tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186797472024-03-10T20:24:34.072-07:00Ok! What next??More than just knitting...but not much more.Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03580769390625167667noreply@blogger.comBlogger209125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18679747.post-6247926386728810412008-09-27T10:57:00.000-07:002008-09-27T11:01:05.629-07:00UpdateI just wanted to let you all know that Kristy is still in the Ukraine and doing fine. I understand the team to be very busy, so I haven't talked to her in the past few days. The pictures you see here on her blog are a little distorted because she is sending them from her cell phone to my cell phone. When I have received more news/pictures I will post it.<br /><br />In case you are wondering, Kristy won't be home to CA until October 7. Please keep her and her mission team in your prayers.<br /><br />Guest Blogger and Favorite Sister-In-Law, Lori<br />e-mail me at <a href="mailto:lorihalyburton@yahoo.com">lorihalyburton@yahoo.com</a>Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03580769390625167667noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18679747.post-60874108384604095352008-09-25T14:38:00.001-07:002008-09-25T14:41:43.207-07:00Hats, Hats, and Hats!<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW-lpMlAtUoKViKFyxhicfeCsX8Frj3G8JMvJuhmPsHspFXI6GM_BGn6uQgzXD4VXDgBobnqA4bvwDn41I5Hu4zY_52lCFkTa90br2M7q4PcNAEW8K29YzmxbOmr8-KaTcEOFumA/s1600-h/cid_IMG00062.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250076882480834130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="395" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW-lpMlAtUoKViKFyxhicfeCsX8Frj3G8JMvJuhmPsHspFXI6GM_BGn6uQgzXD4VXDgBobnqA4bvwDn41I5Hu4zY_52lCFkTa90br2M7q4PcNAEW8K29YzmxbOmr8-KaTcEOFumA/s400/cid_IMG00062.jpg" width="568" border="0" /></a> Above: Mission Team sorting hats</div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center">Below: Orphans with hats!</div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifn519p29aVhJ0mlN_GsHDkVfIHblTGGH0xerzTaVKyPIsyEsFSAayw5KfTqt65ctYshxczNLEfIK988sxf6x_m6pHaLuu2lT2t8s_BJsylo00K__KigZXD5s4xNdPF8A7kg1MWQ/s1600-h/cid_IMG00068.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250076887677503442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 510px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 413px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="370" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifn519p29aVhJ0mlN_GsHDkVfIHblTGGH0xerzTaVKyPIsyEsFSAayw5KfTqt65ctYshxczNLEfIK988sxf6x_m6pHaLuu2lT2t8s_BJsylo00K__KigZXD5s4xNdPF8A7kg1MWQ/s400/cid_IMG00068.jpg" width="463" border="0" /></a><br /><div> </div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03580769390625167667noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18679747.post-77589171979657698382008-09-23T13:20:00.000-07:002008-09-23T13:56:03.530-07:00She is in Ukraine! With Hats!So the trip started off with some minor complications. Kristy and her team were to depart Charlotte and fly to D.C., from D.C. to Vienna, Austria and then on to Kiev, Ukraine. That was the plan, anyway. Didn't quite turn out that way!<br /><div></div><br /><div>They boarded the original plane in Charlotte only to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">deboard</span> because of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">mechanical</span> malfunctions. Then the flight was cancelled. So their team leader quickly secured different flying <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">arrangements</span>.</div><div></div><br /><div>What actually <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">happened</span> was that they left Charlotte went to Frankfurt, Germany and then to Kiev. I received word from Kristy that they arrived in Frankfurt at 12:20 a.m. (PST). See picture below.