ForeFront Stitchers of the University of Chicago

Baby Sweater Project with UC Alumna Knitters

2012-01-05T20:53:00.004-06:00

A group of UC alumna knitters, organized by Kathleen Abbott, decided to help us by knitting baby sweaters. These sweaters will be donated to the Teen Mom clinic in CLI where they will be much loved. The WCKG and the FFS also made sweaters.

A Special Gift

2011-12-06T12:21:00.003-06:00

One of our colleague's at the Medical Center is undergoing treatment for cancer. Many of our members made squares and CM sewed them all together in this beautiful healing blanket.

Washcloth Project in Africa

2011-10-11T13:10:00.008-05:00

Dr. Sethi of the UCMC Dermatology Section took a group of residents and medical students to Malawi to learn and work with patients at a field hospital. They work with patients who have albinism, a skin condition that requires special care. We sent care packages with them, with our hand made wash cloths, soap and other sundries. Below are some photos.

Collaborative Stitchers- the ACGME

2011-08-12T05:58:00.009-05:00

Jane Shapiro used to work at UCMC and was a Forefront Stitcher founding member. When she began her new job at the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, she formed a stitching group there. They have generously contributed many lovely items to the FFS, for which we are grateful.

Collaborative Stitchers- the AMA

2011-08-12T05:52:00.006-05:00

The American Medical Association Stitchers is a group lead by Fran Griffett-they get together to stitch for themselves and for charity and they overwhelmed us with their amazing output for the Washcloth Project. We are ever so grateful...

Hyde Park Quilters join us

2011-05-25T14:25:00.006-05:00

A group led by Katharine Lion, of the Department of Surgery at the Medical Center has formed as the Hyde Park Quilters. They are making baby blankets that will be distributed to the Teen Mother clinic. We are thrilled to have them join us in helping bring joy and warmth to our patients' lives.

THE WASHCLOTH PROJECT OF 2011

2011-04-27T08:33:00.004-05:00

We decided to knit and crochet washcloths, bath mitts and scrubbies. These will be packaged with donations of soap and toothpaste and toothbrushes from the Medical Center. They will be given as gifts to people in shelters where the Medical Center employees will do work on the Day of Service. Many of these shelters were recipients of the scarves in 2011. They will also be sent with Medical Center volunteers on Global Health missions, including to the Dominican Republic where cleft palate repairs are done and to a group going to Malawi to assist people with skin conditions from tropical diseases.. This has been fun and a creative way to try new stitches and patterns. This group is amazing in their generosity of time and spirit.

Corps Crafters Collaborate

2010-12-28T11:26:00.004-06:00

One of the great joys of this project is meeting other charity minded stitchers. Our newest collaborators are the Corps Crafters, members of the Chicago District, US Army Corps of Engineers - they knit and crochet, sometimes while deployed in Iraq... We are so happy they have connected to us....

Collaborating with UC Students

2010-12-03T12:23:00.009-06:00

The Forefront Stitchers took the challenge and knit scarves as part of a competition sponsored by University of Chicago Council on University Programming - students who have organized a winter festival. - scarves for people who use shelter services. We won with 93 scarves and Wallace House was a close second with 89. Total was over 300. FFS distributed them to shelters and fammilies in need on the South Side of Chicago. This was lots of fun - knitting and crochetting and competition - with service - a dynamic event
Details at http://coup.uchicago.edu/

Collaborators - One Brick.org

2010-09-17T14:15:00.007-05:00

One Brick brings volunteers together to support other non-profit organizations by adopting an innovative twist to the volunteer experience: we create a friendly and social atmosphere around volunteering. One of the FFS works with OneBrick and they are making blankets and have donated many to us. The first batch of blankets is going to the Pediatrics Department to the international adoption clinic. They blankets will be going with parents when they pick up their children. Four of them will be going to a newly created family with four girls from Russia who are HIV positive. We are so thankful to them for helping us.

Collaborative Stitchers - North Side College Prep

2010-06-01T08:22:00.006-05:00

Knitting students at North Side College Preparatory High School in Chicago, lead by science teacher Lisa Volesky, decided to knit hats for our patients. Jane met with student Krystn and Lisa to pick up the hats and give them thank you gifts from the Medical Center. They produced 40 hats and will continue to work with us next school year. It is so gratifying to meet high school students who knit and who have a service knitting initiative. We are proud to have them join us.

Collaborative Stitchers - Unity Temple Peace Group

2010-01-25T16:47:00.004-06:00

Jane and Kathy occasionally knit with the Unity Temple Group, which knits and crochets together the 2 and 4 Saturday afternoons at Gale House next to Unity Temple in Oak Park. Members of that group are making things for the FFS - baby blankets and prayer shawls. We are happy to have another group working on items with us.

