Mitten Contest Update

The deadline for the contest is today! I will wait until tomorrow to draw the winner's name, to give folks until the last second to get their mittens and gloves in. ;-)

So far I have the following entries:

Priscilla - three pair
caboosey - two pair
eowyn_ulysses - three pair
leftygirl02 - two pair

If I have left anyone out, or gotten a count wrong, please do let me know!

We have a total of 10 pairs of gloves and mittens, with four people entered so I will be drawing a single name, who can then select one of the skeins of yarn.

Thank you everyone who participated! And if anyone would like to see another contest like this, with perhaps a different item to make, feel free to leave a comment. I didn't get as much participation as I'd thought I might, and I'm interested to know what sort of different contests might be more successful.

Caron Square contest

Hello All,

I went back and looked at the about.com link regarding the Caron Contest as well as this link here:

http://www.crochetville.org/forum/showthread.php?t=67431

It does specify in both places that the squares for the contest need to be made out of simply soft yarn -- it's a self-promotion thing for them so I guess that makes sense.

Any squares that have been submitted that were not made out of simply soft can go either to our own crazigriffen for one of our own WUA blankets or they can be submitted directly to Warm Up America.

Thanks!

Caron Square contest - clarification needed

Hey all,

I think there might be some confusion about the Caron Square contest...maybe just in my own head.

Although squares for Warm Up American can be in any kind of yarn, it was my understanding that squares going to the Caron "Warm up the world" contest have to be made with Caron brand yarn...maybe even specifically "simply soft" yarn.

Is this a fact?

Someone help! :)

It's almost April :D

Well hello there everyone!

It has been a great month, at least craft-wise. I could have done without the weather this month, but hey, you can't win 'em all.

There are only a couple of days left to post your mittens for the mitten contest. There is some really beautiful yarn to win if your name is drawn from Zort's magic hat, so get those mittens going! If I can do mittens in a day, so can you :)

Speaking of contests, the Caron "warm up the world" square contest is still going, and we are trying to enter as a group effort. Our fearless square leader, Robyn, would like to have all squares by April 25 so that she can ship the squares to Caron for counting in time for the deadline. If you have a stash of Caron yarn lying around, this is a great way to use them up.

Check up on our contact info for this contest here:

http://homespunhelpers.blogspot.com/2008/03/donated-squares-eliseamelie.html

Don' forget that we are heading for a goal of 2,000 by the end of June, which will be halfway to our year goal. I think if we keep up on this pace we will be in great shape.

I am still hoping to make a huge donation to at least one local homeless shelter in early June and am collecting How many people can we dress type items. If you are interested in participating, you can send items to the usual HMPCWD contact, Jezebel in San Francisco, or if you e-mail me we can work things out from there.

Let's have March go out like a lion...at least in this community :)

4,000

Those of you who have been in this group from the very beginning *sniff* may remember that there was a reason for choosing a weird number like 3,000 for our first year's goal.

When jpettibone and I started Homespun Helpers in January of 2007, it had recently been announced that the 3,000th US soldier had been killed in Iraq. We wanted to create a charity group, but we also wanted to balance the pain that all of those deaths caused by trying to create some sunshine.

When thinking about a goal for this year, I didn't just want to create a goal that would be more than last year. I wanted to create a goal that would be equally meaninful. It was my hope that that we would not reach the 4,000th death in Iraq at all, and certainly not so early in the year. But here we are.

This group does not ask anyone to voice their political views, and I am not going to impose mine here. But we can all agree that it is deeply sad that so many have lost their lives, and I think we can all agree that sending some good vibes out into the world as a counterweight against that sadness can't be a bad thing.

So, this year, as we send out our items to people who need us, stop every once in awhile and think about our friends, our co-workers, maybe even our family members who are being deeply touched by these statistical updates from Iraq. Let us continue to do good for all whom we can reach. In these trying times, everyone can probably use a lift.

~Peace

Kidney Afghans for Kids

Hey all,

Over at myspace, we got friended by a group called Kidney Afghans for Kids. They are making afghans for children suffering from renal failure.

I have invited them to join us, but in the meantime, you might want to go over to myspace and check them out. I believe they are collecting squares a la Warm Up America.

Don't forget, March is almost over...that means mittens and numbers :)

Happy Easter, all who celebrate it!

Mitten Contest Update

We have just over one more week to go before the contest ends! here is the current tally of entries:

Priscilla - three pair
caboosey - one pair
eowyn_ulysses - three pair

(Ninjasezzy decided to un-enter her mittens in the contest, so she's no longer in the tally.)

This is seven pairs of mittens! Whoo! It's only three different people, which is going to make selecting two winners very hard - either we need lots and lots more entrants, or I will probably select one winner instead of two. (I'm hoping for lots and lots more entrants! ;-) )

The deadline is March 31. Mittens or gloves, fingerless or not, any size or fiber. If you have questions, let me know!

