Sharing Our Gifts

Project #25: West Virginia, Appalachian Outreach, Inc.

2011-12-27T20:06:00.000-08:00

I hope you have all had a wonderful and relaxing holiday season. Now it is drawing to a close, and it is time to look forward to the new year ahead. I am excited that we begin the new year at the exact halfway mark in our 50 states journey.

WE HAVE REACHED OUR 25TH PROJECT!!! (cue the confetti and noise makers)

Beginning on January 15 and going through February 15, we will be creating items for those in need in the Appalachian region of West Virginia. We will be partnering with the Outreach to Appalachia group on Ravelry and sending baby items to Appalachian Outreach, Inc.

Appalachian Outreach is a charitable relief and support organization. The mission of Appalachian Outreach is to help relieve the burden of poverty and the loss of dignity suffered by the people of Appalachia who, through no fault of their own, struggle to meet the basic needs of daily life.

The need is great. The request is simple. This month, they need baby items of all types. Any pattern is acceptable. Sizes are to be from newborn to 2T. Yarn fiber content and color is your choice.

This means hats, booties, cuddle sacks, bibs, socks, toys, blankets, and any other layette items. Think bath time, nap time, play time, feeding time, and dressing time. If you would like pattern or specific suggestions, just email me and I will point you in a direction.
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
Though our projects and our mission are about sending HANDMADE items to those in need, the need for many other items is very great in the Appalachian region. If you are able to contribute any other items on the wish list at Appalachian Outreach, Inc., I encourage you to sent them as well.

As always, please print the "Sharing Our Gifts" printable by clicking on the link at the top left and attach one to each item that you send.

Send to:
Appalachian Outreach, Inc.
1012 Grand View Road
Glen Dale WV 26038

THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THESE PROJECTS! Without you, there would be less needs met in these United States of America. I look forward to another 25 states with you.

Happy Creating.!

Project #24: Connecticut, Are You Warm Enough?

2011-10-18T21:56:00.000-07:00

This project runs from October 15 to January 15. The reason for its length is that this is a sweater/cardigan project, so the items will take longer to make, and that we are having our winter break along with this project. Mailing deadline is January 15, but you can mail as soon as your item(s) is/are finished. You decide, if, when, and how much break time you take between now and January 15. I thank you all for another stellar year spent sending warmth around the U.S.

This project is for middle school children (grades 5 through 8) in Connecticut. This school of about 650 students has the highest percentage of foster children in the state. Over seventy percent of the students receive free or reduced lunch. The “Are You Warm Enough” initiative collects clothing and money from the community and local businesses to purchase coats, sweaters, and other necessities for the children.

One of our participants, who works at the school, is the volunteer collector and distributor for this project.

The school has a uniform code that requires kids to wear only black, white, or gold sweaters. Vests, pullovers and cardigans will all be greatly appreciated. Male or female, sizes S to XL. If you have charcoal, you may use it, but please note that it will be given to 5th and 6th graders, so please size accordingly.

If you are one who cannot create a sweater, vest, or cardigan, but still want to lend a hand on this project, you may make scarves. I understand that the school uniform code does not allow the children to wear the scarves on campus during school hours, but they are allowed to wear the scarves to and from school. Also, these children do need to be warm outside school as well, and my not have scarves at home for their out-of-school hours.

Address to mail your items:
Carmen Arace Middle School
Attn: Maggie Tarbox
390 Park Avenue
Bloomfield, CT 06002

Please remember to affix the “Sharing Our Gifts” tag to each item you send.

Happy creating!

Project #23: Alabama, Fingerless Mitts for teens

2011-10-08T23:03:00.000-07:00

Now begins the month of fingerless mitts. This project will run from 9/15 to 10/15 and will benefit the Salvation Army Christmas Program in Florence, Alabama.

This program needs 200 fingerless mitts for teen girls, ages 13 to 18, to put into their Christmas packages. It can be any type of yarn and can be knitted or crocheted.

Here is the address for mailing this month:
T. Coats
845 County Road 57
Florence AL 35633

Happy creating!

Project 22: Maryland - Helping Kids at Hopkins

2011-08-24T20:49:00.000-07:00

(photo property of MiniLaura)

kittyville pattern available free on Ravelry
Not a Ravelry member? Get the pattern here.

August 15 through September 15
Time to turn our heads to the dark of night in the first bite of ensuing winter. The fun of crafting hats for this eve of dressing to ward off ghouls and goblins is upon us…

From Helping Kids at Hopkins Ravelry Group: “Sept/Oct- Halloween Hats are back!!!! This popular and very fun hat collection for the kids on the oncology floor is a fun tradition that is in it’s forth year. Anyone can make a chemo cap, but can you make one for Halloween? Check out our shared projects section to see the great hats from 2008, 2009, & 2010 and spark your creativity for 2011.”

If you are not a member of Ravelry and cannot visit the Helping Kids at Hopkins forum thread for inspiration, you can visit...well, what are you waiting for? It's free to join, and they have the best selection of free patterns that I have found ANYWHERE! (You can try knitpicks.com, lionbrand.com, and knittingpatterncentral.com, but you will have to dig.)

Items should be mailed to:
Helping Kids at Hopkins
PO Box 105
Hanover, MD 21076

As always, don’t forget to attach a tag that says "from Sharing Our Gifts" when sending your items. Thank you again for joining in on our projects.

Happy creating!

Project 21: Missouri, Joplin - Emerson Elementary

2011-08-08T20:37:00.000-07:00

Please excuse my lack of posting the projects here on the blog in recent months. I have been so busy that I have just focused on getting them posted on Ravelry. I will update again soon.

We have decided to assist Emerson Elementary in Joplin, Missouri this month. Project runs from July 15 to August 15.

Our coordinator/collector/distributor is mcahill on Ravelry. She is a group administrator of the Tornado Recovery group.

As for items, we can make any warm items for elementary aged children: hats, scarves, mittens…

As was suggested, it would be GREAT if we could each attach a little card about or geographic location (and maybe a little factual information about that location) to our items with the Sharing Our Gifts tag. In this way, we will send a little warmth and a little geography lesson at the same time.

This project has finished. If you would like to send an item, please email me for the mailing address.

Please remember to put Sharing Our Gifts tag on items when sending.

Have fun! Happy creating…

Project 17: Wisconsin, Hebron House of Hospitality

2011-03-13T11:40:00.000-07:00

(Hebron House)

Beginning on March 15, we move onward to the state of Wisconsin, and to making a variety of items for Hebron House of Hospitality, Inc. in Waukesha. There are two shelter houses in Waukesha that are run by Hebron House of Hospitality, Inc.; these are the Hebron House at 812 N East Ave, Waukesha, WI and the Siena House at 1519 Summit Ave, Waukesha, WI. Hebron can serve 40 families at one time, and Siena can serve 37 at one time. I am told they are always full, and always in need of donations.

This project was suggested by AuntieTrixKnits26 on Ravelry, and she will be acting as our coordinator and mail recipient.

One of the wonderful things about Hebron House is that they have a very good website which includes a wish list. We can make anything we like from the wish list, which includes:
Hats, scarves, cowls, mittens, socks, slippers, washcloths, lapghans, and many more items.

Hebron House of Hospitality, Inc. shares their mission statement and philosophy on their website:
“The mission of Hebron House of Hospitality, Inc. is to provide emergency housing and related services to people in transition with the basic needs of shelter, food and personal support.” …“Hebron House of Hospitality, Inc. is operated always with the purpose to provide housing and food to any person of any faith, nationality, sex, age or disability. We strive to provide this service in a non-judgmental atmosphere.”

DEADLINE:
Deadline to have these items received by the project coordinator is April 15, so please allow appropriate mail time. She will be delivering to the facility just after April 15.

As stated above, our volunteer coordinator for this project is AuntieTrixKnits26. Donations can be mailed to:

This project has finished. If you would like to send an item, please email me for the mailing address.

Please let me know if there are any questions, or if I have left out any vital information for this project. Thank you again for your participation!

Project 16: Ohio, Touching Little Lives

2011-02-15T22:57:00.000-08:00

This project begins February 15 and goes to March 15. We will be making infant items for Touching Little Lives (TLL). Read to the bottom for mailing instructions...

This month, we will be making items for tiny new humans in need. Here is some information about the mission of Touching Little Lives:

"It's a simple fact that many of Ohio's newborns lack the basic necessities to assist them in developing and sustaining good health. A warm blanket and clothing are vital to a newborn to retain body heat. These simple items can make the difference in an infant's ability to ward off other illnesses which could develop, necessitating return hospital stays that could have been prevented and adding to the already high cost. Our mission is to 'touch the little lives' of needy premature and newborn infants in Ohio, to do all that we can to give them, free of any charge, the necessities that every newborn needs. Our volunteers hand make **quilts, blankets, caps, booties, gowns, undershirts, afghans, bibs, sleepers**, and other articles."

This project allows for a good deal of variety in what we choose to make, and I will leave it up to each of you to make what you like from the list above. Additionally, TLL uses surgery dolls to help children transition from surgical procedure through recovery with an item of security. They say:

"Our surgery dolls are used by doctors and nurses to draw on and graphically explain to a young child about their pending surgery. This helps the child understand what he or she is about to undergo. This doll is then given to the child, something to hold on to during the stressful hospital stay and something to take with when they are finally able to return home. We make stuffed animals and these are provided to various area agencies and emergency rooms. Having something soft to cling to during a time of stress can do much to ease the trauma of a young child."

TLL offers photo examples of the items they need, as well as providing patterns for sewing, knitting and crochet of the items. They give sizing information as well as needle and yarn suggestions.

Soft cotton and soft acrylics are best for this project. Let me know if you have questions.

Our Fearless Volunteer Collector/Delivery person for this project is [knitsforpits]. Your items can be mailed to:
This project has finished. If you would like to send an item, please email me for the mailing address.

Project #15: Maine, Nest Maine

2011-01-15T13:48:00.000-08:00

Project 15 runs from January 15, 2011 to February 15, 2011.

Nest Maine is a grassroots effort to help people in need with hats, mittens, scarves, cowls, and other warm knitted items. From the blog, here is the information for and mission of Nest Maine:

“Nest seeks to connect knitters and other fiber enthusiasts with people in need of warm clothing for winter. In 2008 we distributed our first round of new donated hats, mittens, fingerless mitts, cowls and scarves in the Ft. Kent, Maine, area.”

Wool is happily accepted, as the winters are C O L D in Maine, but other fibers are alright as well, since some are allergic to wool.

Where to mail?
This project has finished. If you would like to send an item, please email me for the mailing address.

Make sure to include “From Sharing Our Gifts,” your name, and information about fiber care and content in the package and/or on the items you send.

SUPER ULTRA IMPORTANT FOR OUR TALLY: please make a post here when you send, and state what and how many. This way, we can keep track of our contributions.

Thank you to our Ravelry group member, threadsgal, for suggesting this project. The founder and contact for Nest Maine is beetgreen on Ravelry.

Happy creating!

Holiday Break

2010-12-15T13:47:00.000-08:00

Sharing Our Gifts is taking a break from December 15 to January 15 to recharge our knitting and crochet needles...

See you in the new year!

Project #14: Hawaii, Ka Punawai Ola

2010-11-30T20:17:00.000-08:00

Runs 11/15 to 12/15/2010

Ka Punawai Ola is a nursing care facility that opened in 2000, and houses 118 patients. Here is some information about them:

“Ka Punawai Ola offers subacute care for patients who need specialized medical services, including medical rehabilitation, IV therapy, and respiratory therapy. Respite care is provided for individuals who need assistance while their primary caregiver is on vacation or temporarily unable to provide in-home care. The Alzheimer’s special care unit has been designed to offer a comfortable and secure environment suitable for the care of residents with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia disorders.”

The patients are often cold, even indoors, so we have been asked to send hats, lapghans, and shawls so they will have a little something to keep warm when they are going about their daily activities.

Our contact on this project is hularac on Ravelry, and we are not posting an address on the blog, but please contact me by email if you wish to participate and need an address for mailing your donation.

This project begins 11/15/10 and goes to 12/15/10. Our items will be there in time to spread a little Christmas cheer!

What are we making?
Hats, Lapghans, shawls

Of what fiber?
Acrylic or cotton are best for this project; the softer, the better!

As always, thank you all for your participation and support of these projects! Happy knitting/crocheting!
This project has finished. If you would like to send an item, please email me for the mailing address.

Project #13: Minnesota, Hats for the Homeless

2010-10-17T01:09:00.000-07:00

From 10/15 to 11/15:

This month, we are helping First Universalist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota to have enough hats to share with the homeless there.

Information can be found at Hats for the Homeless.blogspot and on Ravelry in the Hats for the Homeless group thread.

The Hats for the Homeless group was created about the time that Sharing Our Gifts began, and they are growing strong a year later.

They serve the homeless in the Minneapolis area, and they distribute the items between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

WOOL is strongly preferred.
They request wool because it breathes, wicks moisture, and will keep people warmer than will synthetic fibers. If, however, you are unable to use wool due to allergy or other personal reasons, they will accept wool blends or other warm fibers.

They request that the hats be big enough to pull down over the ears, as the winters there get soooooo cold.

Pattern Suggestions:
“We welcome your creativity with an open heart! However, after talking with many of the recipients from last year’s project, we learned a few things:

1. Dark, solid colors were preferred over lights, brights or stripes.
2. The simpler the pattern, the better.
3. Hats with embellishments like pompoms were not snatched up as enthusiastically.”

Here are a few of the (free) patterns that our knitters enjoyed working last year and would recommend again:

• Knitted Minnesota Winter Hat
• Very Warm Hat
• Marsan Watchcap
• Countrywool Rolled Brim Hat
• A Very Plain Hat

Where do we send our items?
Hats for the Homeless
First Universalist Church
ATTN: Catherine/UU Stitchers
3400 Dupont Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55408 USA

As on some prior projects, we are sending directly instead of through a group volunteer, so PLEASE PLEASE remember to post in our thread or leave a comment here on the blog when you send, and list what you are sending and how many. Also, please tag your items “from Sharing Our Gifts” so the recipients will know from whence the items originated for their own tally purposes.