</div><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249316219491802322" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0o8rRgkQRfM_0Yv7DxwJKdRG_lHhn8kyNUyXay-ujSEFmYfVkr88c5eyXMDBK6PXOkcu-_dQnt26zDuyv-buf5AVUJKUlWg9weaGgVNLDY8yiG1ZlGw-WTUMbA7fea3qejBRSPQ/s400/frankfurt.bmp" border="0" /><br /><div></div><div><br />Below are the text messages I received from Kristy. The time stamp is the time I received the message in California.</div><div> </div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><strong><span style="color:#990000;">At 4:18 a.m. – We are on the ground in Kiev. Waiting to go through passport control and then get baggage and go through customs. It is 2:15 in afternoon here. We have just crossed the 26 hours awake mark and I am thrilled and so happy to be here. Now if I can just keep my traveling companions awake, it will be a fun day!<br /><br />At 6:37 a.m. - All but one luggage got here. We are not on the bus (not train mercifully….using seminary’s bus) for the 6 hour ride to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Rivine</span>. Oh Lori! It is wonderful and rainy and I love all the people and the craziness of this place. I am so happy to be here. Thanks for the prayers. I will message later before bed. Now been up 28.5 hours. Starting to get punchy. It is unbelievable how things have changed. I am in awe! We are driving on an 8 lane highway!! In Ukraine!! <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Ok</span> pass along that we are <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">ok</span>.<br /><br />At 10:15 a.m. -- It is just after 8 pm here. We are almost to the seminary where we will get settled in, eat dinner and then (mercifully) get some sleep. We are all doing well though so so tired. It is about 56 degrees out and murky and drizzling rain. Perfect weather. Won’t be able to call tonight…the signal is too weak, but I will try to call tomorrow. Thanks for all your prayers and encouragement. Have a good day.<br /><br />At 11:54 a.m. – How far is 56 kilometers in miles?<br />(My answer to her 34.7967 miles)<br /><br />At 11:59 a.m. – Thank you so much. That is how much further we have to go to the seminary. I am starting to think this is a movie and we are just going to keep going forever :)<br /><br />I replied back to her “<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">LOL</span>. Hopefully you can get some much needed rest soon!”<br /><br />At 12:06 pm – Yes. I am ready for some sleep. The bus is very nice but the roads are really really rough. Haven’t been able to sleep so hopefully when we get to the seminary. They plan to feed us soup for supper then let us go to bed.</span></strong></div><div><strong><span style="color:#990000;"></span></strong> </div><div><strong><span style="color:#990000;"></span></strong></div><div><strong><span style="color:#990000;"></span></strong></div><div></div><div>So after a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">couple</span> of long days of traveling they have made it! I have only talked to her through text messages but she sounds like she is having the best time of her life, even if she is dead tired. Please continue to pray for her and her team as this is just the beginning!</div><div> </div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><span style="color:#990000;"><strong>Today's Quote</strong></span></div><div> </div><div></div><div><strong><span style="color:#990000;"></span></strong></div><div><span style="color:#990000;"><strong></strong></span></div><div><span style="color:#990000;"><strong>"The feeling of sleepiness when you are not in bed, and can't get there, is the meanest feeling in the world." ~Edgar Watson Howe</strong></span> </div>Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03580769390625167667noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18679747.post-40232863660922822162008-09-21T13:33:00.000-07:002008-09-21T13:43:38.868-07:00Bon Voyage, Kristy!If everything Kristy has planned works out, she will be sending me pictures so I can load them here for all you crafty hat knitters and blog readers to view; thus, making me her guest blogger. I know I won’t be as witty and as funny as Kristy but if you would like the occasional update, please stop by from time to time in the next three weeks.