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.   

Ready for The Humble Stitch and a Fashion Show Birthday Party

My buddies Linda and Duane and I have a box ready to ship to The Humble Stitch Project this week.  We have caps, scarves, fingerless gloves and squares for Knit-A-Square to be made into blankets.  You can find out more about both projects by clicking on the titles.  We also have a nice selection of extra skeins of wool and acrylic yarn that we're sending for other stitchers to use to help out.

 

I'm particularly proud of my first broomstick lace scarf.  It was really fun to make and I plan to make more of them.  I chose a pretty mocha brown for this one and made it approx. 6 feet long.  I may make the next one a little wider so that I won't need to make it quite as long.  I just wanted to make sure that it would be warm enough for the lady who wears it.  I looked at a number of sites while trying to learn how to work with this stitch.  The best instructions I found were at this site: Speckless by Heidi Hengel.  She has her own wood 'pins' that she uses to make her lace.  I used a size 35 wood knitting needle to make my lace.  Heidi's easy to follow steps, complete with pictures, really helped me and I wanted to point anyone her way who might like to learn this stitch.  So pretty!

Now, for something completely different, I attended my niece Ava's 6th birthday party last Sunday and, as usual, my sister Carol (Ava's mother) pulled out all of the stops.  The theme was 'A Fashion Show' and the guests, along with Ava, modeled outfits on a runway built by Ava's dad and a friend.  Carol made all of the decorations and the food including the fashion doll cake and the cupcakes.

The tables set for the party.

Cake and cupcakes

Included in the activities, before the 'fashion show' began, Carol had set up three different 'stations' for girls to 1) have their nails painted, 2) have makeup applied and 3) have their hair styled by three lovely girls who were all part of 'Salon Ava' -- yes, my sister actually embroidered that on their aprons with her sewing machine.

Ava having her hair 'done' at the hair station.

A guest having her nails painted.

There were also tables set up with flower shaped sandwiches and cheese doodles for the party-goers to have for lunch.  And, there was a candy table with tiny cardboard purses for each girl to fill as she liked with the various candies on the table.

The 'fill-your-purse' candy table.

Ava's big brothers, my nephews Sam and Ben, were able to make it home from college to attend the party.  Sam also served as 'emcee' for the fashion show.  He entertained us with a little Bobby Darin while we were waiting for the girls to start coming out.

Big Brother Sam as Emcee

Ava's Runway Sign

Ava's entrance.

Ava posing.

One of the guests strutting her stuff.

Finally!  Time for cake and cupcakes.

Ava opening presents.

Mommy helping Ava read the cards.

Big Brother Ben wondering, 'How did I get here?'

As usual, the kids had a great time and took pink or purple gown shaped plastic bottles filled with candy and small toys home as party favors.  Carol never does anything half-way.  I was so tired, it's taken me a week just to blog about it.  Heh, heh, heh.   I wonder what Carol has planned for Ava's 7th birthday...

Gearing up for The Humble Stitch Project - 2012

I've been knitting and crocheting items for The Humble Stitch Project  since the beginning of the year.  However, this year's official kick-off began on September 14th and will continue through December 19th, 2012.  More info here.  Basically, The HS Project collects hats, scarves, mitts, and other handmade cold weather clothing for our homeless neighbors here in South Florida.  My little group has already sent in two packages this year and we're gearing up to send more.  Right now, I've finished a hat (unisex), a woman's scarf and a set of fingerless gloves.  Linda and Kristen have also donated some squares for the Knit-A-Square project which we also participate in via The Humble Stitch.  Knitted and/or crocheted 8 by 8 inch squares are sewn together to create blankets for orphans of AIDS in South Africa.  Even if you don't like to knit or crochet but would like to contribute, The Humble Stitch gladly accepts skeins of yarn (preferably acrylic) and knitting needles/crochet hooks.

