Charity Projects

So I'm still working on the weighted vest for my Early Childhood program.  I got a little frustrated with it last night and had to switch projects.  I've been taking lots of pictures so that I can write a tutorial however!

A friend of mine clued me in to a little project the United Methodist Women are sponsoring.  They are collecting prayer shawls and baby blankets.  I've been wanting to knit a prayer shawl, but my current church doesn't have a prayer shawl ministry :-(  So here's my chance.  The turn around time on this one is quite quick, but we'll see what we can do.  I'm going on a retreat this weekend, so this is my chance to get some knitting done.  I love to sit in seminars and knit, keeps my hands busy, while my mind is working.  I chose this Lion Brand Jiffy in purple spray for my prayer shawl. 

My church is collecting Health Kits for Haiti through the United Methodist Committee on Relief.  We have collected 400 so far, we are aiming for 1000 by May! Check out the UMCOR website for more information about the relief work in Haiti or where you can donate health kits.

The Etsy Team Quiltsy is collecting pillowcases for Haiti as a part of the 1 Million Pillowcase Challenge.  I contacted them and the turn around on this one is quick too, but the basic pillowcases only take about an hour.  Next week I'll have to get on the pillowcase sewing, they want them by March 6th! 

My husband and I are planing nanny this week, starting very early Wednesday morning through Friday mid morning, so I won't be doing any sewing, but I'll hopefully have some time for knitting.

Joey Pack...

I was working a retreat last weekend and saw one of the pastors carrying around a drawstring backpack like the free ones you get a conferences/events with sponsors logos on them...similar to this one...
Marianne was knitting out of her backpack...which seems like it might be quite the feat, except that she was wearing it in front of her instead of behind. She called it her "Joey Pack" (Joey, meaning baby kangaroo). I thought it was brilliant and immediately wished that I had a drawstring backpack like the one she was carrying.

So when I got home from the retreat, I went to my Google reader and did a search...and found a bunch of posts. I liked this one the best. So I got to work, I used a thrifted pillowcase that I had been planning to make a tote bag out of anyway! I used a grosgain ribbon for the straps and viola I had my own "joey pack". Now to find the perfect patterns to test it out next weekend at my retreat! Here's how mine turned out...

Lent and Charity Projects

I'm not big on giving things up for lent, so instead I decided that I would work on giving things AWAY! In my normal blog reading I found several great opportunities to make and donate items to various charities.

Here are a few of my favorites - with patterns!

Mother Bear Project - accepts donations of knitted and crocheted teddy bears and then sends those bears to children in emerging nations with HIV/Aids. These bears help provide comfort, hope and most of all convey LOVE to these kids.

1 Million Pillowcase Challenge - from AllPeopleQuilt. APC is challenging sewers and quilters to make and donate 1 million pillowcases in 2010. Pillowcases can be donated to the charity of your choice, some suggestions include the Ronald McDonald house, local children's hospitals and more. A larger list is on their website. They also have 4 pillowcase patterns that are simple, most will take you less than an hour to complete!

Dolly Donations - collecting dollies made from scrap material and donating them to Orphans in Haiti. Pattern is on the blog. Can't wait to try one of these, they are VERY cute!

For my first donation project, I'm actually working on a weighted vest for the special education program I work for. I'm working up a tutorial, so look for that post later this weekend!

I'm testing out the pillowcase pattern as well, so far so good, except for pattern reader error (that's me). I forgot to make one of the cuts, fortunately it's only affected me by 1/2 an inch, which will be easily fixed! I've got lots of stash fabric to make pillowcases! My biggest problem seems to be finding coordinating fabrics in my stash - might have to do some shopping!

I think after the vest and a pillowcase or two, I'll move on to something knitted. I'm going on a retreat next weekend, where I'll need something on needles!

If anyone has any other charity projects they'd like to share, I'd love to hear about them!

Olympics!!

I love the Olympics...I am a total junkie! Saturday night I stayed up til nearly 2 am watching the Men's short track speed skating - I was so tired that I actually fell asleep watching! I simply can't get enough! I am watching the Figure Skating Pairs Free Program right now as I type this.

Congratulations to Hannah Kearney (USA), Gold Medalist in the Women's Moguls, and to Seth Wescott (USA), Gold Medalist in the Men's Snowboard Cross. Congratulations also to Alexandre Bilodeau, bringing home Canada's first EVER gold medal at a Home Olympics in the Men's Moguls. Congratulations to all the other Olympians and Medalists!