More MIttens!

I was a busy girl this past weekend. I finished 2 more pairs of mittens, one knitted pair and one crocheted pair.

And I made a hat and scarf set.

I will send all these along to HMPCWD. Details are on my blog.

I'm really starting to enjoy the crocheted mitten pattern, and I started another pair last night.

handmade 001

handmade 001
Originally uploaded by craftyone77

this is a hat, modelled by my brother. add it to the count, because it's being mailed off to Street Knit, along with a box full of scarves that i've had sitting around. apparently i knit things and then don't send them off!

hopefully i'll have a bunch more of these done in the next few weeks. they're just so darn easy to knit up (especially with this bulky weight yarn)!

Mitten Contest Update

We have two entries to the mitten contest! Ninjasezzy and I have agreed that since her preemie mittens are tiny and made at work, her total pile of mittens for March would count as one entry into the contest. So she has one entry, and Priscilla has made a pair of mittens as well.

The contest ends on March 31st! There is still lots of time to make a pair of mittens (or gloves). Remember, there are two skeins of hand-dyed yarn for the lucky winners.

If you have any questions or comments, please let me know!

Update and an idea

Okay peeps,

It's March 15, and even though March has 31 days, we're going to say that this is the half-way point of the month.

So, how we doing?

It's been a great month so far but I wanna see more squares, more mittens, and well, more fun, durn it.

Also, today was the deadline to get stuff to Jezebel in San Fran for the "how many people can we dress" drive. Wuwu!

I had an idea and I wondered if someone would want to run with it. No no, don't run away just yet :)

I was thinking maybe we could make something that could be given to people doing the Susan Komen 3 day Breast Cancer walk. The walks are taking place in various cities around the country starting in early August and lasting till around early September. I was thinking we could make a ton of pink fun fur scarves, or wrist warmers, or something so that they could remember the occasion.

Would someone want to contact the foundation and see what you could find out? Just a thought.

Keep in mind the next "how many people can we dress" drive will end around June 1st. Let's talk about where stuff is going...I don't feel like all of it should go to my local drive cuz I would feel bad. Please post with thoughts.

Also, we've had some new folks join us recently. Give them a warm welcome :)

Apologies

I apologize to everyone who sees this who had previously sent an e-mail to this blog's e-mail account. I thought someone else was monitoring it but that has not been the case since about early December.

I will make more of a point of checking the account now.

As a reminder, if you want to join here at blogspot, just send an e-mail to the group account (hotlinked at the top of the blog) and leave me a message about why you want to join (or something that tells me you're not a spam-head). You will then get an e-mail saying you've been invited to join.

My deep apologies again.

march donations

march donations
Originally uploaded by craftyone77

these are the items i took to creighton yesterday to give to the nicu. there's six baby hats, one more toddler-sized hat, a pair of booties and two baby vests.

i'm going to try to donate stuff to them once a month, even if it's just ten items at a time. it forces me to focus on others, bust my stash, and do some good all at once.

i've got one more item on the needles (i'll post a pic later), and then i'm going to make a bunch of squares from some leftover balls of yarn i've got laying around.

I know I haven't posted lately...

...but I have been crocheting. Here are 13 squares for the WUA contest.

And here is 1 pair of mittens for the mitten contest.

Details are on my blog. More of both to come!

Mitten Contest Update

So, according to the mitten contest tag, both here and on LJ, there are no entries to the mitten contest. All mittens posted have either been from non-qualified folks (myself, and the group mod), or were posted without being officially entered into the mitten contest (by using the 'mitten contest' tag.)

The contest runs until the end of March, so there is plenty of time! Of course, if no one enters, I get to keep the yarn.... ;-)

Mittens, gloves, hand-covers of all kinds (fingerless or not, yarn, fabric, etc). You can donate them to any charity you like, just be sure to use the 'mitten contest' tag when you post your FO pictures.

If you have any questions, lemme know!

And now...goaly goodness

Well, clearly I did a horrible job of challenging everyone in February. I think we reset the goal three times and then I just gave up! Not complaining, not complaining :)

I'm going to set out two goals today, one for March and one for mid-year.

The mid-year goal is not going to be very surprising:

2,000. Yep. That would be half of our overall goal of 4,000. See that magic?

Now, for March. Right now we are at about 450 items. If we could get to 800 items by the end of this month, then we could maybe get to like, 1200 in April, 1400 in May, and we'd still need a monster June, but 2,000 would be in reach.

So, for March...800 is our goal. We need round abouts 350 items to get there.