My current HS project is a woman's scarf using a pattern called broomstick lace.  In years past, women actually used broomstick handles to wrap the yarn around to create this pattern.  Now, most people (including me) use a 35mm wood or plastic knitting needle.  I've made a bracelet before using a broomstick pattern but this scarf will be pretty long.  Long enough to wrap several times around the neck since it's narrow.  I love this brown 'mocha' color and I may add fringe or crochet more decorative stitches on the ends when I finish making the scarf.

If you'd like a lesson in how to make broomstick lace, there are many sites on the Internet that you can access.  However, I found the best place to learn was from a blog called Speckless.  I've learned how to make several items by following Heidi Hengel's instructions.  She's a wonderful teacher and generously shares her knowledge via her blog. 

I find knitting and crocheting to be a relaxing activity when I want/need to take a break from audio recording.  I started crocheting over river rocks after first hearing about it via Etsy and I've given a number of them to friends.  I've also started filling a shell covered tray that I found at an estate sale several years ago.  I wasn't sure what I would do with the tray but I liked it and remembered that I had it when I was thinking of how to display some of my stones.  I choose a stone, select a thread color and then either follow a pattern (old doily patterns are a great start), an Internet pattern or make one up as I go along.

I sent a covered stone to my friend Kate who founded The Humble Stitch.  I had no idea that Kate collected rocks although I was pretty sure she liked crochet.  She took photos of the rock I sent along with her method of displaying it.  It sits atop other beautiful rocks in a glass bowl and looks wonderful.

I've also seen crocheted rocks sitting on fireplace mantels, and on bookshelves and window sills.  Oh, they make great paperweights, too.

  

Update on recording and all things yarn

I've been recording a book of short stories called Sweet Tea and Jesus Shoes by a variety of southern women writers and it's been a terrific read.  Colorful characters (some of these people could be my relatives) and great writing have made this job, well, not like a job.  Except for the editing -- then it's still a job.  I've also recorded a horror short story by Joel M. Andre.  I understand he has a pretty loyal following so I hope I don't disappoint his fans.

Work in progress

On the yarn front, I have another group of items almost ready to ship to The Humble Stitch.  Linda finished her very first piece of clothing -- a man's scarf -- and she did a wonderful job!  It's the light tan scarf on the far right in the photo.  We have 2 hats, 2 scarves, a pair of handwarmers and a bunch of squares (for Knit A Square) -- thanks to Linda and Kristen -- and I'll have a second set of handwarmers finished soon.  I think I'm going to work on another hat when I've finished this pair of gray handwarmers. 

My niece, Bailey, turns 5 later this month and, of course, I had to think of something 'Amigurumi' to make for her.  I made her younger sister, Taylor, an Amigurumi Elmo (see this post) for her birthday in May.  I decided to make a Hello Kitty using an Amigurumi pattern that I found here by Armina Parnagian.  I think Bailey will like it.  Mine is a little larger than the pattern I followed because I used a slightly heavier yarn.  She ended up at around 6 inches high. 

I've also been experimenting more with using finer yarns and thread to knit and crochet and I'll post here when I actually have something to show for my efforts.

Almost finished -- with several projects

I'm rounding the last curve now on my latest paid audiobook project.  My deadline is next Thursday but I'll be finished well before then.  I'll post here when the book, The Distant Shore, becomes available on Audible, Amazon and any other sites.  Remember this one is for children or, more specifically, tweens, aged 12 and up.  I would consider it a girl's book since the main character is a girl but there are many interesting characters and the story is well-written.  The author, Debora M. Coty, includes plenty of humor but pulls no punches when it comes to the sad parts of life.  I'll have more on this title later.

