happy New Year knitters and crocheters! As Christmas draws to a close I wanted to share the some of the thank you notes that that real mariners have sent along in honor of your work. These are only a few of the many notes we’ve received so far this year. Our upcoming Knit Before Christmas Newsletter will feature many more along with pictures and stories. Thanks from SCI for each and every stitch you’ve contributed to help CAS reach more than 16,000 mariners in 2009.

I just wanted to take the time to say thank you from the crew, we enjoyed the gifts, card and snacks that were sent to our boat. I will enclose a picture of the Christmas tree that the Cook & Deckcrew put together they had to be a little inventive. They used Popcorn, miniature candy bars, colored macaroni, candy canes and Aluminum foil star. Our package came out of Cincinnati area so would you pass on a heart felt thank you to the children that took the time to make the cards and to the volunteers that made up the scarves. I normally in the past when I could find out where the cards came from have taken the time to write back to the school & children to say thank you and that we (Dear River Person) really exist. As I said before Thanks Again God Bless…

Captain James W Evans II & Crew..

Message from the Wheelhouse

of the Mv Harllee Branch Jr

Please thank everyone for the Christmas care packages they were wonderful.The scarfs and things couldn’t have come at a better time.The weather has took a big turn to cold.Please pass on to the children that the cards sent everyone really enjoyed.them and are being kept as keepsake,.knowing someone takes the time to go to such work means a lot to us.Please Thank everyone involved in making Our time out here a little brighter. Peace and Love,God Bless All!

Mike Rouse and Crew Of The M/V Chip Lacy

P.S. I owe you a Dr.Pepper   Sincerely Mike

M/V CHIP LACY

Dear Seamen’s Church:

It is written that, “It is better to give than to receive.”  We of the Gale C thank you for your giving hearts and kind gifts. We appreciate all the time, talent, and energy that went into making Christmas on the river for us. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

May the Lord keep you always,

Crew of  the MV Gale C

I would love to give ALL the men, women, and children who worked so hard and long at making scarves, hats, cards, and gift boxes a BIG HUG and THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart!!! Without people like you, Christmas would not be the same out here on the river! I have been working on the river for 13 years and every year I get a gift from you, and it has always brought a HUGE SMILE to my face!

Thank you very, very, very much! God bless and Merry Chrismas to you ALL!!!

Kevin Roberts

Piolt of the M/V Craig E. Philip

The crew of the Aubrey B. Harwell Jr. would like to thank the Seamen’s Church Institute for all the gifts that we received from them on Christmas. The deck crew would especially like to thank them for the scarves because they really help to keep us warm when we have to work outside. The snacks were great along with the puzzles that help to pass the time when we are off watch. Our hearts also go out to all the kids that took the time to make the cards for us for the holidays. It was really nice to get Christmas cards while on the river for Christmas. Thanks again from the crew of the Aubrey B. Harwell Jr. for the time and the dedication of all the people who have made a difference in our lives, we do appreciate it.  Captain Mark D. Hanlin, Pilot Kevin Baker, Engineer David Honey, 1^st Mate James Byrd, 2^nd Mate Brian Sims, Sr. leadman Buddy Hess, Leadman Virgil Waddle, Deckhand Joseph Sokolowski, Cook Ed Calvert

SCI’s President & Executive Director, the Rev. David Rider, visited Christ Church, Ridgewood, NJ on Sunday, September 27 to lead the adult forum, preach and receive nearly 400 knitted scarves, caps and vests for this year’s Christmas at Sea outreach to seafarers.

At the adult forum, Fr. Rider discussed Church missionary societies in the 1830s, including SCI’s origins on the docks of lower Manhattan.  He quickly fast-forwarded to today’s ministry of ship visiting and a hospitality center in Port Newark, along with SCI’s justice and advocacy work via its Center for Seafarers’ Rights (CSR).  Parishioners had many questions about the current upsurge in piracy hijackings, and Fr. Rider explained CSR’s initiative to promote guidelines for the medical and mental health evaluation of merchant mariners and their families during and after piracy events.  “On its best days,” Fr. Rider said, “the Church does everything to promote human freedom and dignity.  When that cannot happen, the Church works tirelessly to minimize human suffering and promote reconciliation.”

