week 3

Progress:

So far I have learned how to knit and started on my first scarf. Along with this I have done some research on the effects of living in a nursing home on mood; and the effects of giving and receiving gifts.

Maddie and I are in the process of making a go fund me page to raise money for more yarn and needles. We have also talked about asking sororities from Iowa State University to help knit for us, and also have thought of asking student government and people around the school. We plan to host a knitting party for anyone that wants to help with our project or just to learn how to knit.

So far I think we are in a pretty good spot in our project but I have realized that I am going to need to knit a lot because making a scarf takes a long time. However, Maddie is super fast at knitting and if we find more people to help we will be in great shape.

Checking in

Macy:

This sounds like a really interesting idea. Do you know anyone who works with the elderly who might be an in for you? Also, it might help you to think about recruiting others who might be interesting in knitting like the knitting club and seeing if they would be willing to contribute.

week 2

Five Questions:

1.) How do you knit, and how much yarn does it take to make one scarf?
http://sheepandstitch.com/how-to-knit-a-scarf-for-beginners/

2.) What nursing homes are there in the cedar rapids area and how many residents occupy each?
3.) How does living in a nursing home effect the mental health of the elderly?
http://www.nursinghome.org/fam/fam_004.html
4.) Does receiving a gift improve peoples moods?
http://momblogsociety.com/pro-social-spending-exploring-psychological-phenomenon-giving-getting-gifts/
5.) Do visitors at nursing homes improve residents mental health?

Week 1 2/2

         For my twenty time project i proposed to my peers something that would not only teach me a new skill but also give back to the community in a small, but hopefully impactful, way. I proposed to teach myself how to knit so i can knit scarves and donate them to local nursing homes. I thought this was a good idea because elderly people often get cold and because studies have shown that being placed in a nursing home often has negative effects on the elders mental health making them feel depressed, and worthless. I thought by giving them a small gift I could possibly bring a little joy into their life by showing them that they are still appreciated in society.    
        My peers suggested that I deliver these scarves in person so that residents get a visitor and so it is more personable. I thought this was a great idea and am going to try and follow through with it if the nursing home allows.
         Next week I would like to contact a nursing home and make sure that this can happen, and I also would like to learn how to knit and get started on my first scarf. Another thing that will make this project even better is that I have a partner, Maddie Bagby, who is already great at knitting who can help me. This will make the scarf production even faster so that more can be made and donated.