Bee Cave Public Library is again participating in “#25000 Tuques,” the global charity project to collect hand-knitted hats to send with warm wishes to Syrian refugees arriving in Canada this winter.

 

 

 The project began last year when local knitting groups in Canada wanted to provide a warm welcome to the first wave of people arriving on their shores “because in Quebec, the only true enemy is the cold,”  according to the #25000 Tuques website. When Bee Cave Public Services Manager Cate Sweeney learned of the project, she turned to the library’s Knitting Club and soon had the wider community involved. 

 

The library collected a total of 500 hats from library patrons, knitting club members, area churches, and local teens, and shipped them to Newfoundland, Canada where they were distributed to the refugee families relocating to North America.  Sweeney was interviewed on Canadian radio to tell her story of how knitters in Bee Cave, Texas got involved, and the story was published by CBC News.  Newfoundland organizers forwarded photographs of the refugees receiving the hats from Bee Cave, which brought warm feelings full circle back to Texas.

 

With winter upon us again, Sweeney reached out to her contact at the Association for New Canadians and learned that hundreds of hats were still needed in Newfoundland and other communities for refugees continuing to adapt to life in the north.  The Bee Cave library is again mobilizing local knitters to get involved to “send some Texas warmth” to our friends in Canada.  There are several ways to get involved.  The library is collecting hand-knitted hats from November 1^st through December 30^th, and welcomes contributions of heavy, wool-blend yarn, or cash to defray shipping costs.

 

On Thursday, December 1^st from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m., there will be a “Knit-In” at the library again.  The public is invited to bring their own supplies or use some the library provides and see how many hats can be completed in one evening.  For those who don’t know how to knit or crochet, the library has easy-to-use hat looms (available for checkout from the library with instructions).  Pre-made note cards will also be available to record warm wishes and attach to the hats.  In January, the Friends of Bee Cave Library will sort and pack the hats, and ship them to Canada for distribution.  For more information, contact Cate Sweeney at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , or visit the library website at http://www.beecavetexas.gov/city-government/library.

 

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