Volunteers Needed to Make Scarves for the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games

If you can knit or crochet, you can support the 2009 athletes of the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games by creating blue and white scarves. Since my sister, Sweetie Pie Walker, was a Special Olympics athlete thirty something years ago, this cause is close to my heart.

The scarf project was created so that Special Olympics athletes could have something tangible that shows the community supports them. According to the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games website as of today, October 5, 2008, 1,000 scarves have already been received and only another 4,000 are needed to fulfill their goal.

There isn't a set pattern, but colors that are to be used are Red Heart Yarn Deft Blue (0885) and White (0311). I found the yarn at Wal-Mart for $2.28 per 7 oz. skein. My mother and I between us bought four skeins of each color. We ended up with 12 scarves with very little yarn left over.

Each scarf needs to be approximately 4 ½ inches wide and 50 inches long and have both colors in the pattern. It doesn't matter if one color is more dominate than the other or if you use equal amounts of each color. All that matters is that you use the recommended yarn so all the scarves will be the same color.

Once you have finished be sure to put each scarf in a plastic bag with a personal note to the Special Olympics athlete. Just sign your name, do not put your contact information on the note or include it within the plastic bag. Do write a separate letter so someone at the World Winter Games office can write you a proper thank you letter. Mail the scarves to "2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games Scarf Project, 3150 West Main Street, Boise, ID 83702. " All the scarves have to be in Idaho by no later than January 15, 2009.

If you do not have a scarf pattern already, you can look at two of my AC articles concerning finding free crochet and knit patterns online. "Free Crochet and Knit Patterns on the Internet" or "Review of Free Online Crochet and Knit Patterns from Various Yarn Manufacturers." I also have included a couple of very basic crochet patterns I used to make a few of the scarves at the end of this article.

Let's show the Special Olympics athletes that we as a community do support them. If you have a chance do attend the Special Olympics in your area; it is amazing to see the athletes having fun and showing support for one another.

Basic Crochet Pattern Number 1: The Ribbed Look
See Photo #1

Chain until it is 50 inches long.
Row 1: [Color A] Single stitch all the way across. Turn, chain 1.
Row 2: [Color A] Using the front posts only (the loops on the side away from you) single stitch all the way across. Turn, chain 1.
Row 3: Repeat row 2.
Row 4 & 5: [Color B] Using the front posts only (the loops on the side away from you) single stitch all the way across. Turn, chain 1.
Repeat rows 2-5 until the scarf is at least 4 ½ inches wide.

Basic Crochet Pattern Number 2: The Stacked Stripes Look
See Photo #2

Chain until it is 50 inches long.
Row 1: [Color A] Double stitch all the way across. Turn, chain 2.
Row 2: [Color B] Using the front posts only (the loops on the side away from you) double stitch all the way across. Turn, chain 2.
Repeat rows 1-2 until the scarf is both at least 4 ½ inches long and you have ended on Color A.