DEADLINE FOR THIS PROJECT IS NOVEMBER 15.

Thank you again for your participation!

Project #12: Massachusetts, The Knitting Connection

2010-10-13T22:48:00.000-07:00

It’s that time again! Time to sharpen up those needles and dive into a new ball of yarn. Or a hank. Or a skein. Or two. Or three or four!

From 9/15 to 10/15:

This month, we are helping The Knitting Connection in Massachusetts. Here is their mission:

“No child should be without a hat, mittens, and a Christmas stocking…”
Sue A. Manning 10-29-99

The Knitting Connection’s mission is to support children and families with crafted items utilizing the artistic talents of volunteer knitters, crocheters, and quilters. We connect people from the community to support each other during their time of need. This link, from one end of the spectrum to the other, forms a bond of support, understanding, and love.

They serve newborns to age 18, and they distribute the items annually so they will be in perfect time for those in need during the holidays. Annual distribution day is always the first Wednesday after Thanksgiving.

All items that are not 100% acrylic, MUST be labeled with fiber content/type, such as 100% Wool, WOOL BLEND, MIXED (specify the mix), 100% cotton, etc…

What are we making?
Hats, scarves, mittens

Where do we send our items?
The Knitting Connection, Inc.
C/O Sue A. Manning
P.O. Box 560065
West Medford, MA 02156-0065

As on some prior projects, we did not have a direct group member doing the collection and delivery this month, so PLEASE PLEASE remember to post here in our thread when you send, and list what you are sending and how many. Also, please tag your items as “from Sharing Our Gifts” so the recipients will know from whence the items originated for their own tally purposes.

DEADLINE FOR THIS PROJECT IS OCTOBER 15.

Thank you again for your participation!

IF YOU HAVE THE NEED OF YARN, The Knitting Connection can provide some yarn. I think this would mostly be available for those knitters who live in the area of the charity organization and could pick it up. Email Sue Manning at theknittingconnection@hotmail.com for information.

Project #11: South Dakota, Head Start for Pine Ridge

2010-08-25T18:21:00.000-07:00

This month, from August 15 to September 15, we had a last minute request, and the Ravelry group memvers voted to jump in and help the Head Start program furnish the Lakota children of Pine Ridge with hats, scarves, mittens, and blankets for their school year. Read about their regular group activities for the children here.

We will need:

Child Mittens, hats, scarves for 4 -5 year olds and blankets (48” x 48” or so).

Mail directly to HeadStart.

US Mail:
Head Start Main Office
Oglala Lakota College
PO Box 490
Kyle, SD 57752

UPS/Fed Ex:
Head Start Main Office
Oglala Lakota College
490 Piya Wiconi Rd
Kyle, SD 57752

Please leave a comment here with information about what you have sent, and feel free to upload photos to our Flickr pool. Thank you for considering this, especially on such short notice! It will really make a difference.

Also, please tag your items as “from Sharing Our Gifts” so the recipients will know from whence the items originated for their own tally purposes.

Thank you again for your participation!

Project #10: Colorado - Urban Peak, Colorado Springs

2010-07-18T10:53:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it is time for #10 already??!! I want to say a big thank you to all who have participated in projects up to this point. Some of you have been with me from the very beginning, and we are nearing our one year mark! We have gained participants each and every month, though we have also lost a few along the way. All are welcome, and all are appreciated. I could not have donated the nearly 500 items we have donated without you all!

Now, on to Colorado…

This month, from July 15 to August 15, we are knitting for a homeless youth shelter called Urban Peak in Colorado Springs, Colorado. This project was suggested by kae1crafts on Ravelry, and she will be the volunteer collector and delivery person for this one. Thanks, Kae! Here is a little about the charity:

Urban Peak services for homeless and runaway youth include:

* Overnight shelter
* Daily services including food, clothing, hygiene products, laundry and showers
* Intensive case management
* An onsite medical clinic
* Street outreach
* Job skills assessment, training and placement programs
* GED classes
* Educational counseling and planning
* Scholarship and Financial Aid opportunities
* A Mentorship program
* Assistance in obtaining ID and birth certificates
* Transportation assistance
* Educational and Recreational groups
* Referrals for psychiatric counseling services
* Referrals for drug/alcohol counseling and treatment
* Family Counseling and reunification services
* Housing options and referrals

What we are making:

Hats, gloves, and scarves for youth ages 15 to 21. Colors and patterns are your choice, but do remember the age group when making your choices.

As always, these can be knitted, crocheted, or sewn, and they must be handmade. If you do not knit, crochet, or sew, you can still be involved by purchasing a handmade item from one of the wonderful sellers on Etsy or Artfire. Or, ask a friend to make the item and you provide shipping - then you both get to participate!

DEADLINE:
Deadline to have these items received by the project coordinator is August 15, so please allow appropriate mail time.

As stated above, our volunteer coordinator for this project is kae1crafts for the collection, tally, and delivery. The mailing address for this is:

This project has finished. If you would like to send an item, please email me for the mailing address.

Please let me know if there are any questions, or if I have left out any vital information for this project. Thank you again for your participation!

Free Pattern Link

2010-07-08T22:24:00.000-07:00

Would you like to knit this beauty? Well, if you follow this link, you will be taken to the free patter information. Isn't it wonderful when people are willing to share these gifts with others?

(photo belongs to Scarlet Fleece and is
only posted here to show free pattern
sample)

Do you Kefir?

2010-06-24T22:47:00.000-07:00

I have only made kefir once, but I really love to have it on hand, and am exploring the grains and the process. Here is a video I found that discusses some of the information:

Project #9: Idaho - Northwest Children's Home

2010-06-14T22:52:00.000-07:00

Ready, Set, GO!
On to Idaho! This month, BlueRaven has suggested that we send our items to Northwest Children’s Home, Inc. in Lewiston. The Home has been helping orphaned, abandoned and abused children since 1908.

The home has undergone many changes over the last 100 years, and has even endured through location changes, changes in child protection laws, and expansion efforts.

“Today, as Northwest Children’s Home looks forward to its second century, it has come a long way from its original mission as an orphanage and home finder for abandoned children. The change from custodial care to treatment programs that had its genesis in the 1930s has resulted in a constant evolution in how the children’s home operates.”

What we are making for THIS PROJECT:
hats
scarves
mittens/gloves
or if you wish, socks and/or slippers

As always, these can be knitted, crocheted, or sewn, and they must be handmade. If you do not knit, crochet, or sew, you can still be involved by purchasing a handmade item from one of the wonderful sellers on Etsy or Artfire. Or, ask a friend to make the item and you provide shipping - then you both get to participate!

DEADLINE:
Deadline to have these items received by the project coordinator is July 15, so please allow appropriate mail time.

As stated above, our volunteer coordinator for this project is BlueRaven for the collection and tally, and knitsforpits will be doing the delivery. The mailing address for this will be announced in the next few days, so stay tuned!

Please let me know if there are any questions, or if I have left out any vital information for this project. Thank you again for your participation!

This project has finished. If you would like to send an item, please email me for the mailing address.

Project #8: Tennessee Flood Relief

2010-05-12T19:24:00.000-07:00

This month, we are responding to those in immediate need after the flooding in Tennessee. We are now going to partner with the group on Ravelry called Knit and Crochet Tennessee. This one will work a little differently than our previous 7 projects in that we are mailing our items to another charity collection group and they will disburse the items for us as and where there is need.

To this end, we have two options this time around. For those of you who want to know exactly where your donated items are going and/or you want or need a donation receipt (if you want a donation receipt, please specify on your tag and include an SASE so it can be mailed to you by a Salvation Army employee), you can designate that they be delivered to the Salvation Army in Nashville by tagging the items as follows:

“For Salvation Army from Sharing Our Gifts”

For those of you who are comfortable with giving the flexibility of your items being disbursed by the Knit and Crochet group to whatever charity is most in need of flood relief items at a given time, please tag your items as follows:

“From Sharing Our Gifts”

This time, it is VITAL that you tag your items so that they will be properly tallied and distributed. Since our items will be going to the same place that probably thousands of other items will also be going, we want to be sure that they are logged in connection with our group’s donation efforts. We have printable tags on our Ravelry group’s main forum under the tab that says “2 pages.” Print and then just write the proper tag line (from above) on to the back of the tag.

What we are making for THIS PROJECT:
afghans
lapghans
baby and child sized blankets
washcloths
hand towels

(no size requirements; just use your judgment and pattern specifics about sizing - gauge is not super important on these)

I think small knitted, crocheted, or sewn toys/cuddlies would also be appreciated.

As always, these can be knitted, crocheted, or sewn, and they must be handmade. If you do not knit, crochet, or sew, you can still be involved by purchasing a handmade item from one of the wonderful sellers on Etsy or Artfire. Or, ask a friend to make the item and you provide shipping - then you both get to participate!

DEADLINE:
Deadline to have these items received by the project coordinator (for this Project #8) is June 15, so please allow appropriate mail time.

We do not have a “Sharing Our Gifts” volunteer coordinator collecting on this one since we are partnering with the other group, and we are to send to their volunteer collector. The mailing address for this project is:

FiftyForward Knowles
ATTN: Deborah
174 Rains Ave.
Nasville TN 37203

Please let me know if there are any questions, or if I have left out any vital information for this project. Thank you again for your participation!

Impeccable Sweater Wrap

2010-05-01T00:26:00.000-07:00

If you are not a knitter or crocheter, you will hate this post. If you ARE a knitter, please give me some feedback on my re-write mapping of this pattern.

Here is my latest knitting project. I picked it up at Michael's a couple of months ago, and I am just now getting around to beginning. It uses three balls of yarn, but at $2.00 per ball, this makes a very affordable charity knitting project. I think this one will be perfect for a wide number of recipients. However, I don't love acrylic yarn as a rule, for two reasons:

1. I prefer natural fibers to anything synthetic for environmental reasons.

2. I prefer natural fibers for texture, feel, and breathablility.

However, some of my family members prefer acrylic because of the ease of care. Likewise, most organizations accepting charity knitting prefer acrylic or acrylic blends for ease of care reasons. So, I try to choose the best acrylics I can find when I [have to] use them. Impeccable by Loops & Threads is a new line available at Michael's, and is as inexpensive as Red Heart. (I must admit, I hate Red Heart yarn unless I am making a dog toy or a pot scrubber, and I refuse to purchase it new...only at thrift stores or via free hand-me-downs.) Impeccable is much softer than Red Heart, though not as soft as Caron by any stretch. But I think it is functional and adequate.
Now, for the pattern. It's a free pattern, so I can't complain too much, but I really hate patterns that I have to de-code and re-map with painstaking effort. This is one of those. As written, I would need two row counters going through the entire project.

Here is the pattern from the card [click the photo to enlarge]:Here is my translation:
[I have numbered their "next row" designations as 1 and 2 so I don't have to re-type the entire pattern. It works on a 14 row repeat, so I have only had to translate up to 19 rows, then the repeat will be from row 6 to 19.]

Cast on 76 stitches
Knit 5 rows (garter stitch)

row 6: do "next row" 1
row 7: do "next row" 2
row 8:do "next row" 1
row 9: do "next row" 2
row 10:do "next row" 1
row 11: do "next row" 2
row 12: do "next row" 1 with Cable Panel Pat 7th row
row 13: do "next row" 2 with Cable Panel Pat 8th row, (which is "next row" 2)
row 14: do "next row" 1
row 15:do "next row" 2
row 16:do "next row" 1
row 17:do "next row" 2
row 18:do "next row" 1
row 19:do "next row" 2

This may seem redundant, but if I don't have the pattern lined out in rows that I can follow with a counter while I watch t.v. or listen to music or talk to my family, I am likely to miss rows, miscount, and make mistakes. I know they print the pattern the way they do for ease of fitting it onto a 5" x 7.75" card (and to make it appear an easy and quick knit) but I hate when I get to row 6, and then I am lost in a swamp of quicksand and have to dig my way out with a pencil and paper to map myself to land.

Anybody else, or is it must me?

Project #7: Arizona - SisterLuv Crafts, Inc.

2010-04-06T11:46:00.000-07:00

Go west, yon participants, and spread more cheer! We are now going to partner with SisterLuv Crafts, a charity in Arizona that helps supply infants in need of baby layettes, blankets, washcloths and stuffed critters, and the elderly in need of lap throws (lapghans). This project was found by SarahWak1 on Ravelry, who will be our volunteer coordinator for this project. Here is information about SisterLuvCrafts from their website:

“Have YOU ever wanted to use your crafting skills to make a difference in someone’s life? We did too! So, we founded SisterLuv Crafts, a 501c 3 charity, on January 3, 2008.

We’re fun-loving caring sisters, bringing like-minded people together to make and collect items to assemble into gift packs for distribution to needy mothers of newborns and the elderly in the Tse Bonito and Gallup, NM and Window Rock, AZ areas.

You too can bring unexpected joys and smiles and turn strangers into friends by sharing your skills and talents with others. Join us today and make a difference.”

What we are making for THIS PROJECT:
baby blankets, approximately 36 x 40
baby washcloths
sock critters (see some pattern ideas here)
lapghans (small afghans) for adults, approximately 34 X 42. Bright colors appreciated.

As always, these can be knitted, crocheted, or sewn, and they must be handmade. If you do not knit, crochet, or sew, you can still be involved by purchasing a handmade item from one of the wonderful sellers on Etsy or Artfire. Or, ask a friend to make the item and you provide shipping - then you both get to participate!

DEADLINE:
Deadline to have these items received by the project coordinator is May 12, so please allow appropriate mail time.

As stated above, our volunteer coordinator for this project is SarahWak1 on Ravelry. The mailing address for this project has been removed. If you have a late donation to send, please message me for instructions. Thanks!

Please let me know if there are any questions, or if I have left out any vital information for this project. Thank you again for your participation!