Winter 09-10 projects -to be auctioned for Haiti relief

2010-01-19T15:42:00.008-06:00

We raised $200 when these were raffled at the 19th Century Club Benevolence Auction - that will be matched by the Medical Center, so we will be raising $400 for Haiti relief.

The Gorp - for the Chicago Children's Advocacy Center

2009-10-11T09:06:00.004-05:00

The Gorp is the primary character in a series of books written by Sherri Chessen. She wrote the books to help young children deal with difficult issues, such as gun safety, sexual abuse, and bullying. See the Gorp’s website at www.thegorp.com

Two FFS have been making things for the Advocacy Center and the staff there asked us if we could knit and crochet this character. We contacted the author and she gladly supported the project.

A KFO knitter designed and created a pattern to send a toy Gorp to the Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center because they use the Gorp books to help children in their care who have suffered from sexual abuse with their recovery process. Jane made some crochetted Gorps.

Collaborative Stitchers - the Sanborn School

2009-10-11T08:52:00.004-05:00

Blessed with an amazing teacher, Patti V., a class at the Sanborn School in Palatine, Illinois decided to learn to knit and to make things for our patients. They spent last year learning to knit on the easy looms and the project became a huge and inspirational community project. A local yarn store donated yarn and friends donated things they had knit and crochetted. We received two huge boxes of things and another went to the Mattaponi Tribe, in impoverished Native American Tribe in Virginia that members of the FFS have sent things to. We are so proud of these students and so lucky that they chose to work with us

Collaborative Projects - with Knitters for Obama

2009-10-07T15:46:00.003-05:00

Members of the Forefront Stitchers sponsored a service project to the Knitters for Obama - we have been making stuffed toys and dolls for the Children's Advocacy Center in Chicago, a center that provides medical, mental health, police, law enforcement, social work and all services to children who have been abused, primarily victims of sexual molestation. This Center was suggested by Dr. Jill Glick and Jane McAtee has lead it. During the first six months, 65 toys were taken to the Center, arriving from all over the USA and more will be made. Kathy Valek and Jane have made many of the items.

Our Friends - the Windy City Knitting Guild

2009-09-15T15:11:00.004-05:00

The Windy City Knitting Guild asked if they could assist our efforts. I sent them the Knit Knockers pattern and they adopted it as part of their annual charity knitting projects. They were happy to dedicate time and effort to breast cancer patients since the disease has touched many of their friends, families etc. On September 15, Jane attended their meeting to accept their donation of over 20 Knockers. This is another example of the generosity of time and spirit of stitchers everywhere. Their web site is http://www.windycityknittingguild.com/.

Sewn Lap Quilts

2009-01-21T22:19:00.005-06:00

One of our group has made machine sewn lap blankets. This is an option for those who can't knit or crochet, whose hands are sore and tired or who would like to try something new. It is a great way to use up that stash of fabric. Our patients, especially the men, love these blankets.

Our Inspiration

2009-01-21T21:34:00.003-06:00

Jane's friend, Brenda Christmas, was the inspiration for formation of this group. Although Brenda didn't knit or crochet, she could sew just about anything and was an amazing crafter. Brenda was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2006 and Jane made a couple hats for her. She loved them and suggested that all patients should have such lovely hats. That inspired the formation of this group. Many hats were made while accommpanying Brenda for her treatments. Brenda died from her cancer in June, 2008. Her generosity and love has continued to inspire this group.

Our Pritzker Forefront Stitchers

2009-01-21T21:25:00.001-06:00

A group of students at the University of Chicago Pritzker Medical School has organized to join us. They are registering as an official student group with Jane as their faculty adviser. They will make things with us. They will be an important part of our distribution - taking things to patients. Not only is this good for patients, but it is good for young medical students to have direct interactions with hospitalized patients.

FAQ- Do We Teach?

2009-01-21T21:22:00.003-06:00

Many people want to help us but don't know how to knit or crochet. We are asked if we can give lessons. Since we all have full time jobs, that isn't possible. We refer people to the various knitting stores in and around Chicago where lessons are given. Many people can teach themselves from YouTube or on line lessons. Baby blankets and rectangular shawls can be made with a basic knowledge. Caps and more complicated patterns require an ability to read patterns and facility with various stitches. Mastectomy prosthesis require ability to work with small double pointed needles (if you can do socks, you can do these) Once you have an appropriate skill level, we are happy to help you. And occasionally we will do workshops outside of work to teach a particular pattern or skill

Loopy Yarns on Polk Street in Dearborn Stationis is a fvaorite of Jane's, they have lots of classes, wonderful yarns and host a lot of open knitting events.