After Fr. Rider preached at the 10:15 service Christ Church’s rector, the Rev. S. Elizabeth Searle, thanked volunteers for their labors of love.  She blessed the colorful knitted gifts that beautifully surrounded the church’s pulpit, also asking God’s protection on all who would wear them in the cold months ahead.  Fr. Rider expressed appreciation, too, and promised parishioners that the gifts would quickly find their way into Christmas boxes bound for Port Newark.

This year, some 40 Christ Church knitters have created 670 knitted objects, about half of which were sent to SCI over the summer.  The knitters gather regularly on Saturdays, including parishioners and neighbors of all ages.  All agreed that knitting creates a wonderful sense of internal community while serving those beyond themselves.  Recently, the group did the math and estimated that 670 gifts represent more than 5 million stitches.  Talk about a labor of love!

Each year, 4000 SCI volunteers around the country knit and pack gifts for more 17,000 mariners in Port Newark and the inland river system.  This year, SCI will include gifts at its new International Maritime Center in Oakland CA, too.  If your church or community service group would like to join Christmas at Sea, contact Jeanette DeVita at this blog.

Each year our handknit gifts are distributed by chaplains working in Port Newark NJ, Port of Houston, and all along our inland waterways. They are so lucky to hear and see the reactions of the mariners who receive these gifts…don’t you think so? I’ve asked Chaplain Marge Lindstrom to share some of her 2008 stories with us…so we can feel a little bit of what it’s like to be there with them and to know what our gifts really mean to those who receive them.

Last January I finally caught up with one of the Horizon ships, an American ship that traveled between Puerto Rico and U.S…. It was the first week in January, and we were catching up with ships that we had missed earlier.  At any rate, I brought two and a half boxes of CAS to the gangway, and one of the deck hands helped bring the boxes up.  The Chief Officer was waiting for me at the top of the gangway, greeted me and said, “Seamen’s Church!  It is always a pleasure to welcome you  on board.  Are those Christmas presents for us?”  I said yes, and apologized for not getting them on board before Christmas.  The C/O smiled broadly, and said, “Oh, that doesn’t matter.  It means so much to the crew just to be remembered at this time of the year.”  Then he reminisced, “ I remember my first voyage as a cadet.  It was Christmas time, and I was really homesick.  I was miserable.  And then one of your chaplains came on board and delivered Christmas presents.  My C/O gave one to me, and I was just so grateful—no one else had given us anything, and I felt, well, cared for.  So thank you once again.  We have a cadet on board now who is also on his first voyage and is very homesick.  He is going to get the first present out of the box.”

Lots of SCI staff members lend a hand to make sure gifts get made and distributed. Take a gander at Deborah Blanchard, an attorney for the Center of Seafarers Rights as she protects one seafarer’s right to be warm.

Staff attorney Deb Blanchard knitting her first seafarer's scarf

The fourth annual World Wide Knit in Public Day  took place on Sunday, June 15, 2008. This world wide knitting event was started in 2005 by knitter  Danielle Landes as a way for knitters to take pride in their knitting.

By knitting in public, either alone or with a group, at a park or in a coffee house, knitters will know that they are not alone because other knitters will be doing the same thing world-wide on the same day.

Danielle writes, "This is a way to help knitters feel good about their hobby, and maybe introduce more people to the craft."

Sit n Knit NYC organized New York’s WWKIP events.  Knitters met, sat and knit in Central Park, telling the world "I like to knit!" Christmas at Sea was chosen as one of the service projects for Sit ‘n’Knit New York City’s WWKIP celebration, with attendees bringing handknit hats for mariners to the event.  On behalf of the mariners who will receive these cozy and stylish hats this Christmas, Thanks Knitters!

Sit ‘n’ Knit New York City is a fantastic knitting group organized on Meetup. If you are a New York City knitter or crocheter and looking for some knit/crochet buddies, I can’t recommend this group enough. Organizer Ann Marie holds several events almost every week all around the city.   Participation in this group requires registration and RSVP for each event, so if you are interested in joining the group–please visit the website and register.

I was not able to attend the WWKIP festivities (it was my younger sister’s wedding day!) But I metup with the group on June 25 for "Sit and Knit to Music" in Madison Square Park.  I love this group and I hope to see you there sometime soon! Check out the pictures below–doesn’t it look fun?

A hearty thanks to Lion Brand Yarn for featuring Christmas at Sea in their newsletter and big Hello to anyone visiting through that link. We’re so happy you’re here!

What are you doing on your summer vacation?