Calling all Suggestions!

2010-03-23T13:57:00.000-07:00

Okay, team! I need to flesh out Project #7, and need some suggestions. It will begin just after April 15, so I would like to get it set up within the next week. Prior scheduling has fallen through a bit.

I had a suggestion for North Carolina by a person who is no longer a participant in the project.

I had a suggestion for Wisconsin, but the person suggesting has not been an active participant, so I am still not settled on that state's suggestion.

PurpleMoose made a suggestion for California Lilybugs, but I don't know if we have any members near there.

So, up to now, I have structured the months so that we would have a volunteer coordinator collect, tally, and deliver for us. The perks were that we got an accurate count and some nice photos. This method required that we have suggestions for charities near the home of someone who was willing to be a volunteer.

Since I don't have any current volunteers, and am stalled on projects and states, I think we are going to change it up a bit. We can coordinate with the charity directly, and mail our items to the organization (attn: to whomever is our contact there), with tags that say Sharing Our Gifts, and ask that they hold them all in a group until the end of the month (we specify the date) and then they can tally for us and give us a final count. This will ensure delivery date and relieve the burdens of volunteer coordinating. If the organizations are willing, we might ask them for a final photo of the items as a group.

What do you think?
Do we want to do Lilybugs in CA for this next project, and just deal directly with a member of the organization?

That is the direction in which I am leaning...suggestions appreciated.

POST EDIT:
We have decided to move forward with the current structure in place. We are still going to have a volunteer editor each month to collect, tally, and deliver items to the charity organization. We may have project #7 covered in Colorado with a volunteer coordinator in place. We are working to locate a non-profit in Denver, Colorado that accepts and distributes helmet liners for troops. Stay tuned!

We have had a generous offer by PurpleMoose in Alaska to receive, tally, and ship all items from Alaska to the project state if we lack a volunteer at any time. I hope we do not have to take her up on that offer, but I am grateful all the same.

Happily awaiting all suggestions from all states,
and volunteer(s) offering to coordinate those state(s).

Project #6: Virginia - A Child's Joy

2010-03-03T13:05:00.000-08:00

We now make our way to Virginia where we will share our gifts with A Child’s Joy.org. A Child’s Joy began in 2005, much the way we ourselves began. It began as a personal gift-giving endeavor to donate stockings and stocking stuffers to needy children. The project yielded 45 stockings to donate that first year, and was up to 700 stockings by 2007. As of 2009, they made their goal of 1,200 stockings! A Child’s Joy was incorporated in April of 2007 and now has an IRS status of 501(c)3. This project was suggested by AYoung, who will be our volunteer coordinator for this project. She works for the organization as the donations coordinator. Here is information about A Child’s Joy from their website:

“Our Mission…
To provide joy and encouragement to low income, physically or mentally challenged, abandoned, or orphaned children between the ages of five and twelve through the distribution of filled Christmas stockings; to enhance local outreach and community involvement by operating A Child’s Joy primarily in Fairfax County, Virginia, while partnering with other non-profit organizations such as the Fairfax Church of Christ and Our Neighbor’s Child. A Child’s Joy will minister to all children, regardless of denomination or race.”

What we are making for THIS PROJECT:
Christmas Stockings: opening must be at least 5 inches wide
stocking stuffer toys of your choice

As always, these can be knitted, crocheted, or sewn, and they must be handmade. There is a sewing pattern available from A Child’s Joy if you wish to sew one and need a pattern. If you do not knit, crochet, or sew, you can still be involved by purchasing a handmade item from one of the wonderful sellers on Etsy or Artfire. Or, ask a friend to make the item and you provide shipping - then you both get to participate!

DEADLINE:
Deadline to have these items received by the project coordinator is April 5, so please allow appropriate mail time.

As stated above, our volunteer coordinator for this project is ayoung on Ravelry. The mailing address for this project is:

Ashley Young
6702 Jenny Leigh Ct.
Centreville, VA 20121

Please let me know if there are any questions, or if I have left out any vital information for this project. Thank you again for your participation!

Here is a free stocking pattern on Ravelry.

This SEARCH RESULT for “stocking, free” on Ravelry pattern search yielded many patterns from which to choose!

Project #5: ASAP Homeless Services; Florida

2010-02-13T21:50:00.000-08:00

Moving across state lines to Florida, we are now going to lend our efforts to ASAP Homeless Services, a shelter in St. Petersburg, Florida. This project was found in partnership with Gnat (Natalie) of BarknKnit, who will be our volunteer coordinator for this project. Here is information about ASAP from their website:

"Our Mission...
is to provide housing and basic necessities to the homeless through a Drop-In-Center and Emergency Shelter. Our focus is to guide individuals toward achievement of self-sufficiency and independent living.

About ASAP
ASAP has operated at 11th Ave S. in St. Petersburg since 1986. This non-profit organization is made up of many dedicated volunteers, from its Board to the many generous individuals who make donations of time, goods and money, and through grants from various government agencies. ASAP has a paid staff consisting of an Executive Director and Case Manager. They are supported by up to 4 Night Monitors and an Administrative Assistant. Over 80% of our income is directly spent on client services. The remainder is spent on staff and fund raising."

What we are making for THIS PROJECT:
Hats
Scarves
Mittens
Cotton Washcloths

As always, these can be knitted, crocheted, or sewn, and they must be handmade. If you do not knit, crochet, or sew, you can still be involved by purchasing a handmade item from one of the wonderful sellers on Etsy or Artfire. Or, ask a friend to make the item and you provide shipping - then you both get to participate!

DEADLINE:
Deadline to have these items received by the project coordinator is **March 12**, so please allow appropriate mail time.

As stated above, our volunteer coordinator for this project is BarknKnit on Ravelry. The mailing address for this project is:

Natalie Rush
PO Box 1035
St. Petersburg, FL 33731-1035

Please let me know if there are any questions, or if I have left out any vital information for this project. Thank you again for your participation!

Project #4 has officially ended

2010-02-07T11:57:00.000-08:00

(super cute mittens from PurpleMoose)

Yesterday was the official end of Project #4. The items will be delivered within the next two weeks, and delivery photos will be posted when I have them. (Also, I have not yet received delivery photos of Project #3, though the items have been delivered. I will also post about that delivery when I have the photos.)

I am so gratified to be able to do something for others when there is so much need in the world. I have always looked for ways I could help, and have done volunteer work in the past. But, I hadn't found the most satisfying way to help others until now. It took finally learning to knit to open that door.

Since teaching myself to knit, I have been on a constant journey of learning and observing more advanced knitters, spinners, and crocheters. That journey has taken me many times to YouTube to watch tutorial videos (thank you to all who post those gems!), and it took me to Ravelry.

As I have before mentioned, Ravelry is the place that allowed this project to take flight. Without the willing participants joining my group there, I would be sitting over here knitting one hat and one scarf per project while watching the tumbling tumbleweeds roll by and listening to the vultures circle overhead. But, no. Thanks to Ravelry, we are 93 members strong and growing.

Project 4 has ended with a total of 63 items to donate. This far surpasses my initial goal of 25 items per project. I can't thank you enough for your participation and generosity.

Next, we will begin Project #5 on February 12 with the opening of the Vancouver Olympic Games. Won't you join in and attempt to medal with us in Ravelympics 2010?

Change The World Wednesday

2010-01-27T00:01:00.000-08:00

I have not shared a Change The World Wednesday with you in some time, but I like the one that begins today, so I am joining in this week to...Change the World.

The challenge, as it comes from Reduce Footprints:
This week, "plan an oven- and stove-free day, and no cheating and going out to eat! Have sandwiches, cut up fruit, veggies with dip, leftovers from a previous dinner that you can heat in the microwave**. Plan ahead and make a pasta salad you can eat cold for a few days. Have hummus, feta cheese, and spinach on a pita or wrap. There are tons of healthy, delicious meals you can have without having to turn on the stove! As an added plus, many of the meals are quick and easy to prepare!" **I'd like to bump up What A Card's challenge ... how about including microwave-free, as well.

As for me, I have not used a microwave in about 7 years, and I agree with omitting any microwaving as well. I personally believe them to be hazardous to our health, but if you are a user, give it up on the challenge day.

I think I am going to try to make Saturday my day for this challenge.

If you try it, share with me how it goes for you, and what you did to prepare.

Sharing Our Gifts with Haiti

2010-01-17T11:05:00.000-08:00

I have been wondering what I might do to help in Haiti. Having been hit with unemployment by this economy, I do not have funds to send. I have been told by former president Bush to "just send your cash" instead of any blankets or water. (Yahoo news story; Obama, Bush, Clinton)

So, that leaves me aching for those hurt by this tragedy, with no way to help. Today, Craft Hope has provided me with an answer. Craft Hope has opened an Etsy shop called Craft Hope for Haiti, and this shop is run completely on donated items. The full proceeds of sales from this shop will go to the Doctors Without Borders Haiti relief effort.

In just 24 hours, the Craft Hope for Haiti Etsy shop had 162 sales and raised just around $4,000. At the time of this posting, the shop is up to 227 sales! That is a wonderful statistic, and I hope to help keep it growing. In addition, Craft Hope has added a section in the Etsy shop called "kid craft," so if you know any crafty kids who want to get in on helping the Haiti relief effort, here is their opportunity.

Thank you Craft Hope for starting this shop and
giving us another outlet where we may share our gifts,
even when we may be unable to share funds.

Project #4: South Carolina, Tamassee DAR School

2010-01-06T14:33:00.000-08:00

Continuing our effort to help others by reaching across state lines, we move on to the Tamassee DAR School in South Carolina. This project was suggested by AuntieCin on Ravelry who has an ongoing relationship with the school through her local DAR chapter in Florida. Here is information about them from their website:

“Tamassee DAR School is a private non-profit children’s home and family service organization offering multi-faceted programs to serve children and families in crisis. Year round services are provided for up to 56 children in residence. Our programs and services include 8 on-campus child care homes that can house up to 8-10 children, middle-school academy for day and residential students, individual and group counseling, enrichment and recreational activities and a college/after care program.”

The school helps children who range in age from Kindergarten to 12th grade. They do accept cash donations, and they run a thrift shop as another way to raise funds. However, I am told that the children could benefit from our help as well, and the representative to whom I have spoken was very excited to have been chosen as our next project.

What we are making for THIS PROJECT:
Hat/Scarf sets, or
Hats
Scarves
Mittens

As always, these can be knitted, crocheted, or sewn, and they must be handmade. If you do not knit, crochet, or sew, you can still be involved by purchasing a handmade item from one of the wonderful sellers on Etsy or Artfire. Or, ask a friend to make the item and you provide shipping - then you both get to participate!

DEADLINE:
Deadline to have these items received by the project coordinator is February 6, so please allow appropriate mail time. The DAR representative from AuntieCin’s chapter will be delivering to the facility on or about February 10.

As stated above, our volunteer coordinator for this project is AuntieCin on Ravelry. Donations can be mailed to:

Cindy Lunn
9476 Forest Hills Circle
Tampa, FL 33612

Though the items are being mailed to Florida, they will be hand-delivered to the school in South Carolina as one of the regular delivery trips of AuntieCin’s DAR chapter.

Please let me know if there are any questions, or if I have left out any vital information for this project. Thank you again for your participation!

KnittingForCharity.org

2010-01-05T13:42:00.000-08:00

I am pleased with the momentum we have gained since we began in September, 2009. Every now and then, I do a Google search for various terms that might include us. Today, I searched for "sharing our gifts" and found that we are in the #1 slot, as well as occupying places #8 and #9 on the same page.

I then searched for "sharing our gifts across America" and found a very nice article and review of our projects up to this current one (Project #3). It was written by Nellie on December 10, 2009. I love the thorough review and the inspirational tone of the article. It is entitled: Sharing Our Gifts Across America -- A Knitting Charity that Inspires.

It begins thus: "Learn about a knitting charity that crosses state lines to reach out to those in need." She goes on to discuss how knitting for charity really is a gift, and says that "When you knit for charity, you touch the lives of others in ways you didn't think possible." It is true! It may feel insignificant to you when you are making and sending off your one measly hat, or even a few items. I know it sometimes feels to me like it is just not enough.

But when combined with that one other hat from another knitter, and those two scarves from another knitter, and a crocheted pair of mittens or slippers from another individual, it adds up and makes a difference. These are gifts worth giving. I am inspired all over again when I see the items shared by others of this group project, or when I read encouraging articles like the one by Nellie.

She outlines each of our first three projects and shares links to our blog, as well as giving my email address for anybody who might wish to join us. Thank you, Nellie, for the recognition and sharing of our project.

Visit Nellie the Knittin' Nut at KnittingForCharity.org. She has many tips and links and information about how to begin knitting for charity. She has free patterns. She has instructions, supplies, techniques, and even a post about how to knit for charity if you cannot knit. Her focus is knitting because she is a knitter, but certainly crocheters are welcome and encouraged to create for charity also!

Giving across state lines...
I like it!

For the love of Ravelry

2009-12-31T13:06:00.000-08:00

Ravelry is THE knit and crochet community on the Internet. It is the wonderful place where all fiber fanatics can park themselves in soft, luxurious comfort. It is easy to set up one's own little corner of the yarny universe and to share knowledge, patterns, photos, and thoughts.

Questions are answered. Pattern help is just a keyboard click away. Like-minded folk are waiting to form fiber friendships that often spill out into the brick and mortar world. Patterns, patterns, patterns, free and for purchase, can be found in abundance. People, people, people shop, swap, and share in groups.

It is because of the existence of Ravelry that my Sharing Our Gifts Across America project has even been able to accomplish its first modest goals. Almost every person who has donated to the project has been a member of the Sharing Our Gifts group on Ravelry. A few have found us in other ways, but the lion's share of help has been from Ravelry.

I am happy to have found this wonderful website when I was just a newbie knitter, and I have had nothing but positive experiences there. If you happen to be one of those who is not yet on Ravelry, or who has never been there, you must go and have a look.

