Calling All Knitters! Knit a Chow for Charity!

The other day, I received one of the best emails ever from Jeri Sayer in New Jersey.

"I have special needs kids, so spend lots of time with therapists," Jeri wrote. "Our youngest has speech issues. Her therapist had a great plastic mouth that everyone borrowed ... and one day, it turned up missing. Being a great knitting fan, I found CHOW on Ravelry ... knit it up and gave it to her. She was beyond thrilled, to say the least."

The therapist shared a photo of Chow on her Facebook group page, and suddenly, the idea for a charity fundraiser was born!

The Chow Hand Puppet

"Believe it or not ... my speech therapist says she has 100 people that want one," Jeri exclaimed, "which is amazing, as she also knows of a disabled kid who has a mom who knits in hopes of raising funds for a van to transport [her]. "

What started out as a thoughtful gift, has turned into a wonderful opportunity. The clients and staff of the Kireker Center for Child Development, part of the Valley Health Care System in New Jersey, have spearheaded a fundraiser, knitting and selling the Chow puppet in the hopes of raising enough funds to purchase the special-needs van.

This is where you come in! If you would like more information, or if you'd like to volunteer to knit a Chow to help raise funds for the special-needs van, please email Jeri at: Chowmouth2016@gmail.com. It would help her stay organized if you could put "Knitting Volunteer" in the subject line. If you would like to purchase a finished Chow, please email Jeri and put "Chow Purchase" in the subject line. Jeri is hoping to set up a Facebook page for knitters, so please let her know if you'd like to be added.

Click here for my Chow Pattern, available for free on the Knitty.com website.