hour “Charity Knit - In” There were 2 Knitting Circles set-up
Most brought their own needles and yarn but a few pulled from the library stash.
Non-Knitters learned to use Weaving Looms
Or made the “Welcome” Notes
There were some special moments with the community while creating hats. On the night of the knit-in, a mother and daughter came into the library (pictured on the right, holding the pink and orange looms). They had never been to our library before but wanted to participate. The daughter explained that her mother (in the blue blouse) had recently had a stroke that had left her unable to knit and crochet, an activity that she missed a lot; however she was pleased at the prospect of just being around other knitters and wanted to see if there was something she could do to contribute. Library staff set her up with a round loom and she was so thrilled when she was able to manage the dexterity to weave a hat for the project. The daughter kept telling library staff that she hadn’t seen her mom that pleased with an activity since before her stroke and then were both so happy to realize they could continue weaving, even after the project, with help of these looms.
The Tech Services Librarian demonstrated eResources on Crafting
A collection basket and weaving looms were set out in the library for the rest of the month Patrons who couldn’t come to the knit-in night “checked out” weaving looms from the library throughout the month and later returned them with completed hats to donate to the project.
Area Churches contributed including: All Saint’s Episcopal Church (who attached their own notes written in Arabic)
Area Churches contributed including: Austin Oak Hills Stake – LDS church (who donated nearly 200 hats!) So many cute hats – we had to try some on upon delivery.
Area teens knitted many of the hats and received school service hours.
There were special moments with the community while creating hats. One longtime patron lost her partner of 30+ years only weeks before our knit-in and was unable to attend. However, throughout the rest of the month she regularly came in to work on hats in the library. She explained to library staff “it is therapeutic for me right now to be able to contribute to this cause and do my work here in the library.” One afternoon a mother of young children asked her what she was working on. Our longtime patron went into great depth about the scope of the project and how meaningful an experience it was for her to participate. Staff overheard the two of them marveling for several minutes about how disorienting and shocking it would be to move from the Middle East to Canada between the language, culture and (of course) the climate differences. It was a heartening exchange to witness since this patron was going through so much but was finding human connection and opportunity to give back at our library.
The library collection table kept spilling over with donations through the month.
At the end of the month, the Friends of the Library group sorted, counted and packaged the hats.
The Friends spent 2 hours sorting hats! (L) Our “Welcome” notes in Arabic (R) Teen Advisory Board teen helping pack up the hats
494 Hats Total Cate sat on the boxes to get them all to fit!
The Lake Travis View later reported the success with the project http://www.statesman.com/news/news/local/host-of-library-events-usher-in-spring/nqsYR/
Newfoundland found the library through the #25000Tuques hashtag used on Facebook. Heather Stein Feb 10th, 8:32pm Hi! I'm writing on behalf of 25000 tuques Newfoundland, to thank you for your sharing of my request for more hats. We appreciate your support more than you know! Are you sending hats to Newfoundland, and if so, do you need a shipping address? Bee Cave Public Library Sent by Cate Brooks Sweeney Feb 10th, 9:21pm Hi Heather! We would be happy to send you a box if you like. We counted 494 total today - which is divided into 3 different boxes……
2 Weeks later… Cate receive a thank-you call from the Association for New Canadians, Newfoundland. Then a request to do a radio interview with CBC! http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2685453800
Later CBC wrote up a news article http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/bee-cave- texas-knits-200-hats-for-syrians-1.3495579
CBC Facebook Sparked Conversations, - There were over 1,000 shares of this story through CBC and Facebook - Many Newfoundlanders that read the story started a reader’s advisory thread where they recommended the best novels set in NL
She had some fun exchanges with our City Council Members about the project – email exchange with our Mayor Pro Tem Bill Goodwin pictured below…
The BEST thank-you, however, was receiving the photos of the Syrian refugee welcome event with all the hats!
Syrians Receiving “tuques” in NL
Syrians Receiving “tuques” in NL
(L) Bee Cave – (R) Newfoundland
(L) Bee Cave – (R) Newfoundland
People continued to send hats… People continued to ask after we sent our hat shipment if they could send more themselves. We shared the mailing address with them, including All Saints Episcopal Church who sent a box of 27 additional hats the following month. Their knitting club just didn’t want to stop contributing!
The Bee Cave Library decided to reprise their hat collection project for a second year in Fall of 2016
Once again, local newspapers help publicize. http://www.statesman.com/news/local/column-bee-cave-city-council-approves-library-long-range-plan/8E6GwNSqm7ikKm7EfueXiL/
LDS church promoted it on their “JustServe.org” website! https://www.justserve.org/projects/0f0be883-7d31-4359-afc6-bdadedf8f06f
Social Media played a key role. (Instagram, Twitter & Facebook) https://www.instagram.com/p/BM1_xQ-AV8o/?taken-by=beecavelibrary
A Public Service Announcement (PSA) on local radio (KUT) expanded reach. “ Calling all warm hearted knitters! Bee Cave Public Library invites you to join in the global charity knit 25,000 Tuques, aimed at collecting hand-knitted hats to send with our warm wishes to Syrian refugees in Canada. Hat donations are being accepted at the library between now and the end of December, with easy-to-use hat weaving loom kits available for check-out for non- knitters. And don’t miss our special Knit-In Night held on site at the library on Thursday, December 1 st from 7-9:00 pm. For more information, contact Cate Sweeney at the Bee Cave Public Library in the Hill Country Galleria at 512-767- 6626.” Aired November 25, 2016
Beverley McCabe donates her generous wool stash. Resulted from KUT’s Public Service Announcement.
Many came to the second year’s knit - in to make hats and handmade cards.
The Bee Cave Library sent the surplus hats to The Salaam Cultural Museum, January 2017. https://salaamculturalmuseum.wordpress.com/
The Friends of the Library met January 11, 2017, to sort and count hats.
Project completed January 13, 2017 • Final hat count (years combined): 897 • Final monetary donations: $117 • Final participant count (for both years): ~600
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