September 6th: An Invitation

I have been busy collecting my thoughts for an upcoming speech I've been asked to give. I've written corporate training manuals, some short stories, many blog entries, crochet patterns and such, but it's be awhile since I've written an actual speech.

Finding the right tone, thoughts, ideas and inspiration and then forming it into 3-5 minute timeframe has been an interesting project for me. Fortunately, I've been able to take little breaks to ponder what I want to convey in that speech -- and to keep my mind from drifting to other tasks, I've been taking those breaks by crocheting up more preemie hats for the "Caps to the Capital" campaign.  What better way to keep my focus, right?

I don't recall who said it, or where (perhaps at the recent KOC2 meeting?), but I've been told my little preemie hats reminded them of tulips.  Little blossoming tulips.  As I create each stitch, I can see the tulip taking its shape.  I think of the tiny newborn babies as tulip buds, awaiting for the opportunity to blossom.  And as I finish off a preemie hat, I think of flower beds filled with beautiful tulips. With thoughts like this how can I resist making another needed hat?  So I grab my yarn  and crochet hook and start another. Since Thursday of last week I have completed 40; I hope to have 50 by this Wednesday.

It is this Wednesday, September 6th, that I'll travel down to Westport, CT, with other members of The Happily Hooked on Crocheting Club, Connecticut Chapter of the Crochet Guild of America, to help host an evening program on Caps to the Capital, the new grassroots effort of Save the Children and the Warm Up America! Foundation. The event will focus attention on the 2 million newborns who die each year in the first 24 hours of life in the developing world, and will engage knitters and crocheters of Connecticut to take three steps to help more babies survive their first month of life: make a cap, write the President and unite for newborns. Members of my Crocheting Club will offer a free lesson on how to crochet a simple baby cap. Yarn and crochet hooks will be provided by the Craft Yarn Council of America.

Then, in January, Save the Children will take caps, along with notes, to Washington, D.C. to demonstrate that Americans want to do more to save the lives of newborns around the world. All the caps will then be delivered to newborns in countries where Save the Children works. Caps and notes from more than 20 states have already arrived at Save the Children’s headquarters in Westport, Conn. since the initiative was launched this past July. Some of the caps and notes will be on display at the event.


I need to get back to my speech writing; I hope some of you are able to attend this event!  And if not, then I hope you can to set aside at least one hour, the average time it takes to crochet a little preemie hat, and create your own little "tulip" to help save a life.  :)

10:59 Update:  It's already hitting the local news:
        * Save the Children Hosts Crochet Event