What a difference color makes!

I have an update!  DeAnne took another approach and used the pattern to make a full size scrap yarn afghan.  Isn’t it beautiful?  I can’t wait to see what others have done! 

 During July and August we encouraged members to make scrap afghans using our large store of scrap/small balls of yarn.  The results were amazing!  At the September meeting, we shared a ripple pattern and all agreed to make our own version of this pattern to compare at the October meeting.  Here are two that are already complete. 

 

If you’d like to see the rest of the results, you’ll have to make plans to attend our October meeting, Saturday, October 20th at 11:00 a.m. at our warehouse.  Share the fun as we compare results and plan the special activity for the following month’s meeting.

If you’d like to attend, leave a comment or email (warmtheworld at gmail dot com) for directions. You can also contact us by phone at 1-888-838-3044. 

We’d love to have you join us!

   

Working at the warehouse.

Recently, a group of us met at the warehouse to sort incoming donations.

Here are the hats:

Here are some mittens:

And, some of the blankets:

Did you know that Warm The World accepts unfinished items? We have volunteers that love to take unfinished items and complete them.

This blanket came to us unfinished. One of our volunteers was able to match the colors of the yarn, continue on with the pattern and finish it:

This blanket came to us literally in pieces. Warm The World received the individual squares and one of our talented volunteers pieced them together to make this masterpiece:

Don’t forget about our monthly meetings. They are the third Saturday of every month at 11am. If you’d like to attend, leave a comment or email (warmtheworld at gmail dot com) for directions. We’d love to have you join us!

The Definition of a Baby Afghan 

Yes, they’re all baby afghans headed for Warm the World!

 

One of the most frequent comments we receive is “I’d love to make a baby afghan, but don’t have any pink or blue yarn.”  Well, most of the time, neither do we.  Just as dress hem lengths and shoe styles change, so do baby afghans.  

A couple of the latest rages are primary colors, camouflage and black & white.  We suggest that people use their own color creativity and make a baby blanket based on size, anywhere from 30” square to 36” x 42” rectangular.  Especially popular now are smaller afghans of the 30” square size that can be used with baby carriers, strollers and car seats when baby is out and about (so Mom won’t trip over a blanket dragging below).

 

So think bold, bright and beautiful for this year’s well dressed baby!

Monthly Meeting.

Yesterday was the monthly meeting at Warm The World’s headquarters. Nan began by giving us all a quick update on our ongoing commitments:

Then, everyone went yarn shopping:

And, we admired all the incoming projects. This table was full of blankets, hats and scarves:

This table was full of blankets:

We also flipped through the recent donation from Colorado Fiber Arts:

(My apologies for the blurry photo. It looked clear when I took it.)

Our biggest need is currently hats and scarves. (Details here.) However, if hats and scarves don’t inspire you, we also need blankets, mittens and just about anything else you can create.

If you’d like to ask a question or receive more information, feel free to email us at warmtheworld at gmail dot com or leave a comment on this blog.

A pair of needles or a hook is all you need.

It may be the dog days of summer, but Warm The World is already looking ahead to the cold, snowy months of winter. There are many organizations who are counting on our assistance. You can see the specific numbers here.

If you’re in the area (Colorado Springs/Pueblo) and would like to make use of our warehouse for your group, please contact Nan Sullivan at the number above. Of course, we will happily accept donations from knitters/crocheters from outside of our area.

Every item moves us closer to our goal. Whether you’re part of a group that is able to donate a dozen items, or a time-strapped individual who can give us one item, each one is appreciated and received with enthusiasm and thanks.

Here is an article that ran in a local newspaper about our efforts:

If you’d like to ask a question or receive more information, feel free to email us at warmtheworld at gmail dot com or leave a comment on this blog.

Hats - we need hats

We have been busy recruiting help with our hats and scarves program.  This is one of our favorite programs as we work with local food shelves who make sure each child gets a hand-made hat or scarf with their toy/gift at Christmas.  It’s pretty hard to say no to a child - so consider making a hat or scarf of your choice - or better yet, make a couple, as we need literally thousands.  Here’s a hat with no counting!

ANY SIZE NO COUNT WINTER HAT                  

Leaving a long tail (10”), chain a length equal to the crown to cheek dimension of your planned hat, including a cuff if desired.