I finished another scarf to send to The Humble Stitch and Linda delivered more squares last weekend for the Knit-a-Square Project.  However, I also found a little time to whip up a purse for my sister Carol to give as a birthday gift to a little girl.  Carol wanted a purse like the ones I made for our nieces Bailey and Taylor here.  Except she wanted it in HOT pink with a zebra embellishment.  I knew I could find hot pink yarn but I wasn't sure about trying to crochet a 'zebra' style flower.  Instead I found a pretty zebra pattern hair bow which I clipped to the purse.  This way, the birthday girl can either leave it on the purse or use it in her hair.  I did suggest that the bow be removed if the purse needs to be laundered.  These bags wash and dry really well and the flowers that I've made on the past ones are sewn on and wash and dry with the purse.  I'm currently making a purse for my niece Ava (Carol's daughter) and, at Carol's suggestion, I'm using pretty wild (almost neon) colors.  Will post a pic when it's finished.  

Recording, editing and more yarn items

I just finished my latest solo,  for the LibriVox catalog, The Girl Aviators and the Phantom Airship by Margaret Burnham.  This one is aimed at teen and pre-teen girls.  Here's the summary I wrote for LibriVox:  "Teenagers Peggy Prescott and her brother Roy share a love of aviation that they inherited from their late father. Mr. Prescott had always dreamed of building an aeroplane that would be free of the defects of planes already invented. Peggy and Roy manage to build a plane starting with the framework their father had begun. Peggy christens it ‘The Golden Buttefly’ and she and Roy are determined to enter it in a young aviator’s contest for a prize of $5000. The Prescotts need the money desperately to save the home they share with their aunt which is about to be taken from them by the rather nasty banker, Mr. Harding. Peggy and Roy along with their best friends, Jess and Jimsy Bancroft – also sister and brother, experience many adventures – many of them while flying the Golden Butterfly. A kidnapping, missing jewels and contact with some desperate characters are just some of what the Prescotts encounter in their Long Island village of Sandy Bay. There’s never a dull moment for these two as they pursue their dream of flying."

If you like young adult books or have a child in the age range, I would highly recommend this one.  I enjoyed reading and recording it.  I'm currently recording another children's book -- this one is a paying job -- called The Distant Shore.   I'm also enjoying this book although it's aimed at a younger audience than the aviator series.

On the yarn front, I finished purses for my four year old and two year old nieces.  I'm flying to Virginia to visit them tomorrow for a long weekend.  These were fun to make and very fast.  I plan to make one for my 5 year old niece who lives near me but since she's so close, I think I'll let her choose the colors for the purse and the flower.  The purse is sized for a young child and the pattern can be found at The Tangled Happy blog.  The blogger, Sara, modified a pattern she had created earlier for adults.  The purses I made are called the Strappy Boutique bags.  I found the pattern for the flower on another site.  Megan at Tampa Bay Crochet had made this bag and pointed me in the direction of the flower -- created by Melissa on the Action Hero: Knitting Weblog.  I used worsted weight acrylic yarn and then blocked the purses (mainly for the straps) using instructions found at the Bead Knitter Gallery.  Wonderful information from the blogger (known as Bead Knitter) on blocking acrylic.  Now, when my nieces get their purses dirty, my sister can just toss them in the washer and dryer (using the temps, etc., for this yarn).  I'm putting the hairbands (which I also blocked) I made for them inside the bags.  To see one of the hairbands, check out my original post here.  I'm making an identical one in a mossy green color for my 5 year old niece -- she has beautiful green eyes.

On the charity knitting/crocheting front, I finished a pair of knitted handwarmers that I like very much.  I used a burgundy worsted weight yarn with colorful flecks.  The pattern, called Carrie Handwarmers, can be found on I am what I knit and was created by the blogger, Doris.  I am so grateful to the crafters who post their patterns and allow others to use them.  These should keep some lady's hands very warm next winter. 

I also finished the black cabled hat I was working on and a couple of more squares for Knit A Square.  My buddy, Kristen, just sent me a handful of squares for the pile so it won't be long before we have another box for The Humble Stitch. 

Catching up

I'm currently doing the prep work to record a book for Iambik and still plugging along on my current LibriVox solo.  The Iambik book is an older classic -- I'll post more about it later.  I'm also waiting to hear second call-backs on three titles I auditioned for on ACX.  Publishers and authors can take a reallllly long time to make up their minds.  I can't really blame them.  Once the recording is out there -- it's out there.  