My knitter friend Martha and I have been thinking about this l-o-n-g green season after Pentecost, and about how far away the mariners are from home… and how l-o-n-g they go without seeing loved ones. It can be a very lonely time.

While you’re here, check out the progress meters–we’re doing great, but we’re not there yet…so please, keep knitting!!!

This is one of Christmas at Sea’s most frequently asked question, and I appreciate why.

Let’s take a look at the math:

A hat uses 3 ounces of yarn, a skein weighs  3.5 ounces, leaving a balll of leftover yarn weighing .5 ounces. 

A scarf uses 5 ounces of wool, 2 skeins make up 7 ounces, which leaves 2 ounces of left over yarn.

A frugal knitter will want to use up those leftover bits of yarn, so what’s she to do?

STRIPES! Stripes are a great way to use up leftover balls of yarn, while adding a little design interest to your finished garment. Knitter Mary Evans Downs from South Dennis, Massachusetts, knits up the most charming vests, and incorporates all of her leftovers.

In years past, Christmas at Sea has asked that knitters use only one color in each garment.

Here is an example illustrating why this request has been made:

This scarf is knit neatly and evenly, but it is clearly made out of leftover scraps of yarn. As nicely as this item is knit, it will not be used. Our volunteers here will rip back and attempt to finish the scarf in all one color, or incorporating the beige and the red as stripes throughout the entire garment.

A little planninng can help you turn your leftover balls of yarn into attractive stripes and beautiful, dignified and personalized seafarer’s garments.

The snow is still covering the ground for St. Dunstan’s Parish in Madison, Wisconsin, but everything is coming up caps! These caps were Knit4Lent, collected and blessed on Easter Sunday. Isn’t this a great picture?

IMG_2355
Originally uploaded by Mary Hawkins

Wow!!!! The hats are pouring in! Today I’ve received more than 50 Knit4Lent packages and have gotten lots of messages that hats are on their way or will be sent later this week.

I have completed 8 hats, but I don’t plan to stop now. Knitting hats is a great way to take a break from a project that gets to be a little to tedious or complicated. And I always seem to take on projects that are too tedious and complicated! I’m hearing from other knitters and groups that they plan to continue knitting hats for Christmas at Sea throughout the year. On behalf of all the cold headed mariners we serve, THANK YOU!

These are hats knitted by a new Ravelry friend, Mary, a very talented and generous knitter. She knit a dozen hats for us and managed to use up a lot of stash yarn!

Another knitter is sending hats all the way from Germany. One knitter is using her handspun, and another incredibly prolific knitter only stopped after 22 hats!

Thanks to everyone who has participated, whether you knit 1 hat or 22!

Happy Easter!

Written for The Knit Before Christmas by Whipstick Knitter,  Catalina

The Whipstick Knitters are members of a larger Internet group called The Gunroom which is devoted to discussing the novels of Patrick O’Brian, the era in which they take place, and, as we say, "everything else."

The formation of our litttle group grew out of a lively discussion of knitting in the novels. Casting about for a name which would be both nautical and knitty, the whipstaff of a ship which is a vertical steering stick attached to the tiller a deck below was changed to Whipstick to make us sound handy with our needles. Our motto, "Which it will be ready when it is ready!" is borrowed from Jack Aubrey’s grumpy but devoted manservant, Killick, and is intended to put pressure on no one.

Columbus Day (in honor of another mariner) was chosen as the date to upend our seabags for muster and shake out our finished projects, mailing them to one member located in New York who then made the delivery accompanied by another (non-knitting) Gunroom member seen holding a copy of O’Brian’s HMS Surprise, the third novel in the series in the photo. We had decided on a goal of 21 knitted items, as there are 21 books in the Aubrey/Maturin canon, including an unfinished one. Having met our goal earlier this year, we did a further volley, as it were, or a second read-through with two to spare, submitting 44 items in all.

We currently number 13 Whipsticks from all different states and maintain an internet sub-list for our knitting activities which includes knitting for other charities and our own projects. Most of us have never met one another, only one knitter having actually come face to face with two others but on separate occasions and one of those with a sister in the group. In spite of that, and in the best tradition of Jack Aubrey’s delight in a pun, we are a close-knit group!

The log of our progress (and more photos!) may be more closely followed at the Whipstick Knitters’ Blog.

If you or your knitting group would like to write a guest entry, please do!