Make a Blanket Day in the USA is February 15, and visitors aboard two Holland America Line Grand Voyages are knitting their manner world wide in assist of Venture Linus, a non-profit group that gives knitted blankets to youngsters who’re in want. The group was named after the lovable safety blanket-toting character (Linus) from the Peanuts cartoon.
Also called “blanketeers,” knitters aboard the 128-day Grand World Voyage and 133-day Grand Voyage: Pole-to-Pole collect each sea day in Ocean Bar for just a few hours to show yards of yarn into colourful blankets for youngsters who’re ailing, traumatized or in any other case in want.
Nationwide Make a Blanket Day raises consciousness for the group, and the visitors (and typically crew members) on board who dedicate their time and knitting expertise are passionate in regards to the trigger.
“This has turn out to be a particular custom aboard our Grand World Voyages through the years,” mentioned Henk Mensink, Zuiderdam’s lodge basic supervisor. “We’re grateful to our visitors for making the very best use of their sea days for such a significant trigger.”
Blanketeers on Holland America Line Grand World Voyages have been knitting for Venture Linus for no less than 20 years. Visitors Marty and Gail Gottlieb from Jacksonville, Florida, have been spearheading the Grand World Voyage efforts for the previous six world cruises, sourcing the yarn previous to departure and organizing the classes on board. The Gottliebs boarded Zuiderdam Jan. 4, 2025, with almost a million yards of yarn in additional than 30 colours that shall be changed into a set of tons of of blankets over the fourth-month cruise. (Throughout the 2023 and 2024 Grand World Voyages, visitors produced a mixed 1,100 blankets!)
This yr, additionally they collected yarn for the first-ever Grand Voyage: Pole-to-Pole, which departed January 25. Visitor Johanna Oostewegel is overseeing the trouble aboard Zaandam.
Visitors can knit throughout the sea-day session or take their yarn to finish blankets wherever they need. Most blankets take from eight days to 3 weeks to finish, relying on the complexity. New knitters are welcome, with fellow visitors and the ship’s employees lending a instructing hand.
“Gail and I really feel good and luxuriate in giving to others,” mentioned Marty Gottlieb, Holland America Line visitor and Venture Linus chapter member. “We take pleasure in having different visitors have the identical feeling as we do, making a home made blanket for a kid. Through the years we’ve heard from fellow passengers how their grandchild or youngster had acquired a Venture Linus blanket whereas within the hospital and saved them into maturity. The blanketeers really feel an accomplishment ending the blanket, giving the kid the consolation and safety of the blanket made with love.”
After the Grand Voyages conclude in Might and June, the Gottliebs will ship the finished blankets to Venture Linus’ headquarters in Missouri for distribution.
