April 8, 2008--Spent all day working on taxes--yuck! (I know, I know. I am a procrastinator). And I started a cat bed I downloaded from a website as a short break from blankets. It is knitted on round needles. So I cast on the 276 stitches (100 percent wool yarn because I will be felting it); they were pretty packed on the needle, but I kept checking to make sure I hadn't twisted the piece--two inches in I realized I had. . . so out I ripped and once again cast on the stitches. . . the cats better like it! But as with any pattern, I am already thinking, well, next time I will do it this way. A couple beautiful days here, and the snow is melting revealing an archeological history of the dogs' winter spots--but the grass should be greener! Thanks to Ruth for the last blanket. . . .
April 2, 2008--Pieced together a great many blankets to be sewn together over the past few days. I thought I would put out a plea for the following: solid colored squares because I have losts of multi-colored ones that need solid colors to set them off; some 10 and 12-inch squares because I almost have enough for blankets, but if I put the colors together that I have, well to be honest, it would be UGLY and give anyone sleeping under it night terrors. But I will say this, every time I collect all the squares sent, sort and piece, I am amazed, excited and rejuvenated--the squares are beautiful--the variety of stiiches, patterns, colors and work--WOW! Keep up the great work, you all! I am beginning to think that perhaps by year's end, we will hit the magic number of 10,000 squares used. . . that is one hundred more blankets. . . yes we can, yes we can, yes we can!
March 31, 2008--Had to take two foster cats into the vet this morning for spay and neuter, and I decided to stop at Home Depot for seeds to start in the greenhouse in the hopes the snow may melt faster! It's been raining all morning, and when I got home, I watched the noon news and there's a winter storm warning for the Upper Pennisula. I swear I love the early Daylight Savings, but it is playing wicked mind games with all of us who are ready for green grass.
I finished a blanket last night watching Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility on PBS--Part II next week or I might have been able to get another one done! Heading down into the basement to start piecing together more blankets this afternoon. . .Shelly, I will be sending some remnants for yo-yo's, and if you and Kathy are serious about putting a few blankets together--email me!
By the way, the animal shelter had their annual Italian Dinner on Saturday here in town; this year we added a "chair-ity" auction. We had been saving chairs donated to the shelter's annual garage sale for the last five years and had 21 chairs hand-decorated by area artists and "wanna-be" artists. It cost us little, cleaned out our attic, and the shelter raised over $2800.00 on them. We had chairs which lit up, chairs that were musical, dreamcatcher chairs as well as just some painted ones. So for any readers out there--it's a great way to raise money and get people involved! Save your old chairs!
March 26, 2008--We had a cruel joke played on us yesterday in Michigan--five inches of heavy, wet snow. . . So finishing up blankets is easy. . . and there's more on the way! Nice Easter with one son and his girlfirend at home--too short a visit , but in one month, he'll be getting his BA from University of Michigan. . .then I guess it's on to graduate school. Diane and the group from San Diego surprised me with some yarn and squares late last week. . . thanks so much you all for always remembering us and reading these ramblings. Your thoughts and efforts are reminders and spurs for us!
MARCH 17, 2008--I cannot believe this is third St. Patrick's Day I have written to you all; tomorrow is my grandmother's birthday--she was the Red Cross Knitting Instructor during WWII, and she guides our needles as we put these blankets together. And believe me, I have often heard her whisper in my ear and found myself ripping out my work which isn't satisficatory! Hope you enjoy the day; ours is frozen under a sheet of ice. If I stood in the garage, got a running start, had a good sled, tube , saucer, collapsed brown box, I could slide down our drive 1600 yards to the road--AND I AM NOT EXAGERATING! I just wish my bladder could withstand the thrill!
MARCH 14, 2008--Thanks to Carol from PA--the squares arrived; it's terrific to know you're still working with us. An army of one maybe in your area, but you join many of us all over the country! You are not alone. By the way, I jinxed myself when I said something about Spring coming; we woke up to two fresh inches of snow Thursday morning! And I think I have a stray , feral cat--just what we need. He's "spraying" in the garage, and my cats are acting strangely at night. Perhaps if he hears me say the spay/neuter appointments for April's cat campaign are being scheduled, he'll take off. . .then again, it's never that easy. I see a live trap in our future. . . By the way the latest finished blanket--the purple one--worked out beautifully, and I used a chenile-type of yarn to put it together. Really gave it a neat edge. . .now I am headed to the basement to grab another blanket needing to be put together. And yes, Shelly and Kathy, I haven't forgotten you all volunteered to put some together.
MARCH 11, 2008--Well, it is finally feeling as if Spring may be coming--the snow is melting and dirty, the roads rutted and, if paved, dotted with potholes. I actually heard a chickadee's spring call this morning! Finished a blanket last night and began an Easter-egg colored one, lots of purple, which is fun though I am more an earth tone gal. Perhaps it is having raised three sons , but I find working on the bright pinks, lavenders and lime greens more interesting. Even though they don't exactly fit my decor, someone South of here, I know will find one of them just perfect. I imagine a teenage girl moving into a new room, and as I work the blanket, I imagine her excitement. I also wonder if the vibes we all put into the stitches are passed along as that person pulls the blanket up over their legs the first time. It's kind of comforting thinking we are covering them with all our good wishes.
MARCH 5, 2008--Hope you're enjoying March; my cousin says she had 8 inches of snow in St. Louis yesterday. . . Welcome to my world! Our CKH helpers are back at it; Ruth, Teresa and Carroll are crocheting away for us, and this weekend, I will be putting together more blankets. . . West Virginia is now on our map--Thanks Meredith, thanks also to Marjorie for her squares as well as Pat from Miramar Beach, Florida. You know with Oprah's Big Give on television, I realized we had done this when we first started after the hurricanes. . . we began with one square which has grown into close to 6000 used and probably another 3000 in my basement! That's pretty amazing, and what is so wonderful is how great it makes us feel. Anyone who has helped knows the frustration and anger of feeling helpless as we watch the coverage from the Gulf States; these blankets have made us feel better as it has the people who have received them. And we didn't have to spend a great deal of money in order to make our efforts resonate.
FEBRUARY 29/MARCH 1, 2008--PICTURES OF ALL THE BLANKETS ALREADY WARMING PEOPLE UP IN THE GULF STATES. AREN'T THEY GORGEOUS? THANKS TO ALL WHO CONTINUE TO HELP--LOOK AT WHAT WE CAN ACCOMPLISH!