On the yarn front, I finished a black cabled knit hat that could be for either a man or a woman.  Still working on the ladies royal blue drop-stitch scarf.  This is a fresh batch since I sent a box a week ago to The Humble Stitch.  My friend Kate confirmed that it arrived safely.  In addition to the articles of clothing, Kate told me there were 20 knit/crochet squares (for Knit-A-Square) in the box.  I didn't realize how many of those Linda and I had made in a relatively short time -- I didn't think to count them.      

I also discovered, via Facebook, a new auction site.  It's called Tophatter and features a lot of nice handmade items from people who have shops on Etsy or have their own website.  It's free to join but you can 'watch' the auctions in real time if you like without joining.  You just can't bid (or sell anything) unless you sign up.  I've bought a few little items and also sold a few things I no longer needed.  They have a number of categories and they seem to constantly add more.  Check them out.

Now, back to editing audiofiles.  Not my favorite thing to do but it must be done...

Amigurumi Bunnies and Vintage Needles

I just finished the three Amigurumi bunnies I made as gifts for my nieces for Easter.  Of course, they'll also be receiving the requisite M&M's with them.  Just as I did with their Valentine's Day goodies, I wanted to finish in plenty of time after my hurry at Christmas to finish the Amigurumi puppies in one week! 



I have to thank the blogger at Nerdigurumi for sharing this

easy and fantastic pattern that she created.  Not only can you make these bunnies with this basic pattern but you can also make other 'critters'.  Be sure to check out her site. 

I've also been busy knitting and crocheting items for The Humble Stitch and Knit-A-Square.  I have enough items to ship to The Humble Stitch and the package will go out by the end of the week.  Right now I'm still working on the ladies drop stitch scarf I showed a few posts ago but I did finish the man's long scarf and the cabled hat to go with a beanie, 2 sets of fingerless gloves and 2 other scarves.  These are a combination of knitted and crocheted items.

As I mentioned previously, I came across some vintage plastic and bakelite knitting needles when Duane and Linda and I were roaming antique shops near where Duane lives.  I loved using them so much that I managed to buy another set from the same store and then decided to look on eBay.  I scored with 2 separate lots of vintage needles (some of which I've shared with Duane and Linda) of almost every size.  I don't know if I'll ever use metal knitting needles again.  These are a mixture of plastic, bakelite and a few wood sets.  I was hesitant about bamboo needles because I had heard pros and cons about them when it comes to speed and breakage.  I first learned to knit on a child-size set of plastic needles when I was 11 years old.  I made a few (very) simple things for my 'Heidi' doll -- mostly capes with pretty buttons as a fastener.  After I outgrew the doll, I stopped knitting and didn't pick it up again until late last year but I find it very relaxing.  I decided to 'display' my knitting needles in tall glass vases I had around the house and they now sit on my midcentury modern coffee table in my home office.   I am now officially a needle and yarn junkie.  

New LibriVox project and other updates

I've started working on my newest solo for LibriVox.  I chose a young adult or teenage book called The Girl Aviators and the Phantom Airship by Margaret Burnham.  This book is the first in a series advertised as the 'Girl Aviator Series' and is aimed at teenaged girls on up.  I was happily surprised that these were not already in the LibriVox catalog but, of course, LibriVox always welcomes additional readings of any Public Domain books.  After I finished the last two books I recorded, Peggy's Trial and Camp-Fire Girls in the Country or The Secret Aunt Hannah Forgot, I donated the copies to Project Gutenberg since these books were not yet in their catalog.  I received a very nice thank you email from them and one of their scanners/proof-readers will be uploading these books to PG's database as he finishes them.