Row 1:  Sc in back loop of second chain from hook.  Sc in back loop of each chain across.  Ch1, turn.

Repeat Row 1 until desired length of your piece is the circumference of the head.  An adult ranges from 19” to 24”, a child is about the size of a cantaloupe.  End when you are at the opposite side from your long starting tail. 

Finish back seam.  Holding the starting and ending edge together, slip stitch through the back loop of your ending edge and the open loop from the starting chain, across to the end.  Finish off, leaving a long tail (10”). 

Closing the top:  Tie the two tails together at the tip.  Weave this doubled thread through the end of the rows, gathering up the edge tightly.  Knot and secure the tail inside the top of the hat.  I usually leave about a 3” end exposed inside the top of the hat in the rare event that it might open later.

  

 

  

…and a good time was had by all.

Saturday was warm and sunny: the perfect day for a barbecue!

The food was yummy, the company was pleasant and there was even time to knit and crochet.

In the past couple of weeks, 60 blankets were donated to Tally-Ho 4-H for distribution to the survivors of the Holly tornado.

Our forecast for 2007 has increased. 550 hats/scarves have been committed to the Manna House (in Florence) for their holiday event.

Our greatest need right now is hats, scarves and baby blankets. The year is over half over and our busiest time is still ahead of us. We’d love to have you join us in meeting our goals!

An Invitation.

Everyone is invited!

What: Open House/BBQ for friends, family and volunteers

When: This Saturday, July 21st at 11am

Where: WtW Warehouse - 465 Valley Road, Suite B, Cañon City; back parking lot

RSVP: Leave a comment or email warmtheworld at gmail dot com

If you’re a current volunteer, thinking about volunteering or just wondering what we’re all about, this is the perfect opportunity to socialize with your fellow volunteers, get more information and check out our organization and headquarters.

Warm the World Blanket Drop to Fort Carson on June 22, 2007

Pictured from Left to Right:Nurse Robin Hintz, new parents Joshua and Nichole LaDue with baby boy LaDue, Dr. Brian Crisp, and nurse Jackie Jones.

You’ve been knitting, crocheting, and donating yarn to Warm the World. As you’ve seen from our warehouse operations, we’ve got a lot of items ready to be donated to folks who would love a handmade blanket.

On June 22, we donated 100 baby blankets to Fort Carson. Our goal is to provide blankets to the newborns of soldiers currently deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. At our initial drop, we were able to provide blankets to three newborns, and we were assured there would be plenty more who would find comfort in the handmade blanket from a volunteer.

Soldier Joshua LaDue was home on leave, after being injured in Iraq. This baby is the first one for him and his wife, Nichole. Both were appreciative of the blanket provided, and Warm the World certainly wishes Joshua a safe return to Iraq, as well as a safe completion to his deployment time.

A big thank you goes out to everyone who has been making baby blankets. The sheer beauty, along with the many variations of blankets amassed a lot of “oohs” and “ahhs” from birth center staff members, as well as recipients.

We can still use your time and talent! There are plenty of commitments left for 2007, and you can check our “Items Needed” page to see what items we can use over the next few months.

Let’s Go On A Tour!

Warm The World’s headquarters is in Cañon City, Colorado. We have meetings the third Saturday of every month at 11am. The headquarters is located at 465 Valley Rd., Ste. B. Our meetings are open to anyone and we’d love to have you join us.

Our meetings are low key, informal affairs. We do the usual ‘meeting stuff’ (going over donations we’ve made in the past month and reviewing upcoming commitments), but we also spend a fair amount of time ogling yarn and finished projects.

Here’s a table full of blankets that were donated at our last meeting:

The warehouse has plenty of pattern books/booklets and finished items for inspiration:

And, of course, the yarn. All of this yarn has been donated to us and we love picking out the perfect skeins to create our next project:

The warehouse is also where we store items that are ready to be donated to our different organizations. Here is a rack that is full of sorted/counted/bagged items:

Our next meeting is next Saturday, July 21 at 11am. This is a special meeting: we are having a barbecue and showing off our warehouse and work to our families. Feel free to stop by and say hello.

If you would like more information or have a question that is not answered here, feel free to email us at warmtheworld at gmail dot com or you can leave a comment on the blog.