Major Knitter's Charity Knitting

Everyone's a Winner!

I don't know how to say THANK YOU to everyone who helped me out with the Warm Up America project.  Some people donated yarn, some people knit or crocheted swatches, some people knit an entire baby blanket by themselves, some people directed other donors my way and some people helped me crochet and sew the swatches together. No matter how you helped, please know that I feel an enormous amount of gratitude for your generosity. 

As a reminder, here are the prizes:  

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Please give a warm round of applause to the following donors:

• Cambria
• Cathy
• Gina B - WYWL
• Jan B.
• Jen E. of WYWL & SNL
• Jennifer
• Kathy B.
• Lauren
• Linda G - WYWL
• Marcia - SNL
• Michele
• Miri
• Susan E of SNL
• Tara B. of WYWL & SNL
• Tracy B.

Now of course, there is the little bit about the contest.  (Sorry it took me SO LONG to announce the winner... April was a tough month for me on just about every level of those "stress tests" - but not to worry - I've come through with flying colors thanks to The Amazing BF and my dear friends and family.

Here are the BIG PRIZE WINNERS - (drumroll please)

1. Yarn Donations  - Jennifer - she was my first yarn donor
2. Yarn Donations  - runner up - Cambria - because she was so generous (She'll win a surprise prize to be selected by me)
3. Swatch Donations - Lauren - because she's become a great blog friend and donor through this program.  What a plus!
4. Favorite Swatch - Jan Berry - I love the rainbow look - simple yet it touched me
5. Favorite Patterns - Tracy B - beautiful note, delicate tissue paper packaging and variety of stitch patterns (see 2 pictures below)
6. Donation that Traveled the Farthest - Michele - I added that category at the end when I realized I had a huge yarn donation coming from Italy! (She'll win a surprise prize to be selected by me)

In order, here are the prize winners

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Of course, everyone's a winner, so everyone who donated will get a set of stupendous stitch markers by Regina Moss of Knit Knacks.  These are a custom order, so I'm not certain exactly what they'll look like or when the stitch markers will be ready.  Never fear, though, they will come soon enough.  Here is a sample of Regina's stitch markers

I'll contact each winner via email for proper notification.  And if you're ever looking to make swatches for Warm Up America or in need of an acrylic yarn stash cleansing - I'm always happy to accept donations for future WUA projects.

Thanks to one and all for your support, donations, kind words and participation... really.  I can't tell you how much this means to me.  You're the best group of friends a girl could ever want!

The Last WUA Donation Arrives Today for the Contest!

Wow!  Yarn, Swatches, Yarn, Swatches, Yarn!  And, it all came from Italy where Michele is living.  Thank you so much for yet another generous donation for the Warm Up America Project.  Michele's donation is the last one I am expecting for the Prize Give Away.  Now I'll just assemble the yarn donations and the swatches and the partial judges (my friends, family and SNL members) will help determine the winners.  I'll let you know next week who the final winners are. 

Actually, the winners will be the recipients of everyone's grand generosity.  If you still want to help, it's not too late.  I'm always taking donations of yarn or swatches for future WUA projects.  Please feel free to participate at any time.

Thanks to everyone for helping out!

The Final Warm Up America Donations are Pouring In

It's been a busy week and I haven't really done a great deal of knitting, I have been receiving a lot of the swatches for the Warm Up America project.  I still have a few more that are "in the mail" so I have to receive them all before I announce the prize winners.  Since one of the last ones is coming from Italy... it might take awhile.  In the meantime, here are some the donations that came in this week.  

And a Good Friday to You!

Guess what was waiting for me in the mail?

You're not even going to believe what was inside this very large box

Can you  believe it?  TWENTY-NINE swatches for Warm Up America! 

29 swatches!

Wow! Thank you so much anonymous donor.  I know you live in Michigan and I think it might be Meg or possibly Miri (although the address doesn't match what I have for Miri).  If you were the wonderful donor, please identify yourself and receive my heartfelt appreciation.

UPDATE - Jan B is the no-longer-anonymous-donor of this wonderful donation.  Thanks Jan!

Lolly is not Lollygagging Around!

Lauren has been doing anything but lollygagging around.  Look what she sent me in the mail for the Warm Up America project!  Thank you Lolly.

I've taken over the cubicles in the mudroom to fill them with the WUA yarn.    Cute, huh?  If you want to send some 7x9 swatches or yarn, there's still time.  They just need to be postmarked by March 30th in order to be eligible for one of the four prizes.  Of course, WUA is an ongoing project, so if you want to send donations at any time, I'm happy to knit them up into swatches for charity.  After the March 30th date, you'll win the knowledge that you're doing a good deed!

Packages!!!

I managed to pick up the packages at the Post Office today.  It's a good thing I drove to pick them up because I couldn't have carried them by myself.  I was so thrilled by the sheer generosity of the knitting community.  Here.  Help me open them up.

Here are THREE packages that came from Cambria.  Here's what was inside

Yarn - lots of yarn.  There were even a few started blankets and caps inside.

