Sheila's Shawls and Paul's Scarves: The Program
My name is Renee. I am an Avid knitter and I love Charity. So I have become the National Coordiantor for Sheila's Shawls. The rest of this post will explain Sheila's Shawls and Paul's Scarves, as well as The Silent Witness Initiative which is our parent organization. I will share more about myself in other posts.
The Silent Witness National Initiative invites you to honor Sheila Wellstone and her tremendous work in reducing domestic violence in our country. She was tragically killed in a plane crash with Senator Paul Wellstone on October 25, 2002.
As of July 4, 2005 we have distributed over 475 shawls. This is an amazing project. It touches the hearts of so many people.
Renee Youngberg is the Sheila Shawl National Coordinator.
She will moderate the online group, write What's Up with Sheila's Shawls? for the Silent Witness newsletter, connect and respond with others by email, encourage new volunteers to join as State Coordinators and Volunteer Knitters, Also Renee will receive and distribute scarves, shawls and yarn, respond to inquiries and requests by phone, email and here at the group, offer support and assistance to State Coordinators and Volunteer Knitters.
Renee will be here to answer questions, make suggestions, and offer help and support.
Together, we support domestic peace.
We've a yahoo discussion group (see link below) to give us all a safe place where we can share together about all the different aspects involved in creating, collecting and distributing Sheila's Shawls and Paul's Scarves. (This is an email discussion group, and not a chat room.) I hope others will find this kind of forum helpful and meaningful.
Here's the link to the online discussion group:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SheilasShawls
We encourage you to knit (or sew or weave) scarves for the men who've lost sisters, mothers, or daughters to domestic violence. We are doing this in honor of Senator Paul Wellstone, who died tragically in a plane crash in October of 2002, along with his wife, Sheila, his daughter and staff members. (See Sheila Shawl story link on home page) Paul fought tirelessly to end domestic violence and we want to honor his memory in this way by extended his caring to men who have felt the pain of domestic violence.
We would like to call these scarves Paul's Scarves in honor of Paul although all of these patterns originated as a form of the Seaman's Scarf. We are indebted to those knitters on line who were willing to share these patterns freely. We have chosen two simple patterns that you can knit easily. But if you would like other lovely and perhaps more challenging designs, refer to the web sites below. Some of these scarves were designed or knit as a result of other tragedies so they will fit right in with the cause that we are pursuing.
As with the shawls, please knit comfort, healing, hope and love into the scarf so that the person receiving it will feel those feelings when he wears it. This intention in knitting affects the knitter and it certainly helps the recipient. Thank you for your interest and generosity in this project.
Remember Sheila by knitting a healing shawl for a mother or sister of a woman who was murdered in domestic violence.We welcome hand sewn shawls, woven shawls or embroidered shawls, whatever your tradition suggests. The idea is to send healing and good will into the cloth, yarn or threads so that the person feels it when they wear it. If you have patterns for other kinds of shawls we welcome them.
- Four skeins of Lion Brand Homespun yarn and size 11 or 13 needles OR
- 50 gm. Heather Mohair yarn, 5 skeins size 13 needles. (more yarn for larger shawls).
- Cotton yarn is fine too, for warmer climates.
- Gauge: 3-3 1/2 stitches to an inch.
- Minimum size 60" long by 24" wide without fringe.
If you need supplies you might want to visit one of the supporters of this program:
Creative Fibers, a knitting/weaving shop in Minneapolis.
Needlework Unlimited in Minneapolis
Pattern: We are grateful for any shawl that you choose to knit but we offer this simple pattern.
- Cast on 54, 57, or 60 stitches or some multiple of three. Knit three, purl three to the end of the row.
- Turn and knit the purl stitches and purl the knit stitches. A weave pattern will develop.
- Leave about one third skein for fringe. The fringe can be from three to nine inches, as you desire.
- Blocking is optional.
Method:
The purpose of knitting a healing shawl is to weave good thoughts, healing, hope and love into the piece so it will comfort and warm the recipient. Be reflective or offer a prayer for the recipient as you knit; make this a peaceful experience.
Triangle Shawl Variation
*The prayer shawl ministry and the first pattern on this page was started by Janet Bristow and Victoria Cole-Galo in 1998 in Hartford, CT. Rev. www.shawlministry.com
When you have completed the shawl please send it to a Shawls Coordinator. Please make sure to Include your name and city.
Conneticut Wendy Steele 10 Cross Road Waterford 06358 majycbear@yahoo.com
Delaware Tracy Hommel 38093 Old Stage Road Delmar 19940 freedomborn@msn.com
Georgia Stephanie Whitehead P O Box 3378 Macon 31205 Vipmacga@yahoo.com
Hawaii Moana Ramos 922A Hala Drive Honolulu 96817 keahola4you@aol.com
Idaho Myrna A.I. Stahman 2814 Tartan Place Boise 83702 shawlsand scarves@aol.com
Illinois Danielle Byron 547 N Joyce Lomabard 60148 daniellek2tog@yahoo.com
Kansas Claudia Duran 1309 Augusta St. Salina 67401 alleyways2001@yahoo.com
Kentucky Doris Sizemore 2122 Linden Road Newport 41071 dcrochetr@yahoo.com
Maryland Stacie Beard 514 Mauser Drive Bel Air 21015 ficerai@comcast.net
Minnesota Renee Youngberg 9820 Pierce St NE Minneapolis 55434 falkum@ties2.net
North Dakota Becky Dunker P O Box 407 Casselton 58012 besco94@yahoo.com
New York Trisha Ryan 21 East Main St Fillmore 14735 liharborchich@yahoo.com
Oklahoma Sherry Clark 1403 S E Hagar Lane Tulsa 74133 faces.sherry@gmail.com
Pennsylvania Tanis Rusin 2201 Manning St Philadelphia 19103 zebrastripes23@aol.com
Texas Rita Guthrie Tom Green rita.guthrie@co.tom-green.tx.us
Virgina Susan Rosebrough P O Box 477 Radford 24143 transportation@wrcnrv.com
Washington Leslie Sirag 7337 Greendale Court Olympia 98512 siragwatkins@yahoo.com
As you can see we need many more state coordinators and we could use your help. If you or someone you know would be willing to be a state coordinator please email me at falkum@ties2.net. Help us end domestic violence and comfort those touch by it.
If you are able to send $10 for packaging and shipping of your shawl, we would appreciate it so much. Write the check to Silent Witness. Thanks again for your generosity in this healing project.
Be sure to send your name, address, and telephone number along with the shawl. We like to keep track and we love to send out our special thank you notes.
posted by Sheila's shawls at 2:47 PM
2 Comments:
My name is Sheila. My husband died two years ago and I have a hand knitted shawl that he particuarly admired because he watched me make it. He liked to put it around his shoulders and when I told him that he couldn't do that because it was for girls he pretended it was a "prayer shawl". OK. I let him get by with that. The story of the shawl took a turn when it got a nick name of the shaw, instead of shawl, because of a remark that my sister-in-law made about the "shaw". The story becomes expanded and interesting after my husband died an unexpected death. The comfort that I have received from running into the word "shaw" or "shawl" on a daily basis is why I did a search for Sheila's Shawls, just out of curiosity,and found the website. Now I have several shawls that my friends have gathered for me to donate to your organization. I am preparing a package to send. Will do it soon.
I'd like to offer to help with this work in my home state of Vermont. How do I sign up as a Shawls Coordinator? Thanks, Susan
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