<br /><br />Kristy has made her first leg of the trip safely. I took her to the airport yesterday morning and she arrived in North Carolina safely. She did tell me that when she was on the plane, her seatmate was praying out loud that this plane wouldn’t crash and they wouldn’t all die in a horrible way. Thankfully, they didn’t. (Kristy has a knack at finding all the “interesting” people).<br /><br />This evening she will be meeting up with the rest of her mission team and tomorrow they will begin this remarkable journey to the Ukraine.<br /><br />It seemed just like yesterday when Kristy told me she was going to the Ukraine and her dream to take a “few” hand-knitted hats. I asked her how many hats and she believed if she knit a hat a day for one month and some-here-and-some-there she hoped to have a little over a hundred. Today, because of the generosity of you, her family, her friends and most importantly, God, she has <strong><em>903</em></strong> hats! It makes me completely speechless when I consider of the enormity of what everyone has done!<br /><br />Our local paper wrote an article about Kristy and all the hats. Please read it <a href="http://www.oakdaleleader.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=36247&SectionID=15&SubSectionID=&S=1"><span style="color:#990000;">here</span></a>. It really is an amazing article. It doesn’t seem like it online, but the article was the entire front page of the “life” section in the paper.<br /><br />Thank you all for everything you have done to make this possible! You really are amazing!<br /><br />Guest Blogger and Favorite Sister-in-Law, Lori<br />Email me at <a href="mailto:lorihalyburton@hotmail.com">lorihalyburton@hotmail.com</a><br /><br /><span style="color:#990000;">Today's Quote<br /><br />"God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supply" -- Hudson Taylor</span>Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03580769390625167667noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18679747.post-36153963679129352452008-09-17T17:42:00.000-07:002008-09-17T18:07:12.845-07:00And The Winner Is....<div><div>ELLIE SHERMAN</div><br /><div></div><div>Congratulations, Ellie!</div><div></div><br /><div>Ellie is a local knitter who joined us late in the hat project but contribute a beautiful hat none the less and donated to the cause just last week. Thank you so much Ellie!</div><div></div><br /><div>Here's how it went down. </div><br /><div></div><div>My fabulous co-worker Yolanda (who is the wife and daughter-in-law of the generous fellows at Terry's Touch of Gold) brought her adorable offspring by my office (I was working late, imagine that...) </div><div></div><br /><div>My adorable (if reluctant) models<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247157757006112418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbW3XyPa6_acwqy7-30DHRMizdV-SYK64Ag3GHXtZlU_zUDn-v_ZMUASgYEBztWJIb6WMQKHp_Axoh0a71zHNUxY9Ta7R1LZzI6nBHfwQhkYX8sRJKEJH9-L8bHuNg3odMHIKrpg/s320/Sid.jpg" border="0" /></div><br /><div>Sydnee modeling the Hers watch</div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247157760690840386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHyTulVjUaeBOhj3Kz5l1GdAQLhZmiHaW1uDOV8qBA2Vk4s2S-bY4r40RHnIEl2x2P58Wc1EJQ8dIVHvBqKdSSVsFRsYYhWPSRB24lwS9bDA4y-JHkVZon45krhCHWk9kXcWAlmA/s320/Men's.jpg" border="0" /></div><br /><div>And Matthew displaying the His watch</div><div></div><br /><div>I put all of the names in to a hat (a straggler that just arrived today from one of Katy's coworkers) and abra-cadabra<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247159008753278530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZXFuXrBVAg3Fxm-KotgMontHkdd98hhrFRfh2F5Uum4DC7odVJoonDAfhZ1_Zbkph7RrCkljhv-m-_AHu0jM9kWP-nmdqDo1zfuSbLk2mQiopetqP2uENB0_Z1aXs_3DSjr6lhg/s320/Drawing.jpg" border="0" />....we have a winner!