Spotlight: Ali

Today we are spotlighting Ali!  We first met Ali as a client at one of our Knitting in Recovery classes.  Now Ali has been clean and sober for over a year, and she is one of our teachers for Knitting in Recovery!

Over the summer, Ali submitted several pieces to the Ventura County Fair and won three 3rd place, one 2nd place, and one 1st place ribbons!

Ali is currently teaching for Knitting in Recovery at one facility and will be starting at a few new facilities in the coming months.  We are also hoping to start a knitting and crochet group at the VC Arts Collective in the Pacific View Mall, which Ali will teach.

Ali has several pieces on display and available for purchase at the VC Arts Collective, including several beanies slouchy beanies and adorable clutch purses.

She has finished several recent commissions including leg warmers, beanies, and blankets, and she is currently working on a king-sized blanket for a family friend.  She is already planning on making beanies in sports team and school colors to have for sale at the mall space, such as black and gold for Ventura High School.

Thank you, Ali, for helping our program grow and better serve our community.

 

Knitting in Recovery at the Ventura County Fair 2017

The Knitting in Recovery ladies at New Visions had another great year at the Ventura County Fair!  Katherine, Charmane, and LaDonna each entered several pieces and each were awarded multiple ribbons (1sts, 2nds, and 3rds) along with many honorable mentions by the judges for their exceptional work.

Adorable baby slippers by LaDonna

Plastic canvas baby photo album by Katherine

Baby outfit by LaDonna

Original hat pattern by LaDonna

Beautiful blanket by Katherine

The most cheerful pillow by Charmane

The ladies look forward to the fair all year and receive a great sense of pride from showing their work alongside their fellow knitters and crocheters across the county.  LaDonna has the longest standing history of entering things in the fair–this was her twenty-eighth consecutive year entering.  Next year she plans on making a tapestry with all of her fair ribbons from the course of her career and entering that in the 2018 fair.

Aside from her ribbons, Katherine also had a big fair accomplishment.  Katherine has recently taken on teaching Knitting in Recovery classes at Castillo del Sol-Quality of Life.  One of her students entered the very first blanket she had ever crocheted in the fair this year.

Katherine’s student, entering her first blanket in the Ventura County Fair.

Ribbons Won at Ventura County Fair 2016

Wonderful clients from Turning Point Foundations New Visions Rehabilitation program all won Ribbons at the Ventura County Fair this year. There were Blue Ribbons for First Prize, Red Ribbons for Second Prize and a slew of Honorable Mention Ribbons!

Congratulations Girls! You Rock! So proud of you!

Turning Point and Ladonna

Ladonna’s amazing Crocheted Wedding Gown on this beautiful doll, ready to enter the Ventura County Fair!

Turning Point and Katherine

Katherine from Turning Point is so prolific and has an array of crocheted items ready to enter the Ventura County Fair! We are crossing our fingers for RIBBONS!

Ribbon Prizes at Ventura County Fair

So proud of my wonderful clients who won ribbons for their crochet and knit items at the Ventura County Fair 2015.

Here is Luanne Pontbriant who knit and designed her first shrug, and it won First Prize. Luanne got a Blue Ribbon!

And here is Ladonna from Turning Point Foundation and the New Visions program, who won Second Prize for her beautiful crocheted Baby Dress.                                                            She got a Red Ribbon!

……And Ladonna also won Second Prize and a red Ribbon for her crocheted Baby Booties!

Congratulations Girls! You are amazing!

Ribbons of Life – Knitting Our Lives Together

For BreastCancer

48 Survivor – Thrivers from Ribbons of Life Stitched together FOREVER

 

Here is our beautiful finished knitted quilt displayed at the Ventura County Faire 2012. 48 Handmade Prayers TOGETHER.

Here is how it started……balls of yarn in all arrays of pink……and knitting needles……

Nobody knew how to knit, but all were willing to give it a go for the greater good……and to learn a new tool to aid in their own healing.

 

Soon we were helping each other……

 

Grandmothers teach Granddaughters……

 

It gets really fun and funny……

Comic relief from knitting with newly acquired wigs we all had to try on……

And incorporating knitting into our lives, bringing it everywhere we go……ROL’s President Lisa Barreto says “Knitting is helping me relax and be productive at the same time. That includes in my doctors waiting room before being called to have my bandages removed. Thank you for helping me knit in recovery”……”After a while those doctor’s office magazines start to look the same. Why not pick up a ball of yarn, a couple of sticks and get stitching. If surgeons can stitch, why can’t I?”

 

And suddenly we had 48 CareSquares……ready to put together!

48 squares knitted by different hands, who had different battles to conquer, each unique to themselves, each stitch different……yet somehow it all comes together beautifully……

because we did it TOGETHER……we are a community……and we enjoyed the JOURNEY of it all!

Now we embroider the names of all the Survivor – Thrivers

Ready to show it off…. at the monthly BreastFest!

Please contact Ribbons of Life for more information on their program. They are such an asset for our community in all that they do for those afflicted with breast cancer and their families.

And…… go get your annual mammogram