Bear Hugs Launches for 2012!

Yesterday the first chill of fall arrived on the East Coast.  The heater has been turned on, even if just to take the edge off the chill in the house.  As we pull out our warm sweaters and scarves, we have visions of sipping hot chocolate by the fire. Knitters and crocheters start pulling out all the cold weather patterns they own, looking for projects to start.

So many people, though, have no place warm to stay, and cold weather simply signals another hardship they must endure.  They may not even have clothing warm enough to protect them against the extreme weather that’s right around the corner.

That’s where Bear Hugs comes in.  During the months of October and November, hand crafters of all ages are called upon to put their skills to work, knitting and crocheting warm cozy scarves – hats, too – to be donated to Lehigh Valley area agencies.  These organizations such as New Bethany Ministries and Family Connections distribute the scarves and hats to kids at the bus stop, clients who come in for a warm meal and anyone else who needs them.  Every year MadameStitch gives an average of 100-130 scarves to these worthy organizations.

I’ve set the bar high for this year – 500 scarves!  I want to be so deluged with donations I have to work to find places for them to go.  Check out MadameStitch for the story behind Bear Hugs and patterns that take the guesswork out of your project.  So get out your hooks, needles and yarn and get started.  I’ll keep you updated with a count throughout the fall!