</div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247159012863074226" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg34UyOf5ekRDW2EIDzlgHGbRpanJm9CC8Y8YtZerJb6bDjBA8dWNk8-liLo5SZCU_1cfsgMKDJ_FL9ljEtYUTj1loar7vyd4u7iTsETk_B8MiDGQSZiXeyq_2_G5ZwTKBCqQxlCQ/s320/Ellie.jpg" border="0" /></div><div>Congratulations, Ellie!! Thank you so much to all of you for your support. Your generous donations, your monetary support, your time and effort, your encouragement, your willingness to believe in this "little" project....for everything. Thank you, thank you, thank you!</div><div> </div><div><span style="color:#990000;"><strong>Today's Quote</strong></span></div><div><span style="color:#990000;"></span> </div><div><span style="color:#990000;">"Real generosity toward the future lies in giving all to the present." Albert Camus</span></div></div>Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03580769390625167667noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18679747.post-62711262090569152882008-09-15T08:21:00.000-07:002008-09-15T08:43:51.476-07:00Final CountdownWow how time flies! Just 5 days until I leave. Crazy!<br /><br />Today is the last day for the <a href="http://okwhatnext.blogspot.com/2008/08/hats-hats-hats.html">raffle drawing</a>. Thank you to everyone who has donated so far!<br /><br />I've gotten quite a few hats over the course of the last week. Currently we are at 881. I am still knitting hats and I've asked a few local knitters to make a few more in hopes of making it an even 900. (At this point, I do not doubt for even a minute that this is a very real possibility.) I have pictures but I don't have my camera handy at the moment. <br /><br />Thanks for all of your comments and emails about the project. It really has been awesome. I am so excited about this trip. So many things to accomplish at home and work between now and Saturday but I know this week is going to be a whirlwind.Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03580769390625167667noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18679747.post-71309277436070056802008-09-08T14:01:00.000-07:002008-09-10T08:52:38.471-07:00Eight Hundred & TwentyTotal Hat Count: 820<br /><br />2.73 times the original goal of 300.<br /><br /><br />Approximately 140 pounds. (That means 3 pieces of luggage devoted solely to hats.)<br /><em>ETA: correct weight. </em><br /><br />More than 90 individual knitters/crocheters.<br /><br /><br />Based on some very scientific figuring, we will have enough hats for...<br /><br />.....the children and staff at the orphanage in Rivne (the original intended beneficiaries of the Hat Quest),<br />.....the children other children in the village where we will primarily be staying,<br />.....the children at another orphanage we will be visiting in another town.<br /><br /><br />Thank you seems inadequate but really, sincerely THANK YOU ALL! There are not words grand enough to tell you how awesome this project has been and how sincerely moving it is for me to see so many individuals come together from so many corners of the world for this project. I am moved and awed at your enthusiasm and generosity and sheer kindness and decency. Thank you all so much!<br /><br /><br />Here they are - 787 (which is what I had as of the deadline. The other 33 arrived in today's mail!) <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243778423628594722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 491px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 363px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="334" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA5JPjfUrF6czUZ2XKoL8unWDXZF9Ug72MZXNLqDBoE02c2UyTGbF8MLg6eJn467UUi5B9uLGuMIH1b2KDsBxi8VKbdzfpBPV1JlSc0d1lKd7rQvmcYLXQH0bJ9fxh6oYEA9pnwg/s400/Fronts.jpg" width="447" border="0" /><br /><br /><br />Rear view (nifty, huh?)<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243777950728653042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqXO9pt2zI3s0MXfE_dP1VT5Rs3lf6jDudrN8acEeYd4rzEvlGf-W3Q8Hz0UDIdrM2l86ovAS2kDbVYz0IBQxJqA3ka1oC0QbXGqBsNby3aMma0ZIx3hZQ0iF3zUKAUuADWYWx/s320/Backs.jpg" border="0" /><br />An extra special thank you to Kaylee, Deb & Robin (pictured with the hats, below) who braved the absurdly hot Sunday morning with me yesterday and helped to create this display...which took nearly an hour!