Well ladies - I am really pleased with the results of our efforts today - everything we took along for the homeless - beanies, scarves ,gloves etc went to help someone stay warm this winter! For those that didn't go it was terrific day - the homeless people just kept coming and coming - there are a reported 10,000 in the Brisbane CBD alone!
The were hairdressers giving free haircuts or head shaves, there were places for free showers, then there were free clothes and shoes, and groceries, there were two ladies giving massages, There was aroma therapy, there was a podiatrist, there was a whole room at the town hall devoted to help and counselling, both spiritual and otherwise, there were hundreds of wonderful volunteers who went and found homeless people and brought them to the Town Hall and helped them find clothing shoes etc to fit. Yvette, Karen, myself, Susan and her Mum Wendy, Dianne, Cassie, Kylie, Margaret, Daphne, Bunty. The City Council provided hot food for both the homeless people and for the all volunteers - including us - and coffee, tea, juice, and food available all day. Every one of the people who came to our table for goodies was cheerful, polite, and not at all greedy. One chap came and picked out some gifts for his 12 year old grand daughter, a poncho and some lovely pink hats and scarves. He was thrilled to be able to have a gift for her. We had some very kind comments from the organisers and volunteers and the people we aim to help - it was a very tired and happy bunch of KFBN - ers that went home today! Thanks to all the lovely people who knitted/crocheted all the over 300 items that went to a homeless person today. Without you all this day would not have happened for me, and, I think I needed that jolt, it reminded me that my own situation could be worse!!!
Our group followed on with a meet up for the International Knit in Public Day, Saturday 10th, which we held at Yvette's in Scarborough, we had actually arranged to hold it at the park across the road from her home, but the weather changed our minds. The day turned out to be freezing (well by Queensland standards anyway). It was a day of lots of laughter, friendship, and a little knitting or crochet was accomplished. One of the newer ladies to the group actually managed to help me understand a crochet pattern for a beanie. Needless to say I haven't stopped making them since, so simple (when you know how) and fast."A BIG thank you to everyone that came to our house today!!! What a wonderful funny, caring, totally MENTAL, absolutely lovable, group of nutcases!!!!I will try to find the pattern for the utterly unmentionable item of male attire, that got mentioned a lot today!!Thank you to Carmon for bringing Yvonne and Sheila with you and for giving Ruth a lift home to Taringa. Thank you to everyone for taking all that wool, patterns and needles, with you - such a relief to get it out of my house at last!!!!! Lovely to meet Ruth from Taringa, and Carmon , and Bernadette, and Dianne from Ferny Grove, all new members - who were not put off one bit by your antics. We discussed the world, the homeless, the government, good looking men, jokes, high cholesterol levels, how to get lost in a car (heheh), wonkywheels on wheelchairs, Homeless connect, the government (all Ba*****dS), lack of public housing, the government (@#!$*&) oh yes, knitting, knitting patterns, crochet, crochet patterns, wool, needles, shared patterns, and buttons, oohed and aahed over knitting patterns and finished items, we ate cake and Tim tams and mint slice bikkies, and victoria sponge, and choc fudge cake and ginger cake, and gluten free scones with jam and cream (not gluten free, LOL!), we drank tea and coffee, oh and yes, we did get some knitting done - quite a lot in fact - and we LAUGHED!!! And screamed, and laughed some more!! And laughed till we cried! Eric my DH was wonderful - he made the tea and the coffee, he washed up and put the cups and plates out again,. And then washed up some more. He picked people up from the station and their homes, and dropped some off again. While we were all inside being totally mental, he did the washing and hung it out! The wind blew and blew and the sea looked like a boiling cauldron but we were warm and cosy inside - and our hearts were warm too - what a wonderful day! We MUST do it again!!!!!!!!!" Yvette's comments on our IKIP day.