I also received this package from Tracy B.  She gets the most points for beautiful packaging presentation.  Look at how beautiful this is.  I felt like I was receiving a birthday gift and it's not even my birthday.  Truthfully, this was better than a gift for me.  OK - I'm getting sappy, I'll stop.

Here are the swatches Tracy B sent, all neatly blocked, pressed, stacked and tied up with a bow.  She even sent the sweetest note.  The presentation and note were so wonderful that they just made me go "AW" and get that warm fuzzy feeling inside.

Here are Stacy B's 24 swatches laid out side by side on the floor.  Which one is your favorite?  My boys and I each picked our favorites, but I don't want to sway the judges for the contest, so I'll be quiet until all entries are received.  Remember to postmark your donations by March 30th for the yarn prizes. 

THANK YOU!  I am so excited about this wonderful project.  It's also been wonderful to see other people's swatches, their creative use of leftover yarn and wonderful color combinations.  Sometimes I get so tired of my own ideas, that I just want to see what others are doing.

Warm Up America Patterns

Several of you have asked me for guidance on the 7x9 swatches for the Warm Up America project.  I took several pictures tonight of the swatches I have and will add them to the Charity Knits photo album to the right with the complete directions.  Depending on my mood and needles at hand, I used 7s, 8s, 9s, or 10s to knit my swatches and have patterns for many sizes of needles. 

Please be patient with me.  This "publishing" project will take me quite a while as I have to get a decent photograph of each swatch and then write out the pattern.  I'm sure everyone's gauge will differ slightly, but at least it will give you a starting point and you won't have to reinvent the wheel completely.  I found that once I tested the swatch and got it correct, it was best to make 2-4 swatches of the same stitch to save time and increase knitting efficiency.

Please check back often as I will update the photo album regularly and add new swatch patterns as I make them. 

Prize Patrol

I've already had so many generous souls email me and offer to help with the Warm Up America project.  I am so thrilled!  Thank you one and all.   As promised, here are pictures of the prizes. 

All generous donors will have a chance to win one of the four prizes pictured below.  There will be one prize for each category.  Once the winners have been determined (judges will consist of family members) I will notify each donor, who will have the opportunity to choose one of the prizes on a first come first served basis.

1. Yarn Donations
2. Swatch Donations
3. Favorite Swatch
4. Favorite Pattern

Remember all donations must be postmarked by March 30th to be eligible for a yarn prize.  If you have a particular pattern or graph you want to send to share with other volunteers, please send that as well.  I'll post it with my patterns so others can re-create these wonderful swatches and we can spread the goodwill of Warm Up America.

Honestly, I can't thank you enough for all your generosity.  Thank you!

 

The WUA Contest

OK.  I know I need more help.  In order to solicit help, I have decided to make a contest.  From inception until March 30th, everyone who donates swatches or yarn will have a chance to win some fabulous yarn from my stash.  I promise it won't be leftover acrylic yarn from the project!  I'm planning on donating the first few blankets to the WYWL's Warm Up America project.  I am also working out details to donate other blankets to a special charity in my home town... but more about that later.

If you want to knit or crochet 7x9 swatches to match the current blankets, I'm hoping to make 4 blankets (at least).  So far I have begun swatches or have yarn that could be used to make a blanket in these colors:

1. Green, Purple, Blue - for some reason this is my color predilection
2. Red and White - Always a winning combination
3. Black and Brown - bold tones
4. Miscellaneous colors - use every swatch you receive
5. Black and Gold  - Go Iowa Hawkeyes!
6. Pink, Orange, Red, Hot Pink and Lilac - in honor of my sister Teresa's cool 1970s bedroom.  GROOVY!
7. Purple, Lilac, Lavendar, Periwinkle - in honor of my mother - for Marienne Manor
8. Peach, orange, rust, tan

It might make sense to make swatches in colors that would work with the above themes.  Of course, anything goes with them number four, right?

If you'd like to help out, please send me an email or surprise me. 

Thanks in advance for all your help.

More Donations, More Swatches and More Fruit

I finished three more swatches today.  Two in green and one in a mixtures of blues and greens.  When I came home today, there was a package waiting for me from Miri with a donation of 5 skeins of yarn for the Warm Up America project.  YEAH!  I was just thinking about the fact that I wanted some more light blue and forest green for the blue/green/purple blanket I'm currently making.  When I opened the box, I thought to myself, "Did I say that out loud?"

THANKS Miri - You're the best. 

Oh... and I stopped at the green grocer and picked up some fruit.  BF has this oversized brandy snifter from a once great store Think Big which is asking for something dramatic.  I thought of filling it with Red, Red, Red apples (to match the red kitchen) but I think that 50 red apples might be a bit of overkill.  Instead it became a fruit bowl.  It might become a terrarium.  Does anyone else have some ideas?  It used to hold match boxes.  Someone suggested pennies.  I know the perfect idea is yet to come.