Once there, you can join the group, share your stash, peruse the huge database of patterns, and even participate in the Ravelympics in February.

See you there!

Thank You

2009-12-28T15:25:00.000-08:00

I have received additional thank you sentiments from Project #1 and Project #2 that I wanted to share. I am so happy that so many of you have responded to my original idea and have joined in to spread and share our particular gifts and talents. I am excited to continue into 2010 with some wonderful projects already in the works!

Looking eagerly toward the New Year with you all...

Project #2 has been delivered!

2009-12-19T11:35:00.000-08:00

Purplemoose of Ravelry has delivered our donations to the Lee Shore Center! They were very happy to receive such a generous helping of warm goodies from all of you wonderful participants. Thank you for your ongoing support.

I love that we have made a difference in the lives of others just by doing something we already love to do. It is like sending bits of love to float around in the universe where they will bump into other bits and spread a little happiness.The final count:

Hats: 30
Mitten pairs: 13
Scarves: 3
Headbands: 3
Slippers: 2 pair

I know we are all busy through the holidays,
but I thank you all for your donations and for
joining in this project with me!

Pattern Inspiration

2009-12-08T12:19:00.000-08:00

I wanted to provide a space where participants might look for pattern help and inspiration. I will be posting the links on our Yahoo Group page, but I am also going to list them here on the blog. For now, they will be in this post, and I will place a permalink on the sidebar that leads here.

So far, we have worked on hats, slippers, scarves, and shawls. All links listed here will be to free patterns that can be used by any participant. If you have pattern ideas, links, or information, please email me or comment on this post so I can add them here.

Hats:

Knitting patterns:

Crochet Patterns:

Sewing Patterns:

Slippers:

Knitting patterns:

Crochet Patterns:

Sewing Patterns:

Scarves:

Knitting patterns:

Besotted scarf from Hello Yarn
The Buff by Whorled Peace
Cabled Scarf by Yarn-a-G0-Go
Chunky Beginner's Scarf by Wooly Mammoth Knits
Evangeline Cowl by Orinda 5

Crochet Patterns:

Sewing Patterns:

Shawls:

Knitting patterns:

Prayer Shawl #70373AD from Ravelry
Ruffled Shawl from Straw.com and seen on Ravelry
Prayer Shawl from ShawlMinistry.com

Crochet Patterns:

Prayer Shawl from ShawlMinistry.com

Sewing Patterns:

Garments:

Knitting Patterns

Neighborly sweater vest, pdf pattern

Crochet Patterns

Toys:

Knitting Patterns

Crochet Patterns

Prosthetic Breast:

Knitting Patterns

Chenille Boob

Project #3: Oklahoma Brain Tumor Foundation

2009-12-05T00:01:00.000-08:00

A huge thank you to all who have participated thus far, and I look forward to all we will accomplish in Project #3.

We move now to the state of Oklahoma, and to making hats, scarves, and shawls for patients at the Oklahoma Brain Tumor Foundation. This project was suggested by cmunholland on Ravelry, and she will be acting as our coordinator and mail recipient.

From the OKBTF website, here is some information about the origin of the foundation:
"The Oklahoma Brain Tumor Foundation (OKBTF), was founded by Nancy Thomason after the death of her son Cade Thomason to a brain stem PNET tumor on February 17, 2000. She vowed to fight the disease in honor and memory of her son Cade.

OKBTF is dedicated to meeting the needs of Oklahoma families, caregivers and patients affected by primary brain or central nervous system tumors. We work to provide for needs through education, advocacy, research and service."

OKBTF provides services for 227 families and approximately 908 caregivers and immediate family members of individuals with brain tumors.

THIS PROJECT:
For this project, we will be creating hats, scarves, or shawls to donate to the organization. As always, these can be knitted, crocheted, or sewn, and they must be handmade. If you do not knit, crochet, or sew, you can still be involved by purchasing a handmade item from one of the wonderful sellers on Etsy or Artfire. Or, ask a friend to make the item and you provide shipping - then you both get to participate!

DEADLINE:
Deadline to have these items received by the project coordinator is January 5, so please allow appropriate mail time. She will be delivering to the facility on or about January 8.

As stated above, our volunteer coordinator for this project is cmunholland on Ravelry. Donations can be mailed to:

C. Munholland
1905 Ryan Way
Edmond, OK 73003

Please let me know if there are any questions, or if I have left out any vital information for this project. Thank you again for your participation!

Have you heard of Bark 'n Knit? (barknknit)

2009-11-18T11:25:00.000-08:00

Well, I had not heard of it until recently when we were featured on BarknKnit podcast #37.

It was all so very exciting!
Now, I am down with listening to each new podcast installment.
Gnat has even joined our Sharing Our Gifts Across America
project. Thanks, Gnat!

Episode 38 is out, entitled "Twilight Month Has Arrived."

There is even a contest going on right now, and the prize is a

set of Twilight inspired Batts from Mandalinn Knits & Spins.

To enter, you must take a quiz. Admittedly, I know nothing about

Twilight

so I scored a whopping 50%!

Gnat says on the podcast that there will be three quizzes...

So, go take a visit to BarknKnit, where you will find

podcasts, shopping, forums, patterns,

and lots of doggy antics.

Mittens from The Unique Sheep

2009-11-12T18:48:00.001-08:00

(photo by The Unique Sheep)

I learned of The Unique Sheep when I began project #1, and Painty on Ravelry donated a pair of slippers. The Unique Sheep is a local yarn store in North Carolina, owned by partners Laura and Kelly. The shop specializes in handpainted yarn. One of my favorites is the Green Sheep Worsted superfine merino in worsted weight.

Laura has joined in for project #2 as well, and has knitted a beautiful pair of mittens out of Super Wool Gigante, which is carried in the shop. The mittens have been dyed a beautiful shade of red. She has even blogged about our project on the Unique Sheep blog. And she shared the free pattern for the mittens.

I would like to send a Thank You to Laura for joining in on our projects and for giving us the mention on her blog. You can thank her by checking out The Unique Sheep's site and blog, and spreading the word.

Project #1 items were Delivered

2009-11-10T13:30:00.000-08:00

On November 2, I delivered our items for Project #1 to the Southern Oregon Veterans Rehab facility. We delivered 36 hats and 10 pair of slippers. Above is the Thank you card we received from the representative there. Thank you to all who participated!Our items fit into a 10 gallon tote (though the lid would not fit on), and my husband and I carried them to the office of our representative contact at the facility. Once there, I completed donation paperwork outlining what we were donating, and how many items there were in total.Then I handed them over for processing. These hats and slippers will now be re-homed to new Veterans entering the facility. Upon arrival, they will be issued needful items which will include a pair of slippers and a hat, until the supply is depleted.

The representative expressed gratitude for our efforts,
and was impressed at the variety in our patterns.
Thank you again for a job well done!

Thank you for Sharing!

2009-11-04T11:21:00.000-08:00

A thank you goes out to Splendid Little Stars for sending this great hat donation to Project #1, and for sharing our projects on your blog. We need as many volunteers as we can find for all the upcoming projects, so it is very helpful when anyone is willing to share our information with readers.

With help from all participants by word of mouth and word of blog, we will keep growing and will be able to help that many more people. It would not be possible without giving and caring people like Margaret, and others who have volunteered and worked on this or other charity projects.

Thanks!

Change The World Wednesday

2009-11-04T00:01:00.000-08:00

Another Change the World Wednesday challenge from Reduce Footprints:

This one came from our bloggy friend, Ange, who writes a wonderful blog called Signed by Ange. In a note she said "A tip for next week (one that is close to my heart): ZERO food wastage! Get into creative cooking with left overs and only buying what we need to feed the family. Often we have more in the pantry than we realize! And for Mums - that doesn't mean we have to eat the kids' leftovers off their plates ;-)".

So let's take her up on that challenge:

This week, don't waste any food. Buy only what is needed for your family. If you cook more than what's necessary, get creative with left-overs. If left-overs don't appeal to your family, cook only enough for one meal. Don't toss out any food ... and don't let it spoil in the refrigerator. Zero Food Waste!

OR ..

If you're already a zero food waste chef, then share some of your more creative meals in a post.

First hat for Project #2 Complete

2009-10-31T12:39:00.001-07:00

10-31-09 029 edited
Originally uploaded by Nature With Me

I have finished my first hat for Project #2. It is a hat of my own design, but turned out that the pattern will not be friendly to others as written. I am happy with the outcome, but am going to have to make another and tweak the pattern a bit before it would be worthy of sharing.

Since it is infant/toddler sized and I don't have one of those at my house, we had Rose the bear model it for you. She appears here with Rags the dog, and as you can see, he is about to go ice skating.

How is Project #2 going for you?

Our Project #2 shared

2009-10-30T19:09:00.000-07:00

(photo by Kae1Crafts)

Kae of the Helmet Liners for Troops project has shared our Sharing Our Gifts Across America Project #2 on her blog today. Thanks, Kae! Click on the photo of the helmet liners above to be taken directly to her site.

Now, please take time to visit her...and maybe you have time to knit a helmet liner or two? If you are able to help with her project, or if you might be able to answer her reader's email question about any Canadian projects for providing helmet liners to Canadian troops, please read her informational post and requests by clicking here.

Change The World Wednesday

2009-10-28T12:09:00.001-07:00

Challenges Brought to you by Reduce Footprints:

This week's challenge comes from our friend, Amy, at The Wayland Springs Cook. Since this seems to be the time of year when a lot of people get their cars ready for winter ... it seemed like a perfect challenge. Here we go:

This week give your car a little TLC. Check tire pressures and make sure that they are at the manufacturer's recommended levels. Check the air filter and change it if necessary. Fix any oil and/or radiator leaks. Give your car a general "check up" ... a properly running car will minimize it's impact on the earth and it'll keep you safe.

Or ...

Write a post about Eco-friendly transportation. Need a couple of ideas? Consider a post about alternatives to driving, or perhaps an article on how to minimize the environmental impact of using a car.

So what do you think? Is it doable?

Project #2: Alaska - Lee Shore Center

2009-10-25T10:52:00.000-07:00

Our 50 states tour continues in the beautiful and remote state of Alaska. We will be making hats and mittens for women and children at the Lee Shore Center in Kenai, Alaska. Here is the web site for you: http://www.alaska.net/~leeshore/

The Lee Shore Center provides a safe haven for women and children escaping from domestic abuse and sexual assault. Their mission is to empower and support women and children, educate the public on these issues, and strive to eliminate domestic abuse and sexual assault.

The facility is a 32 bed facility, but due to privacy concerns, the facility does not divulge how many are in residence at any one time. There are adult women, as well as children (both male and female) from birth to 18 years of age. There are often more children in residence than adult women. Over the past year, there have been more infants and toddlers than at other times. This means hats and mittens of all sizes will be appreciated.

These hats and mittens can be knitted, crocheted, or sewn. The key is that they must be handmade. As stated in our first project, if you do not knit, crochet, or sew, you can still donate by purchasing handmade items from someone (Etsy, Artfire, and 1000 Markets offer these), or asking a friend to create the donation for you. We had a participant from our first project ask a friend to crochet a hat, then this participant would pay the shipping cost, and in that way they became tandem participants.

Deadline to have these received by the project coordinator is November 25, so please allow appropriate mail time. These will be delivered to the center on December 1, so they will be there in time for the Christmas holiday.

Our volunteer coordinator for this project is Purplemoose on Ravelry. Donations can be mailed to:

Barbara Waters - 311 Kulila Pl. - Kenai, AK 99611

The LeeShore Center is a non-profit agency - so, if you would like a donation receipt, you will need to provide your name and mailing address along with a dollar figure for the receipt. If no dollar figure is provided only a thank you letter can be sent.

Please let me know if there are any questions, or if I have left out any vital information for this project. Thank you again for your participation!

[1]: http://www.alaska.net/~leeshore/
[2]: http://www.ravelry.com/people/purplemoose

and Wrap-Up...

2009-10-24T12:46:00.001-07:00

This little chocolate number is oh-so soft, and would look great with

these slippers...
which arrived with this pair of slippers, together in a happy little box...and this pair (below) arrived in their own big box.
They are really neat with their sued sole sewn onto warm slipper sock tops!

Tomorrow is the official end of Project #1, but I will share other photos if any more trail in;
check back for tomorrow's announcement of Project #2!

Countdown...

2009-10-23T17:50:00.001-07:00

What was in the mail? More HATS and SLIPPERS! I will split these over the next two days, as we end this campaign for Project #1. Again, thank you so much to all who participated and helped the launch to be a success. Please stay tuned, and spread the word because we have 49 more states to go!Project #2 will be announced on Sunday, and will move our efforts to the state of Alaska...I end here today with the colors of the Oregon Ducks...

Donations Received...

2009-10-22T17:42:00.001-07:00

Stay tuned for what's
in the mail...

Change The World Wednesday challenge

2009-10-21T17:40:00.000-07:00

For this week's challenge:

Each time you shop for a non-food item, look to see whether a recycled version is available. If feasible, buy the recycled version. If there isn't one, but it's a category such as paper where you know recycled versions exist, ask the store to start carrying a recycled version.

OR

If you already buy recycled items regularly (or cannot afford to do so at all) then write a blog post about products made from reclaimed materials.

I am behind on photos...

2009-10-20T09:54:00.000-07:00

I have been remiss in showcasing the donations here on the blog over the last week or so...

So, here is a combined photo of those that I had received and not yet shared:

The striped and green hats were all from the same person, plus I have realized that I left out the pair of slippers from her that were also in the box. Thank you! The two pair of slippers shown were from two different individuals. Thank you!

The three hats on the top left were from Purple Moose on Ravelry, who will be our acting coordinator for project #2 (soon to be announced!). Thank you!

I will be listing the rest of the donations I picked up yesterday over the next few days as we draw this project to a close. Deadline for this project is October 25, and I will be announcing Project #2 on October 25 as well.

Happy creating!

