The brutal murders of people throughout the world, including young people at a concert in Paris, France, patrons of a gay bar in Orlando, Florida, police officers in the US, and celebrants in Nice, France, shock our senses and cause heartache for many. Let’s join together to help ease those heartaches, knitting scarves for survivors and for family and friends of the victims. Knitting and giving scarves will also help ease our heartaches.

For it is in giving that we receive. -- Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi.

The wonderful interaction of the various stitches used here -- knit stitches, purl stitches,yarnovers, left-leaning decreases, vertical three-to-one decreases, and right-leaningdecreases – creates both texture and lace, producing harmony and depth. Just as the different stitches work together to make a wonderful whole, individuals of different ethnic backgrounds, skin colors, religious beliefs, and sexual preferences can, and must, harmonize to make a wonderful world.

A knitted scarf may provide many kinds of warmth.
Encouragement when a person is in need.
Sunshine when the day appears gray.
Color when everything looks bleak.
Physical warmth when the weather is cold.

Enjoy knitting these scarves and giving them to individuals who need encouragement, sunshine, color and warmth in their lives.