Knitwerks 1934 S Wabash Ave
Chicago, IL 60616
Phone: (312) 949-9276
URL: http://www.knitwerks.net is closer to Hyde Park - Jane hasn't been there yet but has heard wonderful things about it.

Mastectomy Prosthesis

2009-01-21T21:06:00.003-06:00

These are known as tit bits or knit knockers. The knitting pattern can be found here http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall05/PATTbits.html

A collaborative in Maine has a lot of information about this project
http://theknittingexperience.com/knitted_knockers_program/

This is a new project for the FFS in January, 2009 and we are working with the breast surgery team to decide the best way to get these to patients, so stay tuned.

The picture here is the first one made by Jane. It is very soft, breathable and the size can be adjusted by adding or subtracting the soft stuffing.

Meetings

2009-01-21T20:55:00.001-06:00

The FFStitchers meet once a month at noon on the second Friday of the month in A 114 of the Medical Center. This meeting is open only to members of the University of Chicago community.

The FFStitchers meet occasionally after work for workshops and social events. Details of such events will be sent to our listserv. To get on the listserv, send your email and a request to jane.mcatee@uchospitals.edu

About the University of Chicago Medical Center

2009-01-21T20:48:00.000-06:00

The University of Chicago Medical Center, established in 1927, is one of the nation's leading academic medical institutions. It consists of the renowned Pritzker School of Medicine; Bernard Mitchell Hospital, the primary adult patient care facility; Comer Children's Hospital, devoted to the medical needs of children; Chicago Lying-in Hospital, a maternity and women's hospital; and the Duchossois Center for Advanced Medicine, a state-of-the-art ambulatory-care facility with the full spectrum of preventive, diagnostic, and treatment functions. Care is provided by more than 700 attending physicians - most of whom are full-time University faculty members - 620 residents and fellows, more than 1,000 nurses and 9,500 employees.
The Medical Center is consistently recognized as a leading provider of complex medical care. It is the only Illinois hospital ever to make the U.S.News & World Report Honor Roll, with eight clinical specialties--digestive disorders; cancer; endocrinology; neurology and neurosurgery; heart and heart surgery; kidney disease; geriatrics; and ear, nose and throat--ranked among the top 30 programs nationwide. The Medical Center was awarded Magnet status in 2007, the highest level of recognition for nursing care.

Patterns and Ideas - general sources

2009-01-21T20:45:00.001-06:00

There are many free pattern sites on line.

Join Ravelry - they have lots of patterns that are free. And it's a great place to find people with interests similar to yours, who happen to knit or crochet. It also has great tips for things - like how to remove smells from old yarn..

http://www.ravelry.com/

Other great free pattern sites:
http://www.knittingpatterncentral.com/directory.php
http://www.crochetpatterncentral.com/directory.php - this site has a great collection of crochet patterns. Under their “flower” section, they have many flower patterns which are easy to make and look wonderful on hats. You can also embellish hats with buttons or beads.
(http://www.crochetme.com) on line crochet magazine - good patterns
http://www.chemocaps.com/ has lots of KNIT patterns, but not a lot of photos.
http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/cancercaps.html knit and crochet – cute bear cap for kids…
http://patbythehook.blogdrive.com/ lots of hats – all crochet
http://www.stitchdiva.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=SDS-019

All knitting – good links http://mathomhouse.typepad.com/photos/chemo_caps/pink_ribbon_bbcdotcodotuk.html

Patterns and Ideas - Caps

2009-01-21T20:41:00.007-06:00

Chemo Caps - There are many patterns, both knit and crochet. The patterns are not really very different from any other hat you might make, except that they aren’t heavy and they are made of soft yarns. The patterns can be somewhat lacey and open, but not too open since women don’t want their scalps to show through when they have no hair. Wools or other animal product yarns must be labeled since some people have allergies to those. If you use wool, please only very soft materials such as merino. The newly bald head is very sensitive and chemotherapy agents can make the scalp break out.

The site www.headhuggers.org has a lot of patterns. Once you have made a few caps, it is easy to freelance and design and embellish on your own.

Making caps is a great way to use up your stash since it takes about 50 grm to make a cap.

Patterns and Ideas - Shawls

2009-01-21T20:41:00.006-06:00

For prayer/healing shawls, these can be designed by you. They can be triangular, rectangle, circular. Can be a shawl or a lap blanket. There are many web sites with directions, the best I’ve found is http://www.shawlministry.com.