I've also continued with my knitting and crocheting for charity.  I finished the cabled hat that was a 'work-in-progress' in a previous post and I've also made some more squares for the Knit A Square project. They have posted a wishlist for the coming year which will be very helpful for me and my knitting friends when we decide what to make other than squares.  In addition to my charity knitting and crocheting, I've been busily at work on a new Amigurumi project.  I'll post more about it with pictures when I'm finished.  Oh, and when Duane and Linda and I were out antiquing near where Duane lives, we came across a shop that had a bunch of old and vintage knitting needles.  Some were even made of bakelite.  Duane and I have both bought some of the old plastic ones and I love knitting with them.  They're so light and smooth.  I haven't tried bamboo needles which I know that many people praise for the same reason.  I just love the idea of using vintage needles.  Apparently this dealer has more needles and has been putting a small bunch out at a time.  Great for us since we can check back to see what's new in style and size.

In the mean time, I'm waiting for responses to various auditions I've sent out for audiobooks for pay including several that will be recorded for Iambik.

Updates on LibriVox and all things yarn

I finished my latest LibriVox project, Peggy's Trial by Mary Knight Potter, and it can be found in the catalog here.  A very sweet story for children, particularly girls, ages 8-10.  This is the summary I wrote for LibriVox:    "Ten-year old Peggy Clayton and her two younger brothers, Teddy and Harry, live with their father, Dr. Clayton, and Nurse, a woman who has taken care of them since the death of their mother when Peggy was five. Peggy is a sweet and kind little girl with a big imagination and a great sense of fun. Peggy's Trial follows her adventures with her friends at school, the mischief she and her brothers cause poor old Nurse, and even Peggy’s being chased by a bull. But nothing can prepare Peggy, Teddy and Harry when they fear they may lose their beloved father to a stepmother."

I still haven't decided on my next LibriVox project.  Usually I know what I plan to record next but I've got so many possibilities that I've come across that I can't decide.  Something I need to do today.

Long knit scarf - WIP

I'm still knitting and crocheting squares for the Knit A Square project but I've been concentrating more on making actual items for The Humble Stitch.  I've ventured outside my comfort zone and I'm actually knitting a cabled hat.

Cabled hat - WIP

It's one of three works-in-progress that I have going right now.  The other two are scarves.  A drop stitch scarf for a woman and a long knitted one for a man. 

Dropstitch scarf - WIP

At the moment, I have 13 finished squares, one hat, two scarves and 2 pairs of handwarmers.  Duane and Linda are working on squares and both of them plan to begin one of the long knit scarves as their first project beyond making squares.  We should have a package ready pretty soon to send to The Humble Stitch.  I really like the handwarmers or fingerless gloves pattern that I found on the blog Speckless.  Although I plan to try some other patterns, this is going to be my go-to one for this item.  A big thanks to Heidi at Speckless for sharing the pattern she created!

Finished pieces.

And I'm still researching scripts to audition for at ACX and, of course, Iambik.  Many of us have auditions out that we're waiting to hear yea or nay on.  Authors and publishers can be very slow in responding, particularly on ACX where I'm sure they're inundated with auditions.  I've been mostly sending in auditions for nonfiction on ACX but I'm now looking at some fiction, too, particularly mysteries.

Since I've just bought a new computer, I've had to tweak a few things in my recording set-up.  Mostly for the better since this computer is (thankfully) very quiet.  

LibriVox and other updates

I finally finished recording and editing Camp-Fire Girls in the Country or The Secret Aunt Hannah Forgot by Stella M. Francis for LibriVox.  It has been cataloged and can be found here.  The mystery reads a bit like a Nancy Drew book and the age group for this book could span from around 10-14 years old.  Here's the summary I wrote for LibriVox:

"Teen-ager Hazel Edwards and the other twelve members of the Flamingo Camp-Fire Girls experience some real adventure when they are invited to spend part of their summer as guests of Hazel’s elderly aunt on her large country farm. Mrs. Hannah Hutchins is a widow living alone with a few servants and farming assistants in her home in the midwestern town of Fairberry. The girls set up camp on a section of Aunt Hannah’s farm but, before too long, an incident occurs during the annual Fourth of July celebration in Fairberry. What happens will have far-reaching consequences for Hazel’s Aunt Hannah and the girls of Flamingo Camp Fire as they must use the skills they’ve gained to fend off desperate characters and help Aunt Hannah to ‘remember’ what she forgot. This book, Camp-Fire Girls in the Country or The Secret Aunt Hannah Forgot, is one of numerous books written about the Camp-Fire Girls and their experiences."

