What's Going On With My New Facebook Group?

 I was advised by family and friends to do a Facebook group.  I'm really NOT quick to adopt social media strategies.  I have this ugly vision of myself strapped to a computer and forced to fool with social media all the time.

However, Facebook worked very well for online virtual seminars, and I simply put up some ground rules - stick to knitting and be nice.  I started a Facebook that is free and fairly wide-ranging in content:  Knitting With Diana Sullivan.   Join up and see!

We have about 2,600 people there now, and I am getting a huge kick out of what people are posting, gosh, especially the photos of what people are making.  A wonderful lady is helping me moderate.  

I've been posting free patterns and videos in this group to help a children's charity. The upstate New York knitters are making clothes for a huge number of Build A Bear bears.  The bears are being supplied through a counseling service to children in crisis.  You know how much kids like to dress up their toys!

The needs are ongoing and persistent, and there isn't really an end date for this project.  Of course we could use your help.

Want to learn to knit teddy bear clothes?  Or would you just like patterns that actually fit the Build A Bear bears?  These are specifically sized for the Build A Bear toys that are available for the charity.  They send me measurements and I even purchased a bear for a mannequin.  These bears are about 17 to 18 inches tall and they are CHUBBY.  The clothes look short and wide, but do fit Teddy beautifully.  

So far, I have put up the pattern and video for the top-down raglan, the beret hat, the Mary Jane slippers, and the dress.  The beret is a round, flat tam, and after putting up a video showing with and without ear holes, the group asked for both options, so that's how I did the pattern.

Come and join us!  This is a worthy cause, and it is so much fun to knit these small projects!