Princeton youngsters take up knitting for a worthy cause.
It started with a book club and a young boy who wanted to learn how to knit.
Last November a local French book club was reading "Visage Volé" (Stolen Face), the story of an Afghan woman who lived first under communist tyranny, then under the repressive Taliban. As the members began discussing what could be done to help alleviate poverty in a nation thousands of miles away, one of them mentioned the Web site Afghansforafghans.org.
Afghans for Afghans is a humanitarian project that sends hand-knit and crocheted blankets and garments to beleaguered people in Afghanistan. Book club members Carole Prevost and Anna Finzi offered to teach children and adults to knit clothing that could then be sent to the organization. The beginning of the holiday season seemed an ideal time to send comfort and warmth to people suffering from hunger and poverty.
Nine-year old Pierre Devlaminck had recently told his mother, Marie, another club member, that he wished to learn how to knit. She told Pierre that "afghans for Afghans" might give him the ideal opportunity to learn. Mother and son decided to make a quilt with squares of various colors, and invited friends to become involved.
Anna Finzi hosted a knitting session at her house and sold warm Norwegian yarn to people who needed it. Marie Devlaminck received positive responses from parents who were delighted to have their children learn a new skill. "At one point," says Mrs. Devlaminck, "I had a dozen people in my living room, learning or teaching a younger one how to knit."
It was a tedious process, but by the first week of January, 51 squares had been completed. They were made of various colors, patterns or stitches; one even represented the flag of Afghanistan. People then gathered at the Devlaminck house to assemble the squares into a quilt and a scarf.
"I am very pleased with the outcome," Mrs. Devlaminck now says. "I wanted to show Pierre that you can achieve anything if you put your will and your heart into it. Teaching the children a new skill and knowing that someone less fortunate will benefit was a tremendous satisfaction!"
For information regarding how to send parcels to the Afghans, visit the Web site http://afghansforafghans.org/
Anna Finzi teaches knitting and sells yarn from her home. Carole Prevost volunteers in "the knitting circle" at the Princeton Public Library on Wednesdays at 4 p.m.

