Craft 'n' Crop will meet on Thursday, Oct. 5, 6 p.m. at Heritage House Arts and Civic Center, 1428 Jenkins Road, to make helmet liners for our troops in Afghanistan.
"The pattern keeps both their head and neck/chin warm while they are stationed in the mountainous areas of that far country," officials said. "There is a crochet pattern and knitted pattern for the liners.
"Our 'Craft 'n' Crop' time is a relaxed artist/crafter mixer designed for creatives of all stripes.
"We each bring a potluck dish to share for dinner and then work on our various individual projects (any format -- scrapbooks, bead looms and clay sculptures are but a few of the materials we've seen in the recent past) while sharing good conversation and positive feedback.
"There is no agenda and no structure, so attendees are free to come and go as their schedules require.
"If you're not currently working on anything, but would love to hang out with your fellow creatives, the October Craft ’n’ Crop at Heritage House is extending an open invitation to all local crafters to join us in a mass effort to send some ‘crafted love’ to our troops overseas.
"We recently began a project with the local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (D.A.R.), and we hope to finish a handful of special projects to send to our Soldiers and Sailors this holiday season.
"The Chattanooga area has been blessed with many talented artists and crafters and we hope to add your skill and imagination to these very worthy projects.
"We are also completing the stuffing of and sewing up of numerous 'mini hearts' which will travel with the troops. The hearts are designed to be small enough to be easily carried in the breast pocket of the uniform so as to remind the troops that we are thinking of them back home.
"Also, we are creating miniature 'tree skirts' to accompany mini Christmas trees which will be shipped out this fall in time for the holidays.
"We have a 'no-sew' pattern that can be used, or you can get as fancy as you like with the tree skirts. We have all the materials* needed to get a good start on these projects.
"Last, but not least, the troops' 'yards' in Afghanistan are a bit devoid of any real vegetation, so they have asked us to send painted rocks (small round river rocks would do nicely) so that they can brighten up their living space with a rock garden composed of painted, and even 'personalized' if you so wish, river rocks.
"As always, if you have a craft or scrap-booking project you’d like to work on at Craft n’ Crop, you are most welcome to bring it, as well."
Supplies to bring:
- If you have a set of pinking shears that you can bring and use that would be great, as we are in short supply of specialty shears for working on the no-sew tree skirts.
- To help with the helmet liners, you'll need size 'K' and 'G' crochet hooks. The yarn for the helmet liners should be 5oz. soft worsted weight 100% wool in tan, brown, olive, gray, or black (black and tan are the preferred colors.)
- Small to medium size smooth, round river rocks.