Solids and Stripes for Love-Squared Challenge!

I've posted here before about knitting and crocheting squares for different organizations to be made into blankets for children at homeless shelters in the winter.  One of my favorite sites is Love-Squared which is based in Michigan.  They have a network of volunteers who sew the donated squares into blankets and distribute them across shelters in Michigan and other states.  They've been having a 'challenge' to see which type of square they receive the most -- solid or striped.  Both are very welcome -- this is just for fun.  

My stash in July.

I've been switching back and forth between knitting and crocheting 8" by 8" squares for months.  The pic above was what I had accumulated by July.  Since then I've added more squares to the pile whenever I have some spare time to work on them.  The pic below is the pile I have now.  There are 23 in this pile and I'm working on number 24.

23 finished squares as of today.

If you have some time -- and can 'spare a square' -- this is a great way to contribute to a worthy cause. I usually send extra skeins of yarn along with my squares to be used to seam the squares into blankets but you can just send squares or even skeins of yarn you aren't using.  From one to hundreds, Love-Squared gratefully accepts all squares.  I wouldn't suggest using cotton yarn due to shrinkage when washed (the water might NOT be cold!) but any type of acrylic or acrylic blend works nicely.

The deadline for this 'challenge' is September 30th but they need squares all year-round.  The solids vs. stripes is really just for fun although Love-Squared will post which type 'wins' with the most donated.  Here is their site on Facebook -- Love-Squared.  You can find everything you need to know to help out this wonderful group!  Now, back to knitting...

Can you spare a square?

As I've posted at various times over the past few years, Linda, Duane and I knit and/or crochet for various charities.  The one we started making items for is Knit A Square where you knit or crochet 8 by 8 inch squares which are then sewn into blankets for orphans of AIDS in Africa.  This is a really worthy charity and we sent quite a few squares but, eventually, we found the expense of shipping to Africa to be too much.  We also made items such as hats, scarves and fingerless gloves for the group The Humble Stitch for several years but the group has been less active lately.  (Remember, these people are ALL volunteers.) 

We know that we have local groups like Metropolitan Ministries which are happy to receive finished hats, scarves, gloves, etc., but I wondered if there were any groups for basic squares.  I searched the 'net and found Love Squared.  The main address is in Michigan (Linda's home state!) and they will take 8 by 8 inch squares made of any type of yarn and pattern, crocheted, knitted, etc.  They also accept yarn donations.  The ladies of Love Squared sew the squares into blankets for children in homeless shelters.  They also operate in states other than Michigan.  So far, we've sent them one package of squares and some skeins of yarn.  Well, lately, I started making squares again.  It's relaxing to do while watching TV at night and I can crochet or knit one in a very short amount of time.  Below is what I have at this point.

Linda and Duane will be helping out, too, and we should have a nice number of squares to send to Love Squared.  It's so nice after a day of recording and/or editing sound files to just relax and enjoy the zen of soft yarn and the idea of helping others -- even in this small way.   

Two Friday Estate Sales

From sale no.1.

Yesterday morning Duane, Linda, and I set out for two large estate sales.  One was a 'living' estate sale because the owner, an artist, was in the process of moving to a much smaller place.  She had not only her own art and antiques but she was a collector, too.

Much of her own painting consisted of delicate work on pieces of white china.  It was a large house for one person but she had used one of the bedrooms as a studio.  Other rooms held a large number of vintage books, particularly children's books, along with various ceramics, clocks, and household items.

Linda found a beautiful enamel on metal shallow bowl made in Austria.
She also purchased a vintage book.  Duane found two small pieces to add
to her Delft ware collection -- a tiny hanging tile and a toothpick holder.

Sale no.1 -- lots of candlewick dinnerware.

I found a beautiful piece of coral -- it's a rose coral fossil.  This artist had collected fossils along with her other passions.

 Sale no.1 -- cabinet containing the fossils.

           

Sale no.1 -- the artist's home studio.

Sale no.1 -- lots of vintage books.

The first sale had begun at 8am.  After we left it, we were close enough to the second sale to make it before it began at 9am.  This was a 'dead' estate sale and everything had to go.  Lots of furniture, china, ceramics, etc.

Sale no.2 -- lots of everything.

The second sale had a lot of nice items, too, but Linda and I ended up buying a cache of yarn and some vintage needles.  The yarn we may divvy up or just send all of it to the latest place we've been knitting and crocheting squares to make blankets.  They'll take finished 8 inch squares and/or yarn donations and we're happy to oblige.  They're called Love-Squared.   Here's their Facebook page.  

After our shopping, we had lots of time for our usual refreshments.  We spent so long talking about various subjects that we were still there when lunch time rolled around to we had lunch together, too.  A terrific day!

Our purchases.

   

A closer look at my coral fossil and Duane's Delft pieces.