<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243777955749661714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-hBQFL3CjX_Kh8bVy3e601PeC6NU_hDxeldycxa2DzDdiceBbJGX9QxJUj1L2U8dEMDIKwIECU-c-h8v1MsFeopOvS-itHbAoDEg3ayWbnPk3FCV4yfbanqYaVMLt2hcBZwg39A/s320/Group+015.jpg" border="0" /> <p><strong><span style="color:#663366;">Now, might I humbly suggest that each of you who have participated in this project in anyway find someone and show them the picture of the hats above and say proudly, "See? Look what we did!" and smile and hug them with the pride and enthusiasm of a new parent. </span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="color:#663366;">Thank You!!</span></strong></p><p><span style="color:#990000;"><strong>Today's Quote</strong></span></p><p><span style="color:#990000;">"Anybody can do just about anything with himself that he really wants to and makes up his mind to do. We are capable of greater things than we realize. " Norman Vincent Peale</span> </p>Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03580769390625167667noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18679747.post-66530655523939985902008-08-28T08:37:00.000-07:002008-08-29T18:17:13.173-07:00Welcome to the FamilyThis is my 200th post! It kind of snuck up on me. I wish I had something profound to say but I don't, particularly. I just have pictures of my trip to the park last Friday with the hats and pictures from my front yard of the hats I've received this week.<br /><br /><div></div><div>OH! But first, I have some pictures of prizes. These three prizes were generously donated by Kaylee at <a href="http://hooksandneedles.com/">Hooks & Needles</a>. By the way, Kaylee is going to be having a big going-out-of-business sale. (Yes, I know, I'm broken-hearted). If you are in the area, stop in. If not, visit the website. She has lots of wonderful stuff that I'm sure will go fast. </div><div></div><br /><div>Kaylee has donated three prize packages that have nothing to do with hats. (Because we're guessing that after making 700+ hats, people are going to be in the mood for not-knitting-hats.) </div><br /><div></div><div>H&N Prize #1</div><br /><div></div><div>A kit for Kool-Aid dying: <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240004903229254098" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbCPfL9VsGYRZhlFudjys0Zm5wDS9ZtsknxjTUkkh9We0NQv6BrXSFFKmkaK9tdw2I96TvS2kEf-BMZSwjLFYxqdQr5QXFQlH0B5SUVD8Q8xYXvAFQwcENF502VzrHdkgXN_u79w/s320/Yard+004.jpg" border="0" />Two skeins of Cascade 220 Superwash - my Kool-Aid dying yarn of choice - and a variety of Kool-Aid flavors and colors. Not included in the picture, but I will include in the prize, directions for Kool-Aid dying. </div><br /><br />Blue-Blue-Blue bundle.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240006093137383522" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgquY_0Plo_xCi2TvE2mAIIsIpGNzRsVPr6onBECc60Tk261aRUukJmoqH8LXY3hclkAh77uh14mfR6yVRrP1c6EOHX0pxLJ_PYg0-Mbou8hKklYFS5gQJ52aPs6b4BjnmD5R0YLg/s320/Yard+006.jpg" border="0" /><br />(Closed)<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240006088037897090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU8eM2tUJk1pRDCWqKDG71wEhHvivvyfp9hmlZRB3XmDVdE8RzstDZoX46P8xEywq7kCJ1iYJK5sSecxrK_Th0vrasFh0FVNWsM9MAreZ2RnKbNqWyHqCwVYYyWnloeRM6AL33DA/s320/Yard+005.jpg" border="0" /><br />(Open)<br /><br />The beautiful blue Lantern Moon hooks/needles/gadgets cozy, a set of Clover US Size 2 dpns and two skeins of Panda Wool. (I'm told the Panda Wool makes excellent socks, though I've never tried it myself.)<br /><br />And my favorite prize package (lucky for ya'll I'm disqualified from prizes or I would claim this one for myself) Everything you need to learn to needle felt!