Knit One, Help Two

Duncan (Politics, History ’09)
Photo by Jack Looney

When Julia Duncan (Politics, History ’09) arrived at the University of Virginia in fall 2005, she knew she did not want to leave community service — or her knitting needles — behind. The following spring, she founded a chapter of Warm Up America! on campus, and the group has been meeting on Sunday evenings ever since, knitting and crocheting for those in need.

“It’s very rewarding to have a skill where you can produce something for yourself or that someone else can use,” says the Menlo Park, Calif., native. Wisconsin-based Warm Up America! was founded to bring together volunteers to make afghan blankets, clothing and accessories for those in need. The U.Va. chapter has about 40 members and includes needlework veterans and newbies who have been taught by the group. They create 7-inch-by-9-inch patches and assemble them into afghans, which they donate to Charlottesville’s Shelter for Help in Emergency, a provider of temporary housing and other services for victims of domestic abuse.

Their service has brought members close to the community in other ways as well, says Duncan. A story in the Charlottesville Daily Progress garnered yarn donations from a local store, financial help and additional volunteers. The U.Va. chapter also sponsored a talk about how artists have used knitting by Sabrina Gschwandtner, author of KnitKnit: Profiles and Projects from Knitting’s New Wave.

“There’s a whole knitting community,” says Duncan. “Giving back is how my parents raised me, and I think people have an easier time staying engaged when it’s social.”

Contact the Warm Up America!, U.Va. Chapter.