Are you up for it????

donated squares - eliseamelie

donated squares 001
Originally uploaded by craftyone77

here's ten more squares sent for the Caron WUA Squares contest, this batch from "eliseamelie"! that means we've got 19 squares so far donated, and when i get mine counted i'll add those to the number as well! again, i'm assuming these squares have already been counted towards our total, but i wanted to be sure and show you all what amazing squares we're getting!

we've got until may 1 to get them in for the contest, and i'd like to set a cut-off for April 25 for receiving squares. i'll need to have them priority mailed to the contest that Monday the 28th, so any that get sent after April 25 won't get counted. which means we've still got almost two months! keep 'em coming!

you can send your squares to me at:

robyn charles
po box 6487
omaha, ne 68106

received squares - snoopingmother

donated squares 002
Originally uploaded by craftyone77

hey there all! i've received nine squares from "snoopingmother" for the Caron WUA Squares contest!!! i've still got to photograph all of mine, and i'm assuming these have already been counted, but i wanted to update everyone so they could see we're making some headway.

we've got until may 1 to get them in for the contest, and i'd like to set a cut-off for April 25 for receiving squares. i'll need to have them priority mailed to the contest that Monday the 28th, so any that get sent after April 25 won't get counted. which means we've still got almost two months! keep 'em coming!

you can send your squares to me at:

robyn charles
po box 6487
omaha, ne 68106

fly-by

Hi all!

I have been MIA from posting because I have about three too many balls in the air that I am trying to juggle :) However, I did want to say a BIG thank you to all of you who have sent in items form the March 15 HMPCWD deadline.

I will tally and send items out after the 15th. After that anything that I may receive, I will forward onto Jorie for her June Ohio deadline.

As always, I appreciate and marvel at all of the incredible crafty goodness that this community produces!

Afghans for Afghans

Hey everybody!

Thought I would pass this along, especially since they aren't going to put it on their site.

Afghans for Afghans is doing a real quick drive for an organization that searches for mines in fields and what-not...they are looking for socks (kids and adult, no crocheted), mittens (no fingerless), and pretty much everything else except for hats.

Their due date for this drive is March 18, which is pretty neat since our deadline for HMPCWD (centered in San Fran, where A for A is) is March 15! It was meant to be :)

Remember, they want pretty much only 100% wool items. Send straight to Afghans for Afghans or send to Jezebelsf, either way.

baby vest

063
Originally uploaded by craftyone77

hey there! so, february was pretty much a wash for me in the crafting department, although i did find a huge box of squares that we can add to the Warm Up America pile of squares to be sent. or use it to start said pile. either way.

and then i found this baby vest pattern, and i fell in love. i made this one, which just needs the buttons, and i've got a second almost done and a third already on the needles. so by tomorrow i'll have three FO's already for March! yay!

Mitttttttttttttttttens!!!

I am going to make myself ineligible as a mitten contest contestant, but I am going to set the game going here.

Three! Three pairs of mittens! Ah ah ah (that's the count from Sesamee Street...love him).



Does anyone see my three and raise me half a dozen pair :) Zort has some beautiful yarn for you if you do! :)

I got carried away

I want to send my thank-yous to eliseamelie, doclegs, bunnybutt, zort, and others, who expressed to me that I lately have been straying from what this group is all about.

I think I got addicted to the idea of how much good we have been doing as a group, and I want this to grow and expand into new directions. I know that for some people, crafting is not really an option, and I was trying to add things to this group that might entice other people to join and participate.

This is not to say that I fail to appreciate everyone here or everything that we have done and are doing. It's just...the more we do, the more need I see, and it feels like we could fill other gaps too.

But, our niche, as was so rightly pointed out to me, is making special handmade items for people who need them, and I am perfectly content with that.

So, pardon my schizophrenia. Thank you for keeping me straightened out :)

Stuff it or leave it

Hey everyone,

We've run into a problem consistently that I would like to rectify immediately, and that problem is achieving "stuffing" items for our various bag projects.

Now, the point of this is not to point fingers, lay the blame on any one person, or anything like that.

*however*

It makes people feel very stressed out and abandoned when they are told they are going to get help contributing items and then everyone disappears. I'd like to put an end to this trend in this community right away.

We have some very exciting projects blossoming here, and I'd love to see them all grow and expand beyond the horizons of this group. However, if we cannot be depended upon, and if we can't depend on each other within this group...ain't gonna happen.

I want to see a game plan by the end of this weekend on how we can address this problem. If I do not see a game plan by the end of this weekend and someone(s) taking charge, I am going to put an end to Bag Of Home, Classroom Crafters, and Bag of Sunshine. It is not worth the stress that it causes people when they have a ton of bags and nothing to fill them with, and I certainly never want one person to feel like they have to contribute everything.

Ideas have included contacting stores, churches, or other charitable organizations to help us with this, and to start a community exclusively for non-crafted items in this group.

E-mail or talk to each other and let me know what you come up with.

I am not wanting to be a jerk, but this has been an ongoing problem now, and I want to put an end to it before anyone gets to feeling really and truly hurt.

Thanks, everyone!