Change The World Wednesday

2009-10-14T10:36:00.000-07:00

It's that time again. Are you ready?
Last week's challenge was a piece of cake. Just pick up litter wherever you find it. I, personally, am going to make it an everyday challenge.

Now, for this week with a twist:

This week's Change The World Wednesday challenge is a bit different from our usual challenges. Rather than do an activity for an entire week, we're going to do one thing ... on one day ... with bloggers all over the world. Are you intrigued? Here it is:

Tomorrow, October 15th, participate in Blog Action Day by writing a post on Climate Change. That's it! (Click the picture above to get some ideas for posts and to read more about the Blog Action Day movement .)

Imagine ... bloggers all over the world talking about the same subject ... a lot of people with one voice! Brilliant!

Hat, Ahoy

2009-10-10T00:39:00.000-07:00

I have received another hat for the Veterans of Oregon. This one comes from the Partridge Family, how cool is that? I think it is from Shirley Partridge herself!
Okay, maybe not THE Shirley Partridge of the 70's television show, but another person who made me think of those bygone days.

Anyway, thank you for participating and sending such a soft, thick hat!

Change The World Wednesday

2009-10-07T10:41:00.000-07:00

(if you are new to the challenge, click the logo above to go to Reduce Footprints' site)

I must admit that I have been less than diligent in recent weeks about following the challenges every day of the week. However, I am happy to report that I did not use any plastic wrap or foil last week, but instead I did use shower caps to cover food. (Though they are plastic, they are not plastic wrap.) I keep these on hand for covering leftovers in bowls (glass bowls) in the fridge. I got them new, in their packaging, over a period of years. I wash and REUSE them, so they do not offend green living principles. Weird? Maybe. But they are great for covering rising bread dough.

This week, MY SUGGESTED CHALLENGE is featured, so I will have to step it up in the diligence category! How have you been faring?

*************************
This week's challenge was suggested by two people ... Judi from Living Green & Natural (a Delphi Forum) and Sinclair at Sharing Our Gifts. I think it's a great idea ... and, because I'm sure that there is always a need, there won't be two levels to this challenge. Here we go: Put on your walking shoes because this week we're going to walk ... not just idle walking ... we're going to clean as we go.

Yep, this week, please go for a walk ... at least once ... and pick up litter as you go. If you're feeling ambitious, go every day. Once you've got your bag of litter, recycle what can be recycled before tossing the rest in the trash bin. Isn't that a great challenge? Not only will we get some exercise and breathe in some fresh, fall air ... we'll be cleaning up trash as we go. We can all agree that litter is an eye-sore ... but if you're wondering why litter is bad for the environment, read about it HERE. *************************

Maggpie's Hat

2009-10-05T00:01:00.000-07:00

I have received this very Smart Hat from Maggpie on Ravelry. It is called Smart Hat, and the pattern is available for free download on Ravelry. It is like Christmas in October around here, but I get to have the dual excitement of receiving the gifts and opening the mail packages AND playing St. Nick and delivering them to their future owners.

I LOVE mail, I LOVE yarn, I LOVE textures, and I LOVE giving. Now, I have it all wrapped up on one project. I am loving this arrangement. I will not be the direct mail recipient for all the projects, so will not always get to have such fun and excitement from the post box.

Thank you, Maggpie, for this wonderful hat! It is soft, bulky, and a wonderfully manly color. I am certain that the Veteran receiving this one will appreciate all your hard work.

How are your projects working up?
Have you tweeted the Project today?

Cable Knit Achieved!

2009-10-01T10:55:00.000-07:00

(click the photo to go to weezalana's Ravelry page)

As I mentioned in an earlier post, my camera has gone the way of all defunct electronics. Not because it won't take pictures anymore, but because it will not load those pictures onto a computer anymore. Bad AV output connector.

So, the photo today is brought to you by weezalana from Ravelry. The photo is of the Lucky 7 hat she made, and illustrates for you the hat I just knitted. Mine was knit in a solid sage green yarn by Paton's. It was my first attempt at cables, and mine came out great! I am so happy to be over the cable hurdle and to know that they don't have to be that difficult.

The pattern is available for free on Ravelry (I love that spirit of giving that I can share here!)

happy knitting!

Another donation received for Project #1!

2009-09-29T22:20:00.000-07:00

Kae of Kae1Creations is a very busy woman! She makes helmet liners for troops like there is no tomorrow, keeps a blog, maintains an Etsy shop, and still finds time to make and send a generous donation to the Veterans of Southern Oregon for our little project. Amazing!

All one has to donate for my project is one item, but Kae sent two hats and two pair of slippers - in matching sets!! If you are able to multitask and need another charity project to support, give the helmet liners page a look. I will be sending one her way for the current challenge.

Thanks, Kae!

More Donations Received for Project #1

2009-09-26T16:31:00.001-07:00

Yesterday in the mail, I received two separate donations. I am posting them in the order in which they were in my mail box. (I will post about the second one on Monday.) The above hats came wrapped up in heartfelt packaging from cmunholland of Ravelry.

They are wonderfully crafted and are very soft. I absolutely love the color, and have requested her pattern(s) so I might be able to make one for myself. If possible, I would like to compile a pattern link list on our Yahoo Groups page so participants can browse there for inspiration.

I think the one on the right is Spring Beret by Natalie Larson. It is available on Ravelry (here).

My requested donation from any one person is only one item for each project, so she has even gone beyond expectations with her generosity in donating two hats. Thank you so much, cmunholland!!

I have seen comments here and there about this project by people who express a wish to help, but a lack of time to personally create an item. For those of you who fall into this category, let me remind you that Etsy, Artfire, and 1000 Markets sell handmade items, and many shops offer hats and slippers at very reasonable prices. If you wish to contribute, you could purchase a handmade item and still be able to donate it to the cause.

To date (including what will be featured on Monday's post), we have received 3 pair of slippers and 5 hats. The deadline for this project is not until October 25, so you still have time if you would like to participate.

Sharing Our Gifts was featured

2009-09-25T18:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I was very happy to stumble upon a post about us on On A Rainy Night. The post is by Paula, who is a member of the 50 Projects for 50 States group I created on Ravelry.

Thank you, Paula, for helping to spread the word. Thank you to all who are participating and sharing gifts, knowledge, tutorials, and time.

My hat for Project #1

2009-09-24T00:01:00.000-07:00

I have completed my hat for project #1. I have also recently completed my first ever knitted sock, so maybe I will take the plunge into slippers soon!

Again, thank you to all participants. Keep spreading the word!

Change The World Wednesday

2009-09-23T00:01:00.000-07:00

(click the logo to go to Reduce Footprints' site)

I was a miserable failure this past week at ridding my house of paper towels. I normally don't buy them, but there are already several rolls in the house, and I DID try to cut back...but I caught myself grabbing for one and using it before I even realized I had done so. I am going to have to continue to work on this one. When this supply is gone, I am going to try to go without paper towels.

This week's challenge:

******
This week we're all about kids ... after all, they will take the "green torch" and become environmental "Olympians". So this week, your challenge is to do an environmentally friendly activity with your kids (or grand kids or neighbor kids or nieces/nephews, cousins, etc). Get them involved. Need some ideas? Here you go:

Awesome Activities

Kaboose

Kids Links (Teaching Green)

Gardening for Kids

Once you've done the activity, we want to know about it ... so come back here and leave a comment (either with the activity or a link to a post) ... or if they did something fun during the summer like an Eco-Camp, tell us about that. We'd also be interested in little Eco-Stars ... kids who have taken it upon themselves to come up with green living ideas.

Or ...

If you don't have any accessible kids to have "green" fun with, then write an article about ways that we can get kids involved in an Eco-friendly lifestyle.
****

Good luck, and start your ~~engines~~ eco-friendly inspirational power sources...

First Project #1 Donation Received!!

2009-09-21T00:01:00.000-07:00

I received these slippers the other day from Painty (on Ravelry). They are perfectly sized for an adult male and they are a lovely shade of blue. The photo has washed out the color somewhat, so you cannot tell that they are actually a darker, truer shade than you see here. She also used fabric puff paint on the bottom to give them traction and make them less likely to slip.
Painty has a LYS (local yarn store) in North Carolina called The Unique Sheep. You can read all the yarny happenings, including the tale of her new sheep tattoo, on her blog. Thank you, Painty!

Thank you to all participants...keep spreading the word!

Thank you, Participants!

2009-09-19T23:21:00.000-07:00

Nutmeg Knitter is a participant in the Sharing Our Gifts Across America project (#1), and I found us mentioned on her blog today. Yay! I was there to copy and paste her blog address into my Participants Blogroll (see it there in the far right column?), and found the nice link to this blog.

I love that the ring of goodness, once begun, just keeps growing. I don't know if you are involved in our Project #1 or not, but even if you are not creating a donation item, you can help spread the word by sharing your knowledge of the project on your blog, Twitter, Stumble Upon, etc...

My planned post for today did not happen yet because I need to take new photos...and I have been processing corn for the freezer (winter storage and all).

Change The World Wednesday

2009-09-16T00:01:00.000-07:00

I have to admit that my planting aspirations did not come to fruition this past week, as I have had other pressing engagements, but I will complete the task before the end of this week. I am planting my tulip bulbs, crocuses, garlic, and lettuces. I will also be taking up my pepper and tomato plants soon from the garden and putting them into pots.

The tomatoes will hang upside down in the garage in containers, and will continue to ripen the fruits already begun, and the pepper plants will winter over in the kitchen window box.

Now, for this week's challenge:

********************

Two of our bloggy friends, Amy Byrd of The Wayland Springs Cook and Marcy of Cooking Rut (both wonderful chefs), suggested this:

This week, for the entire week, refuse to use paper towels. Yep, 7 days ... no paper towels.

Or ...

If you never use paper towels, please write a post about how you get by without them.

********************

Remember to tweet #ctww if you Twitter, and have a good week!

Stripey goes to Sacramento

2009-09-15T10:41:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share with you the finished donation sock monkey for the Craft Hope Project #4. He is complete and went out in the mail yesterday to his destination. Amilia fell in love with him and gave him a very warm goodbye. We sent him off with loving thoughts and a note to his new human.

Hop on over to Craft Hope and see the photos of the 101 monkeys they have already received...

Change The World Wednesday

2009-09-09T09:55:00.000-07:00

I am happy to report that I came into contact with NO styrofoam last week. I have in the past taken food home from a restaurant in it, but not so this week. I also do not purchase meat, so did not have to encounter it in the grocery cart, and use my own fabric coffee sleeve or my own thermos, so no styrofoam coffee cuffs were sent to a landfill.

This week is right up my alley! The challege this week is to PLANT SOMETHING.

As always, brought to you by Reduce Footprints (click the logo above to go to her site):
Fall is a wonderful time to plant things ... trees, bushes, flower bulbs ... even cool weather vegetables. And, of course, there are always house plants. So this week, plant something.

Or ...

If you feel you'd like a little more of a challenge, then ... in addition to part one, write a post about fall planting. Include information on why it's a "good thing", which plants/crops grow best in cool weather, where to get them and how to plant them.

I am not planting a full fall garden, but I have beets already percolating under the earth, and am about to plant some herbs for my winter kitchen window box and lettuces on the west deck. So glad I now have extra incentive to get it done today.

What will you plant?

Visit NatureWithMe to see the Honor Society in the left sidebar...

Sharing Our Gifts Across America is featured!

2009-09-08T10:17:00.000-07:00

We are growing each day, and getting the word out there.

1. DinnerTime Chimes has featured us on the Etsy Team blog NCTriangle. September 8, 2009

2. Kae1Crafts has joined our project drive and has featured us in her blog post as well. September 8, 2009. She also has her own ongoing charity project donating knitted wool helmet liners to military troops. Specifics on her project and how you can help are found on her Squidoo page.

3. We were featured on Nutmeg Knitter on September 15,2009.

4. On A Rainy Night featured us on September 24,2009.

5. Kae1Crafts featured us again on October 30,2009.

6. Splendid Little Stars on October 31,2009.

7. Bark'nKnit podcasted us on Episode 37, November 1, 2009.

8. On The Unique Sheep, November 3, 2009.

9. On The Purple Moose Gazette, November 7, 2009.

10. On This Eclectic Life, November 13, 2009.

11. On KnittingForCharity, December 10, 2009.

12. On LenoxKnits, December 15, 2009.

13. On The Unique Sheep, March 23, 2010.

14. On Purple Moose Gazette, March 25, 2010.

Please visit and Stumble, Technorati fave, or Digg these posts! If you Twitter, tweet the projects for us. For Sharing Our Gifts, please add the hashtag #sharingourgifts to your tweets.

Thanks to all who have featured us!

Project #1 Progress

2009-09-07T00:01:00.000-07:00

I hope you all are having a wonderful Labor Day weekend. Our challenge is gaining steam, and we have now 48 members on Ravelry, 3 group members on Blog Catalog, and 3 members in the Yahoo Group.

In addition, we will be featured tomorrow on NCTriangle.blogspot! It is a blog for the North Carolina Triangle Street Team on Etsy, and a member of that team, DinnerTime Chimes, has notified me that she will be featuring our project there to help give us some momentum.

DinnerTime Chimes is a fellow member of the TeamEcoEtsy street team, and has recently had work featured in the L.A. Times ,L.A. at Home section.

Go ahead and have a look through these links...you never now what treasures you may find!

Project #1, Southern Oregon Veterans

2009-09-04T00:42:00.001-07:00

Another day down, and I am happy to report that we have 40 members in our Ravelry group, 23 of whom have left messages on the forum to chime in and let us know what they will be making. I have not seen much activity on Twitter or on Blog Catalog, and only have one new member at the Yahoo Group.

If you are on Twitter, help get the buzz going by tweeting this post and adding the hashtag #sharingourgifts. Pop in on the Yahoo Group, Ravelry, or Blog Catalog and announce your participation. Or just leave a comment here and I will get you on the roster.