For men, make a small afghan type blanket that would cover their lap and legs when sitting. Men also like shawls if they are rectangular and in manly colors.

The Lion Brand web site also has two simple shawl patterns, made in homespun. http://www.lionbrand.com/prayerShawlCards.
And the free pattern central sites both have shawl lists with lots of patterns…

Stitchers in the News

2009-01-21T19:00:00.003-06:00

We will be attaching links to news articles about our group once I figure out if it is possible to attach documents to a blog. In the meantime, here are links to some of the articles and videos

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-chicago-servicejan20,0,6069812.story

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-01-14-service_N.htm

http://www.uchospitals.edu/news/2008/20080118-knitting.html

http://www.uchicago.edu/features/20080407_community.shtml

http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2009/01/volunteers-honor-martin-luther-kings-memory.html

http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/Day-Off-is-Day-of-Service.html

http://www.myfoxchicago.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=6327256&version=3&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=3.5.1

http://www.mysuburbanlife.com/bartlett/archive/x101649925/Bartlett-woman-knits-caps-for-patients-comfort

http://www.pioneerlocal.com/riverforest/lifestyles/895561,Op-knitting-032608-p1.fullimage

patterns and ideas- baby blankets

2009-01-21T18:54:00.003-06:00

NICU blankets - they have asked specially for boy colors since people donate a lot of girly things - although any color is welcome. And they do not need to be pastel - many people love bold and brilliant colors. These can be small 24 inches by 24 inches and are used for warmth as well as for snugglies. Bigger is OK too. They must be soft and machine washable. They will be laundered at a moderately high temperature so as to follow infection control guidelines.

Several people have made gorgeous blankets from flannel with a crocheted edge around it. Those are lovely.

Our parents love that a UCMC employee or friend has made something for their baby. All of our blankets are tagged with the FFS tag.

Join Ravelry - they have lots of great free patterns.

See Our Projects

2009-01-21T18:51:00.001-06:00

We maintain a scrapbook at http://picasaweb.google.com/jane.mcatee/FFStitchers

and the Day of Service project is at
http://picasaweb.google.com/jane.mcatee/KnittersForObamaInHonorOfToot

Our Fellow Stitchers/Collaborators Knitters for Obama

2009-01-21T18:45:00.003-06:00

The Knitters for Obama, found on Ravelry (www.ravelry.com) has joined with us in Service. They donated 200+ caps to us for the Obama Inaugural Day of Service to honor Martin Luther King, Jr.

About Knitters for Obama
A group of 4,000 knitters and crocheters from around the world, Knitters for Obama produce knit hats and other apparel for cancer patients and premature babies and have donated them to hospitals across the country. They have also made more than 1,200 items for veterans in homeless shelters and other veterans' groups.

After the election, Knitters for Obama has stayed together to continue knitting for charitable causes. Their motto, "Wielding Our Pointy Sticks for Change." Many of the FFS have joined the Knitters for Obama and are making things for their designated Service projects too.

See a scrapbook of this project at http://picasaweb.google.com/jane.mcatee/KnittersForObamaInHonorOfToot

Who We Thank

2009-01-21T18:43:00.001-06:00

We have received many donations of yarns from individuals and estates, to whom we give grateful thanks.

We have received monetary support from the American Cancer Society, the University of Chicago Cancer Research Center, the University of Chicago Department of Pediatrics and the Chicago Lying In Board of the University of Chicago. We have also received money donations from individuals.

Premier Laundry in Chicago has donated laundry services so that our baby items meet appropriate standards in the nursery.

We are thankful for all of the support since we couldn't do this without it.

Our stitchers have also donated generously by buying yarn for projects.

What We Need

2009-01-21T18:42:00.001-06:00

We need stitchers who are willing to donate as much or as little time available to help us make things for our patients.

We accept donations of yarn

What we Do

2009-01-21T18:40:00.003-06:00

We knit, crochet and stitch items for patients at the University of Chicago Medical Center. We make caps for cancer patients of all ages and for other patients who have had hair loss due to a medical condition. We make prayer/healing shawls and lap blankets for cancer patients and for women admitted to the hospital with a difficult pregnancy. We make blankets and caps for babies in the intensive care nursery of the hospitals. In 2009, we began makings Knit Knockers for women who have had mastectomy surgery.

Who We Are

2009-01-21T18:37:00.008-06:00

We are a group of University of Chicago Medical Center and University of Chicago employees, faculty, medical students and friends and family donating time, materials and talent to make items for our patients.

Contact the Leader at jane.mcatee@uchospitals.edu
or jane.mcatee@gmail.com

And join our efforts......