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There's a men's
prison in South Dakota which somehow came up with the idea of teaching the
MEN to knit. After a while they ran out of yarn which someone had left
them, somehow found XRX was local to them, so they contacted Sue Nelson at
XRX for ideas on where to get yarn. Well, she cleaned out her stash, then
got all the other staffers to do the same, then she sifted through the
sample yarns that were discontinued in the office, and still, they were
running out of yarn. I was talking to her and she mentioned it, so I put
out the call for yarn donations here and you've all been terrific with
donations!

Let me explain a bit more about the program for the new list members. These
are men, in a regular prison, not the country club type, who have taken up
knitting. This is actually a privilege they have to earn, joining the
knitting program I mean, and there's a waiting list to get into the program.
They knit mostly hats for disadvantaged kids on the reservations and
elsewhere throughout the area. We have heard that this program is hugely
popular with all the 'tough guys' who feel like they're doing something
worthwhile for these disadvantaged kids, and they love keeping busy doing
the knitting too!

Sue went to the prison to teach some classes, she told me the guys were all
really great to her, very respectful and grateful for her being there. I
know I'd have been a bit nervous going in there, but she said she really
enjoyed it, and now the 'old hands' are teaching the new guys how to knit
too. I do hope many of these guys continue knitting after they leave prison
too, we all know its a great way to fill spare time and I like to think this
helps them keep on the straight and narrow when they're released too.

They accept any kind of yarn, and have received anything from the chain
store acrylics to the fine alpacas and wools, and are equally happy with
yarn from both ends of the price ranges. You can send partial balls, full
balls, coned yarns, well.... Any yarn at all! I think they even will
untangle some yarns too, there are some guys in the program with
developmental problems that haven't been able to actually knit, but they're
in charge of winding yarn and untangling it, getting it ready to be used,
and they are happy to also be contributing to this whole program too. Even
a tiny ball of something left over won't go to waste, they use that for
stripes! Fat yarns, skinny yarns, all work here, if its really fine gauge
stuff they double or triple it up, so do not think your left over sock yarn
won't work please! they also accept donations of needles, however we have
learned the prison doesn't want metal needles there, so plastic or wood or
bamboo only please. Any metal needles received don't go to waste though,
Sue's found another group that can use them as well!

How much knitting has happened? So far this year, they've sent out over
2500 hats to keep kids heads warm all over the mid-west. Amazing isn't it?
The other thing that amazes me, is the fact this is a PRIVILEGE they have to
EARN by good behavior! can you imagine having your knitting be a privilege
you have to EARN? And there's a waiting list of guys who want into the
program too. I also like the idea that my yarn donations here are serving
two purposes, or filling two needs, first, a way to keep the guys occupied
and realizing it is helping keep prison tensions down, and teaching these
guys to give back to other people in a way most ideas of prison I have don't
do, AND that its keeping all those kids heads warm too! its like a double
blessing from your one donation isn't it?

Now, perfect timing to the question, as we just heard they're running low on
yarn and will run out completely in the next month or so without added
donations, so please folks, if you have a few minutes, now, or right after
Christmas, please take the time to get some yarn in the mail! The yarn
can't be sent directly to the prison, issues of contraband etc, so, we've
asked people to send it to
Sue Nelson
XRX-inc.,
1320 S. Minnesota Avenue,
Sioux Falls, SD 57105
Then the assistant warden goes to the
offices, repacks the yarn to make sure there's no 'files' in there, and can
bring it back for the guys to work on.

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