This was a book I found in a used bookstore that was going out of business.  Because it's not currently available in print online, I've donated this copy to Project Gutenberg to be digitized.  My next recording for LibriVox is the other children's book I purchased from the same store that is also not currently available in print online.  Peggy's Trial by Mary Knight Potter was published in 1901.  When I finish recording this book, I'm planning to donate it to Project Gutenberg, too.

In addition to sending out audiobook auditions, I've continued to knit and crochet for Knit A Square and The Humble Stitch along with several of my friends.  Right now I have completed 11 squares for Knit A Square.  For The Humble Stitch, I just finished my first set of fingerless gloves or handwarmers.   (I had George model them for the photo.)  I made these with a man in mind but they could really be worn by either sex.  I'm really pleased with not only how easy these were to make but also how easy it will be to adjust the size for the pattern to make larger or smaller gloves.  I found the pattern on this blog called Speckless.  The blogger also has links to other items she has made.  Very talented lady!

I plan to make more of these gloves but I want to make a hat or scarf first.  Since I'm starting so early in the year, I should have quite a few donations for The Humble Stitch before next winter.

Back to work after a fun Saturday

Yesterday, Linda and I took Duane to lunch and supplied cake and presents for her birthday.  We went to several of our usual favorite places to shop including Kaleidoscope where we all made purchases.  Duane bought a set of bookends she had been eyeing, I bought a beautiful trapunto style pillow with the outline of a chandelier and Linda bought a fab pink mid-century serving bowl and she finally broke down and bought the last of the three tile top tables that she had wanted.  This one has a black iron frame and the top is composed of black and green tiles.  Very pretty.  After hitting a few more shops, we had lunch at Mikey's and then headed back to Duane's for chocolate cake.  A fun day.
              

When I got home late in the afternoon, I finished a pair of slipper socks I knitted for my mother's birthday.  The pattern was very easy but I will NEVER use this type of yarn again.  It's called Red Heart Light & Lofty and, boy, was it a pain to work with.  It is incredibly soft and thick so the slippers feel great -- I tried them on before washing and drying them -- but this yarn has a tendency to split and I ended up with too many stitches, etc.  Ick.  I'm also including a gift certificate to one of my mother's favorite department stores with the slippers.    



Now, I'm concentrating on making more squares for the KasCare knit (or crochet) project to make blankets for orphans of AIDS.  My friend Barbara gathered together all of the squares we had finished last Friday and we had enough for one full blanket (60 squares) and most of another one.  I gave her the ten squares I had ready to go so now I'm back to making more.  I crocheted a quick one last night and I'm about halfway through another.  I've also been looking at more of the Amigurumi patterns that I mentioned a couple of posts ago.  I may make Amigurumi cupcakes for my three nieces for Valentine's Day.  There are so many cute patterns for these that it's hard to decide which one(s) to make.

Today, I spent quite a bit of time in my recording booth.  I need to finish up my latest LibriVox solo, Camp-Fire Girls in the Country by Stella M. Francis.  I had fallen behind on my self-imposed schedule due to catching a cold that knocked my voice out of commission for about 2 weeks and then the holidays.  I recorded 6 chapters today so my next step is to edit, edit, edit.  I also recorded the weekly poem for LibriVox.  This week it's "O Hollow! Hollow! Hollow!" by W.S. Gilbert, from the opera Patience.  That's one of the things I love about the weekly and fortnightly poetry readings -- you never know what someone is going to suggest.