We have suggestions for projects in Alaska, Oklahoma, Indiana, Arizona, Virginia, South Carolina, and North Carolina so far. Project # 2 has been decided, and tentatively, we have 3, 4, 5, & 6 in the works. If you have a suggestion for any of the remaining states, or even an alternate suggestion for a state just mentioned, let me know! Comment on this post or any of the forums, or send me an email.

Again, thank you to all who have signed up to participate thus far.
There is plenty of room for more, so jump on in...

Project #1: Southern Oregon Veterans facility

2009-09-03T00:01:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to announce that just one day into the launch of this project, I have 10 confirmed participants and 22 forum members. Thank you so much to all of you who have pledged to donate hats and slippers for this project. If you missed all the places you can find us and keep up with the projects, the list is on top of the left sidebar.

We are here on the blog, of course. We are on Twitter. We are on Blog Catalog. We are on Ravelry. We have a Yahoo Groups page where you can post photos of your finished projects.

I mentioned on Ravelry that I will be making hat(s) because I don't know how to knit slippers yet. I received a link to an easy slipper pattern that might help some of you as well. If you are adventurous and almost up to doing them, perhaps you want to give it a go. Go to Aunt Maggie's Slippers.

Join us and share comments with other participants. I already have requests for projects for Alaska, Oklahoma, and tentatively New York. Do you have a suggestion for your state? Send me a comment or an email.

Comfy hats and slippers!

Change The World Wednesday

2009-09-02T23:26:00.000-07:00

Another week has come and gone so fast! I am happy to announce that I did very well on last week's challenge. I manually put my computer to sleep every night except one. On that one, it did auto-hibernate, so I was still in game.

Now, for this week's challenge (brought to you by Reduce Footprints; click the logo to go to her site):

For one week, say "NO" to polystyrene foam (commonly known as Styrofoam). This means ... don't buy it (no Styrofoam coolers, cups or toys), don't use it and don't buy anything that comes in it. At restaurants, should you have leftover food to take home, ask the server to put it in something other than Styrofoam. At fast-food establishments, refuse to buy any products which come in it. Just Say No!

Or ...

If your life is already Styrofoam free, then write a post about why Styrofoam is so bad for the environment.

As for the Honor Society, I think I am going to make a permanent blogroll on the left sidebar for this so it doesn't take up so much space in post. Also, follow reduce footprints on Twitter (remember hashtag #ctww when tweeting), and visit the group on Blog Catalog.

Happy World Changing!

Sharing Our Gifts Across America: 50 Projects for 50 States

2009-09-01T23:17:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to finally launch the real purpose of this blog. I began this blog as a way to share ideas, knowledge, gifts, and inspiration. I am now beginning a long-term project that has been tumbling to a polished sheen in my mind. I know there are many others contributing to charities, and I have even recently mentioned my involvement with Craft Hope's Project #4.

But, as I mentioned to a fellow blogger friend the other day, I think sometimes people want to help others in far-flung locales, and we overlook many who need help right in our own area(s). So, I want to help at least one charity in each of the 50 states. I want to offer quality handmade goods to people who might not otherwise have the opportunity to purchase or have handmade. I want to help charitable organizations and people at the same time.

So, Project # 1:
Our 50 states tour begins in the beautiful state of Oregon. We will be making
hats and slippers for Veterans at the Southern Oregon - White City
Rehabilitation Center. It is a 600 bed facility, and I am told that they always
appreciate hats and slippers. These can be knitted, crocheted, or sewn. The key
is that they must be handmade. If you don't make items yourself, but you want
to contribute, you could purchase handmade items at Etsy, Artfire, 1000 Markets,
or some other handmade venue.

Deadline to have these received by me is October 25, so please allow appropriate mail time. I will be presenting these to my contact at the facility on November 2, just in time for Veteran's Day. The address to send your items for this project is:

Sinclair
P.O. Box 1046
Jacksonville, Oregon 97530

My modest goal for Project #1 is to have 20 participants. My contact was very excited to hear that we might be donating 20 items. Let's try to make it even more!!

If you are in, please leave me a comment to let me know what you will be making. Then, follow us on Twitter (add the hashtag #sharingourgifts when tweeting), join our Yahoo Group, and follow us on Blog Catalog. Blog about the project and help us gain even more followers. I will Stumble and Tweet any blog posts about it that I know about...so comment here with a link when you post.

I will be making a knitted hat since I don't make slippers. It is for adult males, so will be sized appropriately. Let's make this a happy Veteran's Day for as many as possible! If you have a request for Project #2 to be in your state, leave me a comment!

Post Script: I am not an incorporated charitable organization. However, you are not donating to me, but to the organization that is the subject of the project. I am not certain whether your donations will always be tax deductible, but if you request, I will find out that information for each project as we go along. I offer you satisfaction in giving, as well as all the internet publicity I can muster. If somebody ever wants to donate their legal services and time to incorporate me and help me become a bona fide 501(c)(3), I will not turn it down.

List of all 50 Projects

2009-09-01T18:00:00.000-07:00

Project #1: Oregon - White City Veterans Facility

Project #2: Alaska - Lee Shore Center

Project #3: Oklahoma - Brain Tumor Foundation (OKBTF)

Project #4: South Carolina - Tamassee DAR School

Project #5: Florida - ASAP Homeless Services

Project #6: Virginia - A Child's Joy

Project #7: Arizona - Sister Luv Crafts, Inc.

Project #8: Tennessee - Nashville Flood Relief

Project #9: Idaho - Northwest Children's Home

Project #10: Colorado - Urban Peak, Colorado Springs

Project #11: South Dakota - Head Start for Pine Ridge

Project #12: Massachusetts - The Knitting Connection

Project #13: Minnesota - Hats for the Homeless

Project #14: Hawaii - Ka Punawai Ola

Project #15: Maine - Nest Maine

Project #16: Ohio - Touching Little Lives

Project #17: Wisconsin - Hebron House

Pottery Barn Inspired Mirror

2009-08-31T01:23:00.000-07:00

Talk about sharing tutorials! This one about how to make your own mirror like the one from Pottery Barn (without having to spend $300.00 to do it)is wonderful and detailed.

$300 Pottery Barn mirror:Impressive DIY Pottery Barn inspired mirror:go to the tutorial (photos on this post are from the tutorial) and see for yourself...

Change the World Wednesday (CTWW)

2009-08-26T09:41:00.000-07:00

It's that time again...changing the world, one Wednesday at a time. This week, we are doing it with a snazzy new logo. If you click on the logo, you will be taken to Reduce Footprints' blog (the creator of this challenge) to see all the official stuff like rules and such. Do you like the change? Answer my poll on NatureWithMe in the right hand column...

Last week was composting, and otherwise reducing your contributions to the landfill. Though I did not create a new post this week for it, I did follow the challenge by continuing to compost and recycle. We took our twice yearly trip to the dump (we do not have municipal trash pickup) and got rid of the things we could not compost, upcycle, recycle, freecycle, or otherwise use or donate. How did you do with the challenge? If you need composting tips, you can read my older posts here and here.

************************************************************

Now, for this week's challenge:

This week's challenge comes from one of our new bloggy friends, Millenniumhealth, at ... well ... Millenniumhealth. It's an easy activity and once again shows us that small actions matter ... especially when we all do them. Here it is:

This week, put your computer to sleep or set it to hibernate when it's not in use. If you need help in doing this, check out these sites:

Use Standby and Hibernate

Manually Put Your Computer Into Hibernation

Or ...

Typically, if you're already doing the first part of the challenge, I ask you to write about it on your blog. This week, however, we're going to do something different. If you are already in the habit of putting your computer to sleep or turning it off when you're not using it, look around your home and identify one other "sneaky" area that uses electricity. Come back here and, in the comments section, tell us what it is and how you'll either eliminate it or reduce it.

************************************************************

I started this last night by shutting completely down for the night. I would like to see a change in my energy bill to reflect the environmental love I am sending out!

Change The World Wednesday

2009-08-19T00:01:00.000-07:00

How did you do with the challenge this week? I avoid chemical cleaners at home by using soap nuts for my laundry, and a lot of baking soda, lemon, and vinegar for other cleaning needs. I purchase my bar soap from Sappo Hill, a local soap maker that adds no crazy ingredients. Sometimes I use Natural Value biodegradable, perfume and dye free laundry soap and Attitude perfume and dye free dish liquid.

The place where I fell short was in the window cleaning department. I could have used vinegar, but we already had some window cleaner (purchased by another family member over a year ago) to use up, so I used it instead of vinegar. Oops!

On to this week's challenge:

*******************************

Okay ... are you ready for a new challenge? This one combines a couple of suggestions made by amybyrd21 (aka waylandcook) at The Wayland Springs Cook. Here you go:

This week, turn your trash bin into the smallest container in the house by starting a compost bin and/or a recycle bin.

Or, if you're already a composter and recycler, write a post about it. Include information on what works for you and what doesn't, tips on how to be successful at it, and perhaps why it's preferable over sending stuff to a landfill.

*******************************

Happy world changing!

Also, if you Twitter, please retweet this post and add the hashtag #changetheworldwed.

Swap-O-Rama-Rama

2009-08-18T09:25:00.000-07:00

(photo from swaporamarama.org)

Have you heard of Swap-O-Rama-Rama.org?

"Swap-O-Rama-Rama is a clothing swap and series of do-it-yourself workshops in which a community explores creative reuse through the recycling of used clothing.

The Swap When you attend the swap bring at least one bag of your unwanted clothing and a small donation (each swap varies depending on available funding). Every swap begins with a giant collective pile of clothing, the unwanted clothing of all who attend. Everyone is welcome to dive in and find their next new/used items from the pile. Take as little or as much clothing from this pile as you like, it's all free"

Doesn't that sound like a wonderful way to share the spirit of giving (and receiving), and to promote recycling and upcycling? I would love to see one of these in my area, and one of the wonderful aspects of this organization is that the opportunity exists for anyone to produce an event in their city. Ashland, Oregon anyone?

Hop on over and take a look...

Vivitar Giveaway

2009-08-16T18:56:00.000-07:00

Frugal Freebies is hosting a Vivitar camera giveaway:

"Frugal-Freebies.com is having a great Vivitar Vivicam 8025 digital camera giveaway sponsored by Vivitar.com - "We make it easy!" - with digital cameras, DVR's and accessories. Stop by before midnight Aug 28th EST to enter to win! "

Hop on over and check it out...

Handmade & Homebaked by Peptogirl

2009-08-14T08:47:00.000-07:00

I found another really fun and funky site that is sharing tutorials and all manner of crafty ideas. In the spirit of sharing, she posts several how-to freebies that might be of interest. I especially enjoyed this button ring tutorial:(as follows from Peptogirl's site)

Handmade for the Holidays: Easy Button Ring Tutorial

"If you are planning to make all of your holiday gifts this year, then now's the time to start! This way, while everyone else is rushing around trying to get all of their holiday shopping or making done, you can sit back, relax, and enjoy your peppermint hot cocoa. Now doesn't that sound good?

To help get you started, I'm going to "try" to do one tutorial a week from now 'til...well 'til you get a enough gifts made for all your friends and family, of course! I'm not going to commit to a particular day of the week because, who am I kidding, I am not so good with deadlines.

My very first tutorial is super-easy and super-cute! I used vintage buttons for mine, but your buttons need not be vintage. You might want to try different colors as well, depending on your tastes.

Easy Button Ring Tutorial

You need:
* buttons of different shapes, colors, and sizes
* shank cutter (if you want to use buttons with shanks (the little loop on the back)
* E6000 or another strong glue or epoxy
* Ring bases (not pictured)

You can purchase the adjustable ring bases online. Try doing a search on eBay or Etsy. I purchased mine from Jan's Jewelry Supplies.

I got most of these buttons on eBay. You can buy them in lots, just search for something like "vintage plastic buttons." Just don't bid against me!

I also purchased some of these from Miss Vicky's store (Miss Vicky is a local crafter and IndieSacramento vendor:
Funny Pharm
30 North Main Street
Downtown Colfax

Play around with the buttons to see what combinations you like. Think carefully about color combination and textures. You may also want to combine different button shapes or use a special button as the centerpiece.

If you are using buttons with shanks, you'll want to cut these off so the buttons will lie flat. this may not work with glass buttons but it will definitely work with plastic! You can get the shank cutter at your local fabric store."

For the rest of the tutorial, and more fun finds, visit the site...

Happy sharing!

Change The World Wednesday

2009-08-12T08:46:00.000-07:00

Well, the new challenge is ready ... here it is:

*****************************************

Most commercial cleaners, commonly available in stores today, contain harsh chemicals ... many, of which, harm the environment. So this week, try an Eco-friendly cleaner ... something that doesn't hurt the environment or us. For some suggestions, check here:

http://vegweb.com/index.php?board=614.0

http://reducefootprints.blogspot.com/2009/07/hydrogen-peroxide-instead-of-bleach.html

http://reducefootprints.blogspot.com/2008/10/cleaning-environmentally-safe-way.html

http://www.ecocycle.org/hazwaste/recipes.cfm

OR,

If you only use Eco-friendly cleaners, share your favorite cleaner/recipe with us and talk about why it's your favorite.

*****************************************

Crafting Hope

2009-08-10T14:19:00.000-07:00

In my Internet travels, I ran across a succession of blogs that led me to one called Craft Hope. I am very happy to have found this site because it puts important things together. It combines the importance of beauty, appreciation, caring, sharing, helping, and hope all into a tidy bloggy box of love.

In doing so, it puts helping people together with those who are in need of help. Here is what the founder, Jade, says in her About section:

"Craft Hope is a faith-based, love inspired project designed to share handmade crafts with those less fortunate. It is our hope to combine our love for crafting and desire to help others into a project to make a difference around the world."

This is similar to my goal with this blog. I have not been as faithful in developing this blog as I would like to be, but finding Craft Hope has helped kick my thoughts about it back into gear. Meanwhile, I think I am going to join in on the Craft Hope current project to make a sock monkey for the Little Heroes Preschool Burn Camp in Sacramento, California. The camp is by the Firefighters Burn Institute in Sacramento, and runs from September 25-27, 2009.