<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240004899209543394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjETu3MWSG0O_BcFu-tr0Egyv1xTNHWqM7B6VAYXiGUMiWauoegzrH8TKoBAi-sr3pPyRYwoPAXtIPW12etuhZpg3m9FnX-8mL5IcKsMTO1zGdzPQaGpc5Q1b04dp8wUCAx_mgfbg/s320/Yard+003.jpg" border="0" />A Fiber Trends Needle Felting starter kit with pad, needles and instructions; two packages of roving and a way cool pen style needle holder tool.<br /><br />Last but not least, here is the gorgeous Anne that goes with the <a href="http://okwhatnext.blogspot.com/2008/08/hats-hats-hats.html">watches in the fundraising raffle</a>! (Only $5 a ticket!)<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240011643468729794" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjZz4GG6h54S7ND9gvfSGJvr7c9W36WDYTg3K9hNfzgrGW93v6WUo763WD-8f8evZeqe4EuBRNMYzyXcEQzoHSMR5q-1D_w6lPwZgx3ZxtXOEQyMAf4oC8qfMlQQ6_GqNs1G9K7g/s320/Anne.jpg" border="0" /><br /><strong><span style="color:#663366;">Hats in the City</span></strong><br /><br /><div><strong></strong></div><div>Last week the truly lovely and kind Barbara and Carisa invited me to San Francisco for dinner and knitting with their knitting group. Carisa and Barbara were actually two of the first people to know about the hat project because I met them at the Maker Faire back in April (or was it May?...) when I first came up with the idea. </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240002760330539346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsf21dDkDl5th4BQCFuGcBChJDBfXDWRDGYi-JEouSWnIqYD6_ki3mLXGw4xBR_t5RytkW9guRviBtxtGwBqUFRfAdPy9cEk9dAmgIz0K7FhCP_KKr6fZpYP3N_tUtJG8ELZqsRA/s320/SF+Hats+001.jpg" border="0" /><br />I had such a wonderful time that I was nearly convinced to <em>crochet</em> something. Seriously.<br /><br />Thank you so much, Barbara, for opening up your home and thank you to the whole group for your warm welcome and your good company and your amazing hat knitting! (Carissa tells me she has MORE hats to send me, too. I'm can't wait!!)<br /><br /><div><strong><span style="color:#009900;">Frolicking in the Park </span></strong></div><br /><div></div><div>Here are the hats from the Needle's Eye gang in Santa Fe (group shot, followed by close ups) <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240011646518810834" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbo3yRqbs08Mm8BDk9TwwntAceeS0RAPERj5yH-fLb87ky4FOH9-eYrmM7unG2jX5z9wz4GPJGtDc-A9cgxe_fKg4YpSuo7yHSy9HDUmEBvp_tsWQmzcTtphUCjg_3jR6q100rpw/s320/Santa+Fe.jpg" border="0" /></div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240013008213499762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7_7pXjDTUO1kOFYDwr3VHAhvE9O0_xefTvsyrVFCj0wUkORZJ74xl5CWTD9H1d_4NG4nRXYwXzXNkTwR7Uav5qG_LH0vew_E43f0ExPHGFbws8qcdCR_i0-WZ50ThGuLWFavM-Q/s320/CU2.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240013002920031986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFiS7wfJngylD4rZSQnNOeHiKvMDY7yguBMephL26oeFAV1aVyJkjNpS5tuZAW0sjxrGJh2q6hKWETxtJ6awYXa8SxwqIkYUboiLVNf1lNXu3QYCDWD3a1T7vDqCv9eGJmCXu1iQ/s320/CU1.jpg" border="0" /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240018662256268946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipAD9BeYmDxIOq7j3qsRb7Lb80zmrBn51vglaoDUb136pWHostr3pzWR4Wb_os_qcb9IxPsAC2qZhcAAR6y_XD-rPgLGD97JZqos28zNrrdpWj6aV0zNuw_K0tDV4VOwQerpr_Ew/s320/CU4.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240018671126411330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN91EjmwDn_yUgCx1OV7diy5KRPMfDdodmMWEaUSgjiyDvxrR27KLaNNStQo1TkHLUAhpR8Q_xbPoZjAjIs3j_WRhdpZCoUMqH9aeGjkNm1zJqSeTxmbXBctR7G6b58_ku8hAhIw/s320/CU5.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240018678580038082" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_owQA87ifxlqbQyzobMY7UREiwBKRm4Jfv3qX_hRM3-8w3vasmWWGAZ-05wF3wdDsnmBn2mvSmU8KYFbm-2Dr0ZC1B6YEizPSRenwqVyowupMBpt8IjC0-ebY0HQAL8smZoHRZw/s320/CU6.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240013018430924226" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKhqFTT21ZiMJMqGToT0xWHx0alnE2M8gDXaKoKuUYS_1C1fLwo1UE7X65lNe1CjB57fYU_ALEfaCWsg6qrJwCTzOd3vc94tjjixJSMtqLKj-U8s1d0OowdUNhqAFbAKjGJh0xzw/s320/CU3.jpg" border="0" /> <div>(I'd like to take a moment to say - #*(^%@#& to the stupid picture function. In my files those pictures are all facing the right direction but I'll be damned if I can get them to upload right.)