Sunday, August 31, 2025

My Bingo Update

Well, I have had to be flexible and make some changes.   I am disappointed, but it is not the end of the world as I know it. 

Change 1.  The wreaths have to be postponed.   I have misplaced the frames for them. So I will carry on with the things that go on, but I won't be able to complete the wreaths. 

Change 2.  The kitchen Roman shades and other window coverings are permanently removed.   We are putting up shutters on each window.  That is hubby's job. 

Change 3.  The jar scarf is coming to an early finish.   The scarves are coming close to 6 feet in length, and it's only August. 

Change 4.  My queen-size Afghan will not make it to that size.   I failed to order enough yarn. It will be as large as possible. 

Other squares on the card are still in play or have been finished. 

I have a wedding to help with as one of my sons is getting married soon.  I went shopping for my dress and hit pay dirt on the first store, first dress I picked up.  That doesn't happen every day.  I will take the win.

My reversible sari silk skirt that I'm sewing doilies to is still up to be done.  

I have gotten 9 of the 12 hats done or found.  I have lost the address for the slippers for charity.  I will instead do a dozen hats for premature babies in Nigeria.  

I have to amend my plan for the blankets.  I am unable to use the rotary cutting disk to punch holes along the edges to then crochet into them to crochet the swatches together.  That was my original plan from January.  The rotary cutting blade to make a dashed line of holes doesn't cut consistently through the upholstery swatches.  I will be sewing them together.  This will go quicker anyway.

Have you decided to play the home game with your own bingo card?  Maybe next year you can.  Mine for next year will not be quite so full of large projects.

Monday, August 18, 2025

Happy Yarnsgiving!!

 Have you heard about this? It's all about making with yarn and giving that thing at Thanksgiving.  This is the second year for yarnsgiving.  It was started by the Craft Yarn Council of America.  Designers get together and create new and beautiful things for knitters and crocheters to make to give away.  Now, if you think it's just something like creating yarn dolls, think again.  Last year's submissions were creative and fabulous.  Check out the website here 

Yarnsgiving runs from I Love Yarn Day, October 12, to Giving Tuesday, December 2.  In the spirit of donating, the inspiration is to create things for donation to Warm Up America.  Warm Up America offers blankets and warm winter accessories for people who struggle with homelessness, being below the poverty level for basic necessities.  

I'm planning to offer both a knit design and a crochet design.  My knit design submission will be a cowl.  I am thinking of a striped cowl with leaves in lace.  My crochet design submission will be a napkin ring featuring a turkey.

In my mind, they look fabulous.  Now to get the patterns written, the prototype done, the pictures taken, and everything submitted.  Come craft along with us.

Yarnsgiving has a list of sponsors we will support.  The perennial favorite Red Heart is listed.  This has been a workhorse in my area for close to 60 years.  Also in the yarn department will be yarnspirations that support the Caron brand and Bernat brand.  

This year's colors come from Pantone's line of paints.  They are beautiful colors.  I want to go to the paint department and pick up swatches of the colors for shopping for yarn,  I will link the colors in a new post when I get them.

Thursday, August 7, 2025

Charity Begins at Home

How else can I apply my knitting and crocheting to charity?

The basics are easy.   Figure out what you want to do.   Find a charity that will accept the thing you want to make.   Get the finished thing to them. 

Now that I have put on my captain obvious hat, I will take it off and give some not so obvious points. 

No perfumes or smoking.  Many people are allergic to or highly sensitive to smells.   These two can cause nausea or vomiting or worse can close off the airway of the very person you are trying to help.   How can you prevent harm?  
First, wash your hands.   Seems obvious but it isn't. You want to start with least amount of smell as you can. 
Second, if you are a smoker in the house don't store your yarn in the house.   It will absorb the odor.  This will also mean you have to work on the thing outside the house and store the partially made thing where the yarn is kept. 
Third, don't store the yarn in the attic or cellar and definitely don't put dryer sheets in with the yarn.   Attics and cellars can have their own unique smells and worse can be a haven for mold or mildew or rodents or bugs.  These things can cause a lot of harm to people who are in physical illness or are homeless. 

Check your chosen charity's website for particulars.  You are going to want to know if you have a restriction on fiber type,  if you have to use new yarn or can recycle yarn,  if there's a specific pattern to use,  specific sizes allowed. All these parameters are for a reason.  

Most charities will not accept wool.  So many people have discovered sensitivity or outright allergies to wool.   It also is not usually a toss in the washer and dryer fiber. Some, like the knitted knockers,  require specific brands of yarn and fiber because the area of use is extremely sensitive. The yarns they specify are the least irritating and most comfortable while giving women what they need. 

Some of us are in financial hardship but still want to help.   So unraveling sweaters and afghans give a way to get a lot of yarn for not a lot of money. However, no one except the donor,  knows what the blanket or sweater was exposed to before we bought it. These are recycled yarns and not usually acceptable.   Check your chosen charity for guidance. 
Many charities have requirements for finished sizes and won't accept any other.   Many times this is for ease of joining.   Having every thing the exact size means someone else can zip through the joining.  For those who say it's good enough,  your contribution may well be tossed in the garbage.  For those who say the charity can send your unusable contribution to someone else that will be able to use it,  no they won't.   They don't have a running list of what charity accepts what.   Even the internet can't do that.   One organization has made a small dent in this, career.  Even they recognize that changes occur and they can't keep up. 

Specific patterns might be requested because that is what they need.  Baby blankets may need to be solid rather than have holes because little fingers and hands can get caught up in the holes and,  if not caught quickly, can cause loss of circulation or the need for amputation. 

Some charities request each donation be presented in a zippered plastic bag.  This helps keep the donation clean and contaminate free.

So follow the rules for your chosen charity or find a charity that aligns with your way of doing things.   They are grateful for the items donated that follow the rules they have. 

Resources for the charities mentioned