So, the link above to "sock monkey" will take you to a place to learn how to make a sock monkey, and to purchase a sock monkey kit if you (like me) have never made one. Even more exciting, a message on the Craft Hope Nest Bulletin Board from Tamara at sockmonkey.net states that she will give a discount on sock monkey kits to any person purchasing specifically to make a monkey for this project. If you don't need a kit or a discount, sockmonkey.net is just a fun place to visit for free pattern ideas and monkey inspiration.

The deadline to get your sock monkey in for this project is September 18. If you're interested, visit Craft Hope and get started!

Change The World Wednesday

2009-08-05T12:51:00.000-07:00

Are you ready to change the world?

Here's this week's challenge from Reduce Footprints:

*********************************
If you eat animal products, then for one full day eat only meatless meals ... go vegetarian. Dairy products & eggs are permissible ... but no other animal products. Or, if you are vegetarian full time ... then, for one full day, eat only vegan meals. No animal products whatsoever. And finally, if you are vegan, full time, write an article about why meatless meals are good for the planet and perhaps include your favorite recipe.
*********************************

I just watched Fast Food Nation, so this is a timely challenge for me. I eat ZERO fast food. NONE. AT ALL. (Except Subway veggie delight sandwiches every now and then, but I don't consider a sandwich deli fast food, even though it is classifed as such.) I would add to this challenge that if you are an eater of fast food, forgo it for an entire week. All seven of these days.

We have been following a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet for several years, though, as I have mentioned previously, a little fish creeps in now and then. I do it more for health reasons than animal rights reasons, but I also believe in animal rights. I like to say I gave up mad cow, bird flu, and our friend, E. Coli. I believe that a more sustainable and animal friendly manner of animal rearing should be employed. After seeing Fast Food Nation, I am even more satisfied with this choice to forgo meat.

Organically fed, free range, grass happy animals treated well in life and killed in a kosher manner by small farmers would yield much healthier meat than any large conglomerate could manage. I believe raw milk is better and healthier than processed corporate milk. I believe in small batch, local cheese by artisanal cheese makers. And I believe that the best possible sweetener on earth is raw honey.

Corporate greed and laboratory created Frankenfood are ruining our collective health, and if we engage in Food Renegade challenges and practices, we can make a difference. So, this week, I will go Vegan for one full day. I have a garden, and I can do it.

Can you?

Change The World Wednesday

2009-07-29T00:01:00.000-07:00

The Change The World Wednesday challenge this week from Reduce Footprints is from a suggestion by Elizabeth Barrette of Gaiatribe:

Make a craft featuring reused/repurposed materials). OR If you often do crafts with reused/repurposed materials, teach other people how to do so. Write a set of instructions and/or create a photo-essay showing the steps of a craft project, and post it to your blog.

Well, this is something I do ALL THE TIME, so I think I can easily get on board with this one! I will let you know what I come up with...

What will you make or share?

Loving Hands Embroidery Project

2009-07-16T13:44:00.001-07:00

I took this drawing and photocopied it to transfer onto some yellow linen. In keeping with this week's Change The World Wednesday challenge and my Hoarders Unite July Challenge, none of the tools or materials were purchased new for this project. They are from my hoard (supplies stash).I do not have any transfer paper or other nifty transfer device, so I decided to use the ol' stipple method. I pinned the sheet to my linen cloth, then pierced holes in her design. I then used an orange permanent marker (because I am/was planning to use orange thread for the embroidery) to make a mark in each of the holes.Voilà! Now I have the design on my fabric. I'm sure I could have used fabric marker or other quilting marking pencil, but Sharpie is my friend, so I accepted its help.Next, I placed my embroidery hoop and began threading.I have chosen to use a mix of orange and sage, and it is yet to be determined how this will turn out on Amilia's small hand. The dots are somewhat visible under the sage thread, even though I am using 3 strands of floss, but my vision is to give it a twisted cord effect with orange on top. I am using an outline (stem) stitch in sage, then I am planning to whip it (whipstitch over outline stitch) in orange. If you want to see a how-to, I found an explanation at CraftTown.com.

Change The World Wednesday

2009-07-15T11:49:00.000-07:00

It's time again for Change The World Wednesday, brought to you by Reduce Footprints. This week, the challenge goes as follows:

Today's challenge was suggested by Kelli at Thoughts of a Sober White Women. She calls this the "No Spending Diet" and says that she has been on this diet for a year. Wow ... that's fabulous! Now, I know that a lot of people, here in Artisans, are hoping to sell their products so ... we'll just keep this challenge between us and not share it with your customers. :) Here we go:

For one entire week, put yourself on a "No Spending Diet" ... don't buy anything new (except for food, health and safety products). No new clothes ... no new shoes ... no new gizmos or gadgets ... forget about a new car, new furniture or new appliances ... nothing new for one week!

If you're already on a no spending diet, all or most of the time, be sure to visit Reduce Footprints at http://reducefootprints.blogspot.com for the "advanced challenge".

If you're wondering why a "No Spending Diet" is good for the earth, check out The Story of Stuff. It's a brilliant video!

So, beginning today, and ending next Tuesday night at midnight (at least) I will purchase nothing new (except food, health, and safety products). We mostly already live this way, but the other day, I did have to replace some hose washers, a hose end, and two hose sprayers. These were new, because the ones I was replacing were YEARS old, and were causing water loss through leakage.

Do you already try to limit the purchase of new items? Can you do it for one full week? Even if somebody slipped and did purchase something new once, if all people would be more conscious of their daily choices and look at life through their "Change The World" lenses, the earth would benefit, and I think our collective physiological health would improve.

How do you avoid buying new if you REALLY need something? Check all your local thrift and consignment stores, Craigslist, Freecycle, local yard sales, and local bulletin boards. If you don't find your item already listed, place a 'wanted' listing. Ask friends and neighbors. Be creative.

If you need further inspiration, visit one of my newest favorite blogs, These Days in French Life, and read about her 'slow year' that just ended.

Happy savoring the goodness of conscious living!

Change The World Wednesday

2009-07-08T13:23:00.000-07:00

The challenge this week from Reduce Footprints is:

For one full day this week, don't use (or ride in) a car. That's right ... leave the car at home and either walk, ride a bicycle or take public transportation (or even ... stay home). One full day ... 24 hours ... no car.

OR ... if you are already car free, write a post about not using a car. Include such topics as how to make it work, drawbacks and solutions, and why it's better for the environment.

I will be writing about my adventure (or non-adventure, as it were) with this concept tomorrow or Friday.

Can you do it? Do you already do it?

Featured Artist Friday

2009-07-03T13:51:00.000-07:00

While the works of this artist are not yet available on Etsy or Artfire or 1000 Markets, I think it is important to nurture budding young artists and encouraging their continued growth. In that spirit, I give you this feature.

These works are currently being kept in a private collection. The artist plans to make some works available for purchase in the future, and to further develop a current series on which she is working into a gallery showing.

(the whale)

She loves the use of color and line shape in her drawings. She likes to experiment with movement, line depth, and shading to convey expression.

(robot #6)

She draws inspiration from daily occurrences and the images she finds all around her, and rarely passes a day without working on a creation.

(Mom,Dad, & Scarecrow)

She is currently working on a series about hands and the many ways they interact with the world.

(loving hands)(marriage of hands)

Upcoming projects include illustrating a children's tale and rewriting and illustrating her own first book.

If you have artwork by a budding artist that you would like turned into a wearable piece, visit Analiese on Etsy! Or visit Deseta.net where you can have a picture of your child's turned into a hand embroidered pillow.

Etsy shops by child artists:
Age 9: Lauren's Castle
Age 9: Little Banana Bug

Have you viewed the world through your Artist's eye today?

Change the World Wednesday

2009-07-01T11:25:00.001-07:00

It's time again for Change the World Wednesday, brought to you by Reduce Footprints.

Here is her challenge:

"Earlier this week, President Obama announced a plan to make lighting our homes and businesses more energy efficient (you can read about it HERE). So, let's do our part: Replace at least one incandescent bulb in your home with either a CFL or LED bulb.

OR ... if you've already replaced the bulbs in your home with energy efficient varieties, write a post about CFLs and LEDs and then ... contact five (5) new blogs (blogs which you've never visited before) and invite them to join the challenge by visiting your site.

Okay ... just a quick reminder on the "rules". The idea is to get as many people as possible joining in ... I believe if we all do the same green activity during the same week, we'll have an impact. So, let everyone know ... advertise ... post about it ... email your friends and family ... talk about it ... snatch the "Change The World Wednesday" badge on my site and post it on yours ... encourage everyone you can reach to join the challenge. And don't forget to leave a comment so we can add you to the Honor Society. We're changing the world ... one challenge at a time. Are you ready?"

Personally, I am not behind CFLs because they use mercury, and their disposal is difficult and possibly dangerous. I don't think there is enough awareness of the fact that you CANNOT just throw them in the trash, and [many] people are not often willing to hold items for any length of time just to figure out how/when/where they can offload them. The reality is that MANY MANY MANY of these will end up in regular trash bins and landfills. While they use less energy, I do not believe their benefit outweighs their risk.

I might like LED technology, and they seem to be more environmentally friendly on the back end. However, their cost is currently offputting to people, and their glow is hard on my eyes. So, I am off to do more research, and I will update the post when I find some good information...

Here are some initial findings:

This is why LED’s are the light bulbs of the future
Don's Green Store for a 5 pack of LED bulbs: http://www.shop.donsgreenstore.com/main.sc;jsessionid=907335275A11185C6683D3E3544C9FB2.qscstrfrnt04

$3.00 LED bulb: http://cleantechnica.com/2009/01/29/new-3-led-bulb-lasts-60-years/
Posted using ShareThis

Personally, I think incandescents should stay.

The Bin Myth

2009-06-26T13:41:00.000-07:00

Today, check out this blog post by Beck and Call Girl. Here is an excerpt to pique your interest...

"We all use them for storage & organization. The question is, do they really work or are they a myth? What am I talking about? Plastic storage bins, of course!

I use them, but I don't really feel organized. In some aspects, I know they help me, but in other aspects, I feel like it's out of sight, out of mind." (read more...)

You simply MUST visit the post to see the wonderful photos of stash, stash, stash! Those colorful "stramers" are absolute eye candy. Makes me want to hang swatches from clothespins as wall art.

Change the World Wednesday

2009-06-24T00:10:00.000-07:00

Today is the day...until next Tuesday night, take the eat local challenge. Take at least one day and eat ONLY local foods. Here is what I ate yesterday before the challenge:

Breakfast:

1. coffee (NOT local). I cannot even GET local coffee - can you? But my local coffee shop does order raw beans and roast them on site. They sell their roasts to local consumers and at local markets. Does this count? Maybe. Depends on your definition of local, and whether you find it sufficient to support a local coffee shop in their efforts to offer locally roasted coffee, or whether you abstain from all coffee unless you live where it is grown.
2. Bagel. Same story as the coffee. My bagel was created and baked at that same local coffee shop, but I do not know if they used locally grown and milled ingredients. I doubt it. But I supported local business by eating their made-on-site bagels (the best bagels known to man, I might add. Too bad you don't live near them. Or maybe you do.)

Lunch:

1. Coffee (the rest of my morning pot, with ice added).
2. Salad: lettuce from my west deck garden, onion from local farmer's market - LOCAL
3. Drew's natural dressing* (NOT local).
4. Cottage cheese*. NOT local, but within 175 miles of my home. That exceeds my 100 mile rule.
5. Organic bread I baked myself. Bread = LOCAL? Flour* NOT locally grown or milled, but purchased from a local market (not a big chain market).
6. Sauerkraut*: Michigan, so NOT local for me.
7. Crackers*: organic Late July saltines. Massachusetts, so not local for me.
8. Goat cheese: Wisconsin, so NOT local for me. Purchased at a locally regional chain grocer.

Dinner: (simple British baked beans & toast)

1. Heinz baked beans. NOT local, and not really adhering to my rules. Processed, canned, not organic. But the ingredient list is almost ok: Navy Beans, Tomatoes, Water, Sugar, Glucose Syrup (not on my ok list), Salt, Modified Corn Starch (not on my ok list), Distilled Vinegar, Spices. Not even purchased locally.
2. Green peas*, organic: Sacramento, CA, so NOT local for me.
3. Alvarado Street Organic Bread* : CA, NOT local for me.
4. Organic, free range, veg fed eggs*: Washington, so NOT local for me.
5. Tillamook cheese: in my state, but NOT within my 100 mile local range.
6. Thompson organic raisins*: purchased at my local independently owned market from the bulk bins, so I don't know where these were grown. My guess is CA.

So, I will have to do better than this for the challenge! The only things in my day that were really local were the lettuce I grew and the onions I bought last Friday evening at the farmer's market.

* means purchased from my local, independently owned grocery market.

Will you fare better?
Visit my Blog Frog link if you want to engage in a discussion of
whether it is okay to eat/drink items like tea and coffee if they are peddled by a small
local market...
If you want to join in on the challenge, stop by Reduce Footprints and leave a comment.

Change The World Wednesday

2009-06-23T12:20:00.000-07:00

This week's challenge from Reduce Footprints, which begins tomorrow, is to:

For one full day this week, eat only local foods. No tropical fruits from across the world ... no veggies that traveled hundreds of miles to get to your table ... only locally grown foods (this includes meats, dairy products, etc., if you eat them).

OR, if you're already eating only local foods full time ... and may I say congratulations to that ... post one of your favorite "local food" recipes on your blog.

This actually does two things. It forces us (if only for one full day) to eat local, AND to eat seasonal. Because you will only be able to get what is available now from the harvest. For me, this means no bananas, no tomatoes (I have not been buying these anyway because they are only available right now from Mexico or Canada), no peanuts (and no peanut butter), etc.

Basically, this means only eating what I purchased from the Farmer's Market. If I get it from the Farmer's Market, I am certain that it is local, and I will not be making any mistakes or cheating on the challenge. So, for me, I will choose at least ONE full day this week and I will write down everything I eat and how it is eaten (raw, from recipe, etc...).

