Welcome to WinterWarm
Welcome, everyone, to The WinterWarm Project blog. It has taken us some time, but we are very excited to finally take our site live.
This being our first year we are still feeling our way but whilst the site was being built, we were not idle. Many people have been knitting and so we already have a small cache of winter woollies for our first shipment due to leave in October this year. We’re looking forward to seeing this grow between now and the shipment date. For now though, I’d just like to introduce myself and give you a little background on how The WinterWarm Project came about.
My name is Di James and I’m the founder of The WinterWarm Project. I’m an Australian teacher who has worked overseas, mostly in developing countries, for many years. I am currently living and working in Sudan. Last May I decided to quit smoking after 40 years of puffing away merrily. This in itself I did not find so terribly difficult, but I had a huge problem with my hands. I had to keep them busy or I would inevitably fall back into the tobacco trap. So… I started knitting.
I have an adorable grandson and knew he would be great to knit for because he was only little and I still wasn’t sure that I would enjoy it. But I did. I was captivated by the range of yarns and colours available and my desire to create went into overdrive. I knitted solidly for the month I was home in Australia and I made sure that I had plenty of yarn to take back with me. Of course, one baby can only wear so many clothes and so I had to find another outlet.
The WinterWarm Project is, in part, the result of that.
I had worked in Kabul in 2006 and was enchanted by the people there. My students were wonderful people, warm and appreciative, almost all wanting to help rebuild their country after so many years of war. Their respect and appreciation for education really amazed me. I was one of the teachers of the foundation programme for the newly established American University of Afghanistan and most of the students were adults wanting to gain entry to the degree courses. Many had studied in Pakistan and had only recently returned to Kabul.
One of my evening students, Sayed Farhad Hashemi, worked for Save the Children – Sweden/Norway and his written work was always interesting as he often wrote about the projects he was involved in. On leaving Kabul, I remained in touch with him and it was his letter about winter (which you can read in full on our Winter In Afghanistan page) that touched me so. I had long been wanting to do something to help, and with my new found passion for knitting, suddenly it seemed like there was something I could do. In fact, something many people could do. And thus…
The WinterWarm Project was born, and today we are live!
I would like to encourage all knitters and crocheters to pick up their needles or hooks and join us in making our first shipment a really great one.
Should you have any questions, or suggestions to help - or even if you just wish to say hello - please don’t hesitate to contact us. We’d love to hear from you.
Once again, welcome and keep those needles clicking!
xx Di
Hi, I learned of your project through my online quilting group,(squilters) and while the olympics have been pn have knitted for you 4 sets of beanies and mittens, so far. Is there a collection point in NZ? I don’t mind send across to Melbourne if there isn’t.
Nancy