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Yes..., the Harlem Knitting Circle, which meets in the auditorium of the George Bruce Branch Library-518 West 125th St. (btw Amsterdam Ave. & Broadway) will be open this Saturday, July 1st from 11am until 2pm. Please bring your yarn, needles, a food donation, and some good conversation with you! Njoya
The Harlem Knitting Circle has gone international! On Sunday, June 4th I was interviewed by the BBC-World News (British Broadcast Communication)!
Ms. Esther Armah, the BBC journalist, visited HKC a few times. Her show that we were on was centered around groups that are active around social issues. 
She'd read about HKC and seen us on NY1 and POW!-ZAM!..., she wanted us on her show! It was exciting! First she came to the group and interviewed HKC's members..., adults and youth. I was then invited to be on their actual radio show the following Sunday!
I must say I was nervous, but I enjoyed the question and answer piece. 
Njoya
Did I tell you that we're quilting at the Harlem Knitting Circle? 
We are! We've been quilting since the month of February'06. This other fabric art is being taught 
by our certified quilting instructor Ms. Dawn Nellis! Some of our students are beginners, but we do have a few
who have already been acquainted with this art. In some of the pictures we see the ladies learning to pin and cut using templates. Here we have the ladies quilting in full mode!
Ms. Nellis is not just teaching how to create patterns and sew them together, 
but she's also enhancing this class by teaching the "who, what, where, how, and why" quilting is so important in African American History! For those of you interested in our next cycle start 
collecting your cotton materials and get ready to join in! A BBC journalist interviewed our quilters on their work! 
God keeps me grounded! I get too cocky and BAM! WHAM! ZAP!..., I'm hit with something that puts both my feet right back on the ground. E-a-s-y is not in my vocabulary in this life of mine. Nope..., but I guess it'll keep me on the straight and narrow. So..., here's what happened and is happening... You all know HKC did this big charity knit LAST YEAR for the children who survived Hurricane Katrina. We were going to give the knitted/crocheted blankets, sweaters, hats, and scarves to the displaced survivors that were coming to NYC. That was my plan. Seemed like a "no brainer!" Ha! NEVER HAPPENED!!! You would not believe the crap I went through trying to get the items to the children/families! This state has mistreated the survivors so badly and continues to do so! The things that I'm learning as I talk to other organizations and go to meetings is so disheartening! I'm embarrassed as a citizen of NYC and I'm disgusted as a human being at how the Hurricane Katrina Survivors are being mistreated by their own government! I contacted so many offices, organizations-governmental and grassroots, and yes..., even Oprah, and it was all met with a pat on my head, or a resounding "can't help ya". You all know that NY1 heard about our plight and put HKC's struggle on TV during the month of Feb'06 and then ran the story on Time Warner Cable for the month of March'06. So, it's now the end of May'06 and the items have been tucked away and neatly packed for these long months waiting to be held by the children they were made for! I faithfully check on them every Saturday like they're my children at rest, but my hair is frazzled over this unforeseen dilemma, my group is frustrated, and I can't ask them to do another charity knit/crochet until this one is completed! Well, our story got out and other organizations across the US started emailing me and I met others online. 3 weeks ago two other organizations that are on their way to New Orleans this summer offered to take the blankets! I was thankful, but honestly, I wanted the items to go from HKC right into the arms they were made for, but I figured-"hey..., this might not be how I envisioned it, but this is better then the items not being utilized at all". So I was confirming with an organization in Tennessee that's going to work in New Orleans this summer and BAM!-God drops the "Common Ground Women's Center & Common Ground Medical Center" right in my lap! This is great! A center, made for the people, by the people, (which is an ethic I was raised on!), that is in the heart of Algiers, New Orleans! I knew instantly that this is where our blankets were meant to go! I also heard a voice in my head say clearly "Not in your time, but in God's time and in God's way. It will happen the way it's supposed to happen". And yes, a bazillion people told me that over the past months, but "Jeez Louise!" this was a test!!! I'm calling everyone after confirming with the sites in New Orleans, I'm happy and skipping down the street! And yes..., the ego has kicked in! So..., I go this past Wednesday to start packing off blankets after having spoken with several people in New Orleans..., and BAM!!! I'm zapped right between the eyes! God's got a good aim! After six months of being cared for and tended to, and taken care of so carefully, a damned cat got into the library and it stunk to high heaven and the blankets stank with it! I sat down and just had to laugh. I didn't feel discouraged, but rather saw it as God tempering me. I do get a bit ahead of myself and this just straightens me out! The whole episode taught me about being flexible and knowing I'm just a tool that is being utilized by God. Yeah..., I get the "I did it, I'm bad!", but God sticks that foot out or zaps me a good one and after getting up off the floor and brushing off my knees I let go of that old ego and humbly thank God for staying with me through this trial! So I took a deep breath, (Lord it stank down there!), and I lugged 5 big bags of blankets home, lugged them up 5 flights of stairs, and began washing them. So it's now 6:33 a.m, I'm sitting here, my house is smelling like Downy Fabric Softener, and it looks like a cleaners exploded in my living-room and kitchen with blankets folded and air-drying all over! And I AM HAPPY! Okay..., a sane person would have chucked all of this and went and had a martini somewhere, but hey..., I've always been a bit "other worldly", so I leave you here to put in another batch of blankets, pack up the dry ones to go to New Orleans today, and get a few winks before going to HKC today! See ya! Njoya
It's 4:30am and I'm on this computer again! I'm exhausted and have been having the oddest sleeping patterns as of late! I can't seem to make it to bed. I fall out in front of the tv. Regular school hours, after-school hours, and HKC on the weekends has got me one step closer to a rubber room. Today my class went on a trip. Why do teachers think that being out of the school is less work? 60 second graders running around yelling their mantra- "can I go to the bathroom-can I get water-he's hitting me-she's throwing up-I want to eat-when are we going-he's throwing water..., yada, yada, yada!" My head is going to bust! I inadvertantly started a girls program...., yeah, how do you "inadvertantly start a program"..., right? There was chaos. I hate seeing my children in the middle of adult chaos, so I try to bring structure to my children and bam!..., I've "inadvertantly" started a program within another program! And it's successful! And I've got adults and parents clamoring to be in it. And that's great, because the need is obviously there, but it's eating up my time, my strength, and I'm TIRED! Well, the school program is ending next week, but the program I've created in a program is being requested to stand on it's own. I'm torn. I enjoy it. I just need a few more hours in a day. Well, I'll think on it this weekend and get back to ya!
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