If you are in on the challenge, visit Reduce Footprints and leave a comment. Then blog about the challenge or spread the word to your favorite blogs.

More is not always Better

2009-06-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

I have been reflecting of late on the economy and the position of so many of us lacking a conventional job or steady income. I found an interesting article that discusses why More and Better do not always walk hand in hand. I have looked at my personal values and "wants" and taken stock of which things REALLY matter, and what it is that really makes me happy and satisfied.

Money in its raw form was not the answer staring back at me. While we do need enough to cover our basic needs such as emergencies, healthcare, food, shelter, clothing and transportation, we do not NEED much else. We do not need trinkets from the dollar section of Target. We do not need a new set of acrylic outdoor picnicware each season. We do not need a lot of dodads that are heavy on the packaging and light on usefulness.

We can live greener by simply choosing to consume less. Make our own picnic instead of purchasing pre-packaged, individually wrapped snack foods. Use cloth food wrap and snack bags instead of plastic. We can repurpose old t-shirts and pillow cases into grocery totes, handbags, or even just dust cloths. Hand towels that have small holes or wear can be cut down and turned into cleaning washcloths. Lighter weight winter clothes can be turned into summer wear by cutting off the legs and arms and sewing simple seams to make shorts and tees. We don't need More (money) if we learn to consume less.

What is more enjoyable? Having a Mercedes in the garage, or spending quality time with family? Riding bicycles on a balmy summer evening? I find that my most enjoyable moments are those that are shared with family in the outdoors. My most satisfying moments are those spent weeding or watering my garden. Or creating a new embroidery or knit project. Or helping somebody. Or sharing something I have with someone in need. Toting home full shopping bags of items I hardly need did not even register on the list when I really sat down to think.

So, think about what makes you most satisfied. What you find most enjoyable. How you feel when you help another. And engage in one of the easiest ways to live green: consume less. Share, do, and create more. And savor the moments in life that really matter.

Change the World Wednesday

2009-06-17T21:44:00.000-07:00

The challenge this week from Reduce Footprints is:

For the entire week (yep, the whole week), refuse plastic bags at the store or anywhere else where they are offered. One whole week ... 7 days ... no plastic bags.

OR ... If you're already "plastic bag free" ... then, within the next 7 days write a detailed post (or email, letter, etc.) on why plastic bags are bad for the environment.

If you have a blog and you are posting about the challenge, be sure to stop in to ReduceFootprints.blogspot and let us know where you're posting the challenge ... she'll drive some traffic your way!

So, I was supposed to post this on Wednesday morning, but couldn't get to it until now. I am already plastic bag free, but I violated this challenge yesterday before I even know this was the challenge this week. Yesterday, I took my cat to the vet and the DVM there told me to get some soft cat food to offer for the next 7-10 days.

It was hot. I was in a hurry. I left my husband in the car with the cat and I ran into the store to pick up the food. I did not even think to grab my reusable bags from the trunk UNTIL I WAS AT THE REGISTER with armloads full of precariously stacked cat food cans. (I keep 12 bags in the trunk and usually one in my purse.) At the register, I saw an option to purchase a store branded reusable bag, but I don't want to own one with the store's logo, so I confess, I let the cashier give me not one, but TWO plastic bags.

When I got home, I had the email in my inbox about this week's challenge. OOOOOHHH!! I know none of us are perfect, but I am really good these days about not taking the plastic bags. Usually, if I forget my bag, I will just carry the merchandise out with no bag at all. But I didn't want to chase 18 rolling cans of cat food around the parking lot, and knowing me, that is what I would have been doing.

So, I hope you are better at it than I am this week. Starting today UNTIL next Wednesday and beyond into perpetuity...I am back on the wagon!

Mamta on Etsy

2009-06-16T00:02:00.000-07:00

Mamta is a shop on Etsy carrying an eclectic mix of gift items and jewelry. She is a professed hoarder of supplies, and has an appetite for learning every type of craft possible. She is self taught in many crafts, including crochet, and she offers lovely crocheted earrings and coffee cup cozies in her shop.

When asked what was her favorite item with which to create, her reply helped illuminate her creative drive and allowed us a glimpse at what makes her love to greet each new day.

"I'm a great hoarder just like all of us. I love to hoard almost everything. But my favourites would be yarns, beads, paper & tools. I do a lot of crafts. It's my dream to learn almost every craft of the world one day. Well, probably as many as I can fit in in my life. So when I learn one craft like beading, I collect beads. But as I also crochet, I use the same beads in my crochet projects. I use paper for making paper beads, yarns for making jewelry [which I use] with the paper beads, and the tools for making all these [things]. So everything just comes at one place."

The "everything coming together in one place" part is the reason we are all members of the Hoarders Unite team. We collect. We stash. We stack. We create. We (hopefully) deplete the supplies and help each other with inspiration and organization techniques. The horse above was in Mamta's shop.

Sunday Sharing: Hoarders Unite

2009-06-14T12:38:00.001-07:00

In January, I began a team on Etsy called Hoarders Unite. It was in response to a thread about whether people "hoard" supplies, and if so, how do crafters and artisans deal with this overabundance of stuff. We decided it would be a good idea to begin a team to lend support to each other in using up the stash before bringing in more items. We keep in touch via our team page on Yahoo Groups.

As a person who is easily thrilled at thrift store and freebie finds, as well as who is interested in upcycling and repurposing, I struggle with this balance all the time. So, Hoarders Unite now has over 25 members, and I wanted to share with you a couple of these shops on Etsy.

Cigarboxbeads is a member of Hoarders Unite, and has beautiful woven beadwork available in the shop. This beautiful bracelet is an example of the marvelous talent of this seller. She hales from Seal Beach, California, and has a second Etsy shop called suchandsort. Suchandsort is a shop in which you will find "a bit of everything- from vintage buttons to found items to collectibles to hand crafted artwork." Visit the shop to find some great repurposed items like these vintage-glass-bottles-turned-bud-vases.

(this photo belongs to such and sort, from her shop)

Take a Sunday drive through Etsy on the Information Superhighway, and see what you find...

Featured Etsian Friday

2009-06-12T12:57:00.000-07:00

(photo source)

I bought the above item from Planet Playground in early May. It is so cute! Planet Playground is a member of the Etsy team, EcoEsty. The team is dedicated to eco-friendliness and sharing tips and knowledge to that end.

The quality of the item I received is very good, and the packaging was very eco-frienly. It came wrapped in a sheet of tissue paper inside a re-used Tyvek envelope. Enclosed was a note to remember to reuse or repurpose the packaging instead of throwing it in the trash bin.

This seller has a degree in fashion design, and her mission statement is "to provide unique fashions to our youth without sacrificing the world in which we live." Her description of the items in here shop is as follows: "Planet Playground provides you with Victorian Inspired clothing using upcycled (vintage) and organic fabrics for infants and toddlers."

This seller is extremely friendly and willing to work with certain requests. I highly recommend giving her a try if you are looking for eco-friendly, fun, well made clothing for a child.

Go take a look...

Change The World Wednesday

2009-06-10T16:26:00.001-07:00

CHALLENGE:

Reduce Footprints, a blog I regularly follow, is beginning an ongoing series of "Change The World Wednesday" challenges, and I will most likely be following along each week in addition to my regular Word Wednesday posts. This week, it is simple:

At least once this week, take a short shower ... time it to no more than 10 minutes.

If you accept the challenge, go to her site and leave a comment. If you have a blog, comment and then add a short post about it on your blog.

Are you game?

Sharing Space

2009-06-08T16:09:00.000-07:00

Some people do not have their own space upon which to grow food. Some of these people want to get involved in taking it back to local, and want to grow some of their own food. Some people have more space than they are using. Some of these people are willing to share a piece of their space for community outreach to allow the space-have-nots to be space-sharers.

Did you get all that? I was part of #sustagchat last night on Twitter, and while some of the views did not completely mesh with mine, I learned some new things and met some new people. One of the things I learned, from one of the people with whom I somewhat disagree on which avenue will take us to success, is the idea of space sharing. The part that I do admire is her site called hyperlocavore.com and her support of yard sharing.

Now, this is not a *new* idea. People have been sharing space since the nomadic days, and have been living together in communes at least since the days of free love. But the new twist on the idea is that the group wishing to find land is not traveling around together looking for it, nor looking to rent or lease it to live together. Individuals are looking to help individuals. People who have yards are converting them to "edible landscapes" and sharing some of that garden space with others. People who have rural land are also sharing garden space. People who have no balcony, roof space, or other yard or land are looking to plant a bit of seed on a neighbor's yard.

This takes the simple sharing the bounty from your garden one step further by allowing someone else to grow some items in your garden space as well. They are allowed to come and tend it as needed. I did a search on Twitter for #sharing, and I came up with a good site called Garden Sharing. It explains more about who is participating in this trend, and how you could become involved. It would be nice if it became more than a "hipster" or "indie" trend. If we all speak with our consumer dollars and go back to the earth ourselves, we can successfully achieve thriving local economies and food safety by knowing the farmer who grew our food.

Sharing a bit of your yard shows an awfully big sharing and giving spirit,
yes?

Silent Sunday

2009-06-07T00:01:00.000-07:00

Little Lady Cakes is having its FIRST EVER...

2009-06-02T00:01:00.000-07:00

giveaway, so I am sharing the details with you here! I have taken some of the important information from the site and placed it here, but you will have to go to Little Lady Cakes to enter and get the full scoop...

From Amy at Little Lady Cakes:
In honor of my loyal reader friends and of my birthday this June, I would love to give something away! Not one item, but TWO!

Check out Little Lady Cakes Rewards page to take a look of the choice cake decorating goodies you can win. There are over 30 items to choose from! The winner will be rewarded one item from each category!

This Giveaway starts NOW and ends Saturday June 6, 2009 at noon U.S. standard pacific time. A winner will be chosen by random.org and that person will choose one item each from category 1 and 2. I will announce the winner Sunday June 7, 2009.

To WIN: go to Little Lady Cakes and find out how to win!

Good luck to all who enter!

If you know of another great giveaway, or you want to host one here, or you have something to share, email me or leave the comment...

Get involved

2009-06-01T17:49:00.000-07:00

Something to give away/contest idea? Tutorials to share? Guest blog topics burning a hole in your mind? Email me! This blog is about sharing and I want INTERACTION!

May Top Droppers

2009-06-01T11:36:00.000-07:00

Thank you to my Entrecard top droppers for May. I read in my email inbox today that Entrecard is only going to give ad spots to advertisers bearing widgets now. Not sure how that will change the paid ad spots and/or whether I will now consider accepting paid ads. If they have to wait in line like everyone else, and if they are not displacing other Ecard ads, I will consider it. If you use Entrecard, what do you think?

Ready 2 Get Fit
Gypsy Mare Studios
sound of a soft breath
Lenox Knits
Chic & Sassy Designs
MamaFlo's Place
Little Lady Cakes
Dream of Jade
Cute Boo
nuke it dot org ☢ computer security

Green your space with Hemp

2009-05-29T15:38:00.001-07:00

(photo source)

Some small ways to green your space might include choosing hemp fabric for home decor items, clothing, kitchen towels, and bath scrubbies. Hemp is an affordable, quickly renewable, easily biodegradable resource that is naturally mildew resistant. It is also strong and durable, yet breathable as a fabric. This makes it ideal for placing on floors and windows as well as your body.

Hemp Sisters is a good source for hemp handbags, hats, and hammocks. They also carry hemp clothing, hemp and cotton twine, and other green products. Rawganique.com is a wonderful source for hemp home decor and much, much more. Rawganique is a family run business located on Denman Island. It was born of a family's effort to slow down, nurture the earth, and begin to tread more lightly on the environment. It offers bed, bath, kitchen and home products, as well as twine, rope, and clothing. In addition, it offers many eco books, organic cotton products, and raw foods.

Hemp Guide.com goes so far as to say that many "believe that the plant has the capacity to reverst the Greenhouse Effect; as well as aid in purifying the air, water, and soil." That is quite a ringing endorsement for its use! Even if it goes only part of the way to fulfilling that projection, it is certainly a beneficial plant. Hemp is a much more cost effective source for papermaking, yields four times more fiber than a pine tree, and requires no pesticides in growing and cultivation. In addition, it can be used to make plastic without petro chemicals.The above hand-woven rug is crafted from 100% hemp fibers, and is available at VivaTerra.com. Chic, stylish, economical, and eco friendly hemp can help you geen every space in your home.

Sunday Sharing

2009-05-24T11:33:00.000-07:00

(photo source)

I found an interesting site called WhatTheCraft.com that offers free DIY (do it yourself) sewing and craft tutorials. This site is run by Alexis of SmarmyClothes.com. She is a self-taught seamstress and crafter, and is willing to share her knowledge and patterns with us. Her wares are featured in the darker vein of Goth and Punk, but if that is not your bag, you can easily adapt fabrics and patterns to suit your taste. Her background is purple with safety pins all around, and the site is very professional and easy to navigate.

She has a wonderful list of tips and guides for beginners, such as what tools and materials you might need when beginning, as well as how to get straight seams and make seam allowances. She discusses stitch types, needle selection, button holes, sewing on trim, and making your own patterns. The photo at the top of this post is from a zipper tutorial offered on her site.

The Directory section highlights links to many other sites where you can find fabric, notions, crafting supplies, handmade, other tutorials, and crafting and sewing resources. There are even links to messageboards and other blogs. I think I could spend the better part of a day poking into the corners of this site and still not get through it all. I have marked it for future (daily?) visits, and you should as well.

The site and all information and tutorials are free, but Alexis does offer an easy link for you to make donations or to pay for advertising on her site so she will be able to keep it free for all to use. If you find it useful, as I have, you might wish to support her with a small donation. In this economy, we are all more pinched financially, but every little bit helps with domain hosting and site maintenance.

Don't wait; follow the links here and check her out today!