</div><br />Hats from various knitters all over, enjoying the bouncing bridge<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240022285280478610" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Ahy58IYTGUAs6L9yRUxTl8M-9UCMDFsHEFA1-h6-0pUZRG6fvvVj_RLzdslIK56ZCPAcPk2eFBo_5Mv_IDL3GLOB-5QVcp8gXbc04WL6LCZmjD2Oa6jUArbqYIxXWC2VMsT4IQ/s320/IMG_3756.jpg" border="0" /><br />and taking the steps up to the spiral slide<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240011656462314834" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7H4j37brWHl8SKj9-co289OXgtSMyFEcJQbyHmKyORVorF1a7MMNy3-xciNGxbAuu37hyphenhyphenjiX42UGOUoQiIEUZ6HnBTNjKIB1Iya8W2TwjrkhWi_TVI5RSZ9eodYY1mpzYktePSw/s320/Steps.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#cc6600;">More Recent Additions</span></strong><br /><br /><br /><br />This week, too, as been an excellent week for hats.<br /><br />On Wednesday, I picked up all of these that had been dropped off by the local knitters at Hooks & Needles. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240002767719783426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7fsMarNaly0rivZLpTvVt4Q7njgzBOr7NlZ56sgKYLbmnMXPCxWvIYcgBPkryTFQ2Ae2WL4me-E3ciSUFhZklIC4ZKECdtFE9Gzo6txdw0gIqzFF4Y3OIWW3HLsdhlFPHFHM6DQ/s320/Knitters+Dozen.jpg" border="0" /><br />I also picked up these two lovelies, knit by a lady named Coby (or is it Cobi?) whom I've never met or spoken to or gotten an email from but who'd heard about the project at the shop. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240002757351528482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMsM2OEhMs0SurrLLwm1TfKZQ9sNT65pTs37DEFlA5hdQe0XSgpzzLJNPSuJhIBFOV4lMVgIjlshGUhzmGqL6nO3BVbNtTuLI7NqFGVZg_VMITIEljZqufIrnY0EAM3iUpbFL3oA/s320/Cobi.jpg" border="0" />I called them doubled knitted but Kaylee pointed out that while they <em>are</em> doubly thick, they are not doubled knitted. Coby used a provisonal cast on, knit one hat brim to top and then picked up the cast on stitches and knit another hat brim to top then tucked one inside the other for a twice-as-thick, twice-as-fabulous, twice-as-warm extravaganza of hat fabulosity. I neglected to take a picture of the insides but both have the snowflake pattern on the inside as well. They are very cool.<br /><br /><br /><br />Speaking of this style of hat, I've gotten quite a few from all over knit like this - or maybe <em>actually</em> double knit, I'm not certain - and they are thick and cozy and oh-so-great. I can't say enough about how talented and awesome all of you are. Double thick and single thick knitters alike, ya'll rock.<br /><br />Early in the week, I received a big box of 50 hats from <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/people/myarns">Gari</a> and her brigade of talented hat crafters at <a href="http://www.myarns.com/">Maranacook Yarns</a> in Maine. (Gari was one of the very first to get on board with the Ravelry group.) Thank you all SOO much. While taking the pictures of the hats above, it came to my attention that my yard had just been mowed. I put down a sheet for this bunch because I didn't want to spend the whole rest of my evening picking grass clippings out of hats. (After all, I had important things to do like....knit a hat and, umm, watch TV.)<br /><br />All 50 of the Maine hats (some with their very courteously attached fiber content tags showing)<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240008013267142434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDmsqqHXF0IidGQuw_7JE84bG30fQAs8dUSDF_mlP0vNZeMses2S27ulMUt42Fh-7cUYy56-5EySqDTO-Mk7DGtvHdaJDXwKXE4xfhZ7TtdeDDX8MqcFLBS2JsKZoMxBqwd3uARQ/s320/Yard+017.jpg" border="0" /><br />A couple of closer up pictures of the Maine hats.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240007162105465330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhmQZrWm-a2Q3Q4zrXogfox8T_pSa-O4PqZnLm6Y3oBPcbwLSnuGFd5Tsj9AEDyBfgmX1CNVhGA52VRsvQbwFPvowFMxwmmrY3_tH2Kab0cnMuHiDabc403Jw8bGP2z5Z-7QbbMg/s320/Yard+019.