I'll have an update on happenings at Iambik Audiobooks very soon -- probably this week.  We're starting to gear up again after the holiday season.  There is one book coming out that I mentioned in a previous posting that's a collection of crime stories by different authors.  I read a story for that one called "Bits and Pieces" which definitely fit the genre.  We also have another collection coming up and some more solos.  I'll post here when they've been published. 

Update on yarn projects

I managed to finish crocheting/knitting four items to send to The Humble Stitch before their deadline for delivery for this year.  I crocheted 2 scarves and 1 hat and knitted 1 hat.  I expect to contribute much more to next year's project.  According to my friend, Kate, the coordinator for The Humble Stitch, participants passed the self-imposed 500 items for a grand total of 588 items for the local homeless and 77 squares for the the Knit A Square project.  Fantastic news!

With my group of friends here, we're working to make enough squares for at least one blanket by the end of the year for the children orphaned by AIDS.  Each blanket is made of 60 8" by 8" squares.  The squares can be knitted or crocheted.  I'm currently working on my 8th square.  (Since I've had a dreadful cold, it's given me something worthwhile and relaxing to do, too.)  I tried getting a little 'fancy' with a plain white square and a flower but I think I'll stick with plain squares.  I'm not really 'handy' enough to pull off flowers.  Kudos to Allison, who I believe is currently in the lead with over 20 finished squares, followed by Kristen with over 11 squares.  Barbara spread the word to her First Friday Journal Club and she has finished over 6 squares as of the last count.  (Guys, let me know if I'm off on these numbers.)  Also, a shout out to my friend, Linda, for learning to crochet in order to take part in this project.  Pictured below are some of the children wrapped in blankets that have been made with squares sent from all over the world.  'Tis the season!

 

Yarns -- from the recording kind to the craft kind

My first square.

My cyber-friend, Kate, who lives in Ft. Lauderdale, heads up an organization called The Humble Stitch Project.  I've mentioned in previous entries here where I've come across great deals on skeins of yarn and I've mailed them to The Humble Stitch for volunteers to knit and crochet items for the homeless in South Florida.  (Yes, it can get pretty cold there, too.)  After telling my friend, Barbara, about this project she was immediately interested since she's an avid knitter.  She passed the word on to other librarians and friends and it was decided that as many of us as possible would knit and/or crochet squares for another site mentioned on The Humble Stitch. 

KasCare Aid for AIDS Orphans has a site called Knit A Square where anyone may knit or crochet 8" by 8" squares that will then be joined together to make blankets to keep these children warm.  It is estimated that there are 14.8 million orphans in sub-saharan Africa.  1.9 million  live in South Africa.  It takes 60 of these squares to form one blanket.  We're going to try to make at least enough squares for one blanket by the New Year and hopefully many more to follow.  I decided to crochet my first square.  I'm going to knit my second one to see if one way is faster than the other for me.  I hadn't picked up a crochet hook in over 25 years and it's been even longer since I knitted.  I knitted some as a kid.

Ladies black scarf.

I've also been working on items to send to The Humble Stitch.  I've finished a ladies black scarf and I'm currently working on a navy hat for a man.  The scarf is crocheted and I'm knitting the hat.  I hope to have a few more items finished to mail to them before Christmas.  It's amazing how fast these skills return to you even after many years.  

Partial man's hat.

I'm still recording my latest solo for LibriVox -- Camp-Fire Girls in the Country by Stella M. Francis.  I'm actually behind in editing but pretty far ahead in recording which is a good thing in case I happen to be unfortunate enough to catch any of the colds that have been making the rounds.  Nasty colds and voice recording don't mix.  Right now, it's slowed down a bit at Iambik due to everyone (including publishers) taking holidays.  I'll be reporting here on our next releases, though.  Meanwhile, it's a great time to take out my yarn, work awhile, then go back to editing sound files.  Oh, and breaking out the Christmas decorations, too!