[News] Going To The Dogs

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Knitters, Crocheters Craft Sweaters To Benefit Yorkies In Need

By Rachel Bowman

Airy shawls, fluffy scarves and delicate layette sets are typical décor at Knit Works in Harrisonburg. Lately, though, they’ve been joined by nearly 20 oddly shaped sweaters — tiny tubes of yarn in a kaleidoscope of elegant jewel tones, demure pastels, poppy primary colors and jaunty color mixes — displayed along the wall of the store.

Instead of warming humans, however, these cozy sweaters will warm the tiny bodies of Yorkshire terriers in need. Store employees and the knitters and crocheters who shop there say they are happy to see Knit Works go to the dogs while they benefit the mission of the United Yorkie Rescue Organization.

Yorkie People Helping Yorkies

According to Knit Works owner Cris Reid, the store will give free knitting and crochet patterns for small-to-medium-size dog sweaters to anyone who wants to participate in the project, and will take the finished projects through the end of July. The store has collected about 20 sweaters so far, Reid said, with other customers saying they are ready to add their creations to the total.

The project was inspired by the adoption experience of Jane Garber, a retired teacher who now works at Knit Works.

Garber, who lives in Harrisonburg, said she has owned Yorkies most of her life. Back in January, however, she lost one of her beloved Yorkies, Nicky, whom she had for 15 years. As she and her remaining Yorkie, Chessy, grieved, Garber said she wasn’t sure if she’d ever be ready to welcome another dog into her life.

By early spring, though, Garber thought she might be ready. She visited a Web site, United Yorkie Rescue Organization, which had been recommended to her by Marie Post, a friend, store patron and fellow Yorkie lover.

Founded in 2002, UYRO has already placed more than 400 Yorkshire terriers in foster and permanent homes, Post said. The nonprofit organization consists of volunteers who take in Yorkshire terriers and Yorkie mixes of any age or health status from shelters, illegal "puppy mills" cited by police and families who are unable to keep their dogs.

The small dogs are "fostered out" to volunteers, Post said. These foster "parents" provide veterinary care, rehabilitation, obedience training and socialization, and facilitate adoption, she said. The organization is funded by private donations, some adoption fees and proceeds from the Yorkie Shoppe on the Web site, www.unitedyorkierescue.org.

Most folks who volunteer for UYRO are "Yorkie people" who realize the little dogs take a lot of understanding, Post said. Yorkies are "notoriously slow" to housetrain, she explained, and some do not do well in homes with cats and small children.

Post, a teaching assistant in the special education department at Harrisonburg High School, signed on to become one of two Yorkie volunteers in Virginia after one of her Yorkies died.

Throughout her recent life changes — marriage and moving from Harrisonburg to Brandywine, W.Va. — she has fostered four Yorkies, adopting one of them into her "family" of a Yorkie and three Lhasa Apsos. "It seems to be universal among fosters to keep one," she said, laughing. Although she has taken a break from foster duties, she said she continues to help transfer Yorkies to new owners in Virginia and North Carolina.

Post also knits sweaters for the organization. "I’ve knitted 20 sweaters in the past six or eight months alone," she said.

Well-Dressed Doggies

It was only natural, then, that Post would tell Garber about United Yorkie Rescue Organization. During a stop at Knit Works, Post told her fellow Yorkie lover and knitter about the dogs available for adoption on the Web site.

When Garber finally visited the site, she said she approached it hesitantly. Still grieving from the death of her beloved pet, she began reading the biographies of Yorkies up for adoption.

One little fellow caught her by surprise, Garber said. Picked up as a stray in South Carolina, Shiloh, a one-year-old Yorkie, had been rescued from Animal Control by a pet groomer. The groomer could not keep the rambunctious little guy, and contacted UYRO to find a suitable foster home. When Garber read about Shiloh, he was living with a family in North Carolina, she said.

Garber isn’t sure if it was the photo of the puppy or his story, but "Shiloh caught my eye," she admitted, smiling. She completed an adoption application online, listing Post as a reference; weeks later, she welcomed Shiloh into her home. In the month or so since his arrival, Shilo has relaxed into his new digs, snuggling with Garber as she knits and playing with his new "sister," Chessy.

While visiting the Web site, Garber said she also looked into the Yorkie Shoppe. She saw an array of fun accessories and necessities for raising Yorkies — everything from collars to bedding, leashes to dishes. And sweaters – pretty, frilly ones, basic daywear, outrageous costumes – for $16 and up. Many were made and donated by organization members, she noted.

In her job at Knit Works, Garber said she and others have knitted items for charity projects: chemo caps, premature baby caps and blankets and other things. Seeing the sweaters in the Yorkie Shoppe inspired her. "Why not make doggie sweaters?" she thought. She found an easy pattern in the store’s files, and presented the idea to Reid and the customers who frequent the store.

So far, Garber and the folks at Knit Works have tackled the project with gusto, making dozens of tiny dog sweaters. Knitted and crocheted in acrylic yarn to lessen the chance of skin allergies, the sweaters are as varied as the people who’ve created them. Some sport faux feathery trim and metallic accents, ruffles, bows and pretty buttons. At the end of the project, the sweaters will be shipped to UYRO to be sold in the online shop.

Janet Biller of Harrisonburg, who comes to the store to knit, said she planned to do as many sweaters as she could. "I always have scrap yarn lying around, and it’s a small, quick project to do," Biller said. A dog-lover who has adopted Bijons and poodles, she said she admires what Garber is doing for dog rescue. "It’s an interesting way of generating funds for Yorkies and having fun," she said.

The project has allowed Edna Mitchell, also of Harrisonburg, to practice her new knitting skills. "I learned the purl stitch while making my sweater," she said, holding up the emerald green sweater she’d completed. Although Mitchell has no dogs, she said she was attracted to the ease of the pattern and the chance to help Garber. "I wanted to make a contribution to rescue," she said.

Knit Works will give out free patterns and take in dog sweaters through the end of July. For more information about the project, contact Knit Works during regular business hours Tuesday through Saturday at 434-6900.

For more information on volunteering, fostering or adopting a Yorkshire Terrier from United Yorkie Rescue Organization, visit www.unitedyorkierescue.org.

Contact Rachel Bowman at 574-6280 or rbowman@dnronline.com

Original story here



Cris Reid, owner of Knit Works, left, holds Shiloh, a Yorkshire terrier, and Jane Garber, holds her other Yorkshire terrier, Chessy. Shiloh inspired Garber to create a service project where knitters and crocheters make dog sweaters to donate to the United Yorkie Rescue Organization. The group then sells the sweaters online as a fundraiser.