Here’s a shawl for those who appreciate the best of both worlds: knit the shawl body, then crochet the edging! Just in time to sit outside in the garden while you work, sipping tea and nibbling on a cookie or two. By the time you are done with the shawl, those tea roses may just be in bloom!

A year ago I was a solitary knitter and crocheter. Working obsessively, but just how many gifts can you give to friends and relatives? It was reaching the point where I considered stopping strangers in the street to give away my creations, when I saw a sign in a nearby library: “Yarn Donations Needed for CARE TO KNIT.” And there was a cardboard box filled with yarn. Hmmm… a group of knitters who knit for charity? Maybe I wouldn’t have to accost those strangers after all; someone had already found needy strangers for me!

Yes, it was all true, and even better, I made so many new friends! They all love to knit and/or crochet, just like me, and they were the nicest bunch of women I’ve ever met! (How could they not be, making all those items for charity?). We meet twice a month; they make these amazingly beautiful items then give them away, knowing they will go to someone who really needs them.

So at last I have found a bottomless pit into which I can pour my creations, made from the never-ending stash of yarn I have amassed throughout my life. This shawl will go to the May 20, 2012 Hewlett House Craft Fair, along with my green shawl model from “First Love,” and my cream shawl model from “Big Love.” Proceeds to benefit The Long Island Breast Cancer Action Coalition.

So if you are a solitary knitter or crocheter, come out of the closet and join us Charity Knitters! Trust me, YOU will be the one who benefits the most!