When Yvonne Skinner Reitemeyer’s lasagna sweater appeared on Lasagna Love’s Facebook page, it was love at first sight. Posting a photo, she delivered a lasagna wrapped in a tight-knit sleeve. As she read through the comments, she was shocked by the response. In an effort to discover the story behind this adorable cozy that not only keeps a lasagna warm but has taken over social media, we set out to discover what it’s all about. We are grateful to Yvonne for sharing her story and pattern.
As a child, Yvonne’s grandmother taught her how to crochet. While sitting in front of the TV at night, she frequently crochets, mostly to “do something else (besides snacking).” Although not an expert crocheter, she has made holiday gnomes, pumpkins, dog sweaters, and blankets. Having been given four huge totes of colored yarn, she had no idea what else to do – blankets were the obvious solution.
Her family went through a difficult time last year. Yvonne was diagnosed with breast cancer, and she could not cook for her 88-year-old and 90-year-old parents, who live close to her. Additionally, her daughter and son-in-law also suffered from health problems. She suddenly remembered seeing posts about Lasagna Love. She nominated both of them for a lasagna, and after hearing rave reviews, she decided to pay it forward and become a volunteer.
Waiting for her first match, she looked at crochet patterns to start another blanket. Her husband said, “It’s too bad you couldn’t make something to deliver the lasagna in,” fearing she would make yet another blanket for their home. She found a cozy casserole pattern online. In addition to tweaking the pattern, she added large buttons to the closure. At that moment, the Lasagna Sweater was born, an ingenious invention that solved the challenge of keeping a lasagna warm while delivering it to the recipient.
With the Lasagna Sweater (pattern below), you can deliver hot lasagna with the comfort and portability of a potholder. Yvonne is an example of how our talented and generous volunteers contribute to the lives of others. We are proud to celebrate Yvonne’s creative spirit and her story of community.
Yvonne’s story inspired us to create our own version of the cozy, which we use to deliver to our matches. We hope that many people will enjoy this cozy and that Yvonne’s pattern will continue to be shared and inspire others. We know that this cozy will bring joy and comfort to many people, just as Yvonne’s story did for us.
Yvonne shared the pattern if you are interested in crocheting a sweater for your lasagna deliveries.