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240007156811285490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm0BVQBqOCLzTo8Pg_bhczSAcpu9DwKlQGXFmphyphenhyphen3ljFhb-awEttJOjcrTIyWlDpZj_dSyH5s2SkJCkr9920vQn0GiyyfSS2WydAaYJvjYaA8DYaQqRWGtTICJWrc88WNzUBH72w/s320/Yard+018.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br />And though it seems kind of superfluous to even mention, here's one hat. Knit by me.<br /><strong></strong><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240004893293494370" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyyAhlQYJHOwtCpF__fyLSIU9aiEcAx4JVKMnCbfuHjvfAiHIfc8Xb0TNAG7ilQYwhnWgreswOss51IA7rP_CbsDlMydvwcNmejCPL5vw3RMjzFQ-efBAheIGAwG3FCR1XNT-_FA/s320/Yard+007.jpg" border="0" />Malabrigo Chunky in Floral something (can't remember) that I bought at <a href="http://www.imagiknit.com/">ImagiKnit</a> in San Francisco. That makes a total of 59 from me. I've got one more on the needles and maybe a few more in me after that but we'll have to see. </p><p>So there you have it. The latest members of our oh-so-exclusive, oh-so-exceptional Hat Quest club. Current total? 688. I got a call today from a man at our local paper and he asked if he could do a story on our Hat Quest. I'm stunned. I'll let ya'll know what I hear on that front. (I'm secretly a little nervous about this prospect but it is also kind of spiffy.)</p><p></p><br />I can't say enough about how wonderful it is to do this project and to have all of you do it with me. I am awed and truly, <em>truly</em> giddy happy about this - happier and more inspired and impressed every single day. I tell people about it all the time - friends and co-workers and perfect strangers. I'm sure my parents and my siblings and my SIL and the rest of my family will be glad when it is done so I will stop with the "News Flash! Guess how many hats I have" business. Me? I am so eager to make the trip and share all of this hat love but I am also a little sad about it coming to and end. Maybe next summer we can make hats again!? : )<br /><div><strong></strong></div><br /><div><strong>Photo-Opportunity</strong> </div><div></div><div>On Sunday, September 7, I am planning to take pictures of ALL the hats and everything I have received. Since we are now approaching 700 hats (with 7 days still to go!) I know it is going to be a serious undertaking. If you live in the area and would like to join me, please send me an email and I will give you the details. ( crickitleigh at hotmail dot com) It will be in the morning so shouldn't interfere with anyone's afternoon or evening plans.<br /></div><br /><div><strong><span style="color:#990000;">Today's Quote:</span></strong></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color:#990000;"><em>"Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead."</em> -Louisa May Alcott</span></div>Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03580769390625167667noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18679747.post-40623812390861837302008-08-24T13:56:00.000-07:002008-08-29T15:44:34.039-07:00Hats Hats Hats!<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy7WJljeIrm8LwXchbWDsfvG3O8xtlyuT0gQAb0nAFdusxb5LbT-jvWLX89lv3DoIn50UNr1iXVpiQE0V9l_GY7aYot3LQUHN09tTY7DQZfW6QMkIKPJeclSfsE5Z96H2zoB5ONA/s1600-h/Hats+003.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238197693913827938" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy7WJljeIrm8LwXchbWDsfvG3O8xtlyuT0gQAb0nAFdusxb5LbT-jvWLX89lv3DoIn50UNr1iXVpiQE0V9l_GY7aYot3LQUHN09tTY7DQZfW6QMkIKPJeclSfsE5Z96H2zoB5ONA/s320/Hats+003.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Friday after work I took the most recent arrivals on an outing to the park. These hats include 50 that RC has collected in Pennsylvania - PLUS 19 pairs of mittens and 6 pairs of socks, 131 from the knitters in New Mexico, 28 from the group in San Francisco (who invited me to dinner and knitting last Wednesday in the city and it was a wonderful time!!), and varying numbers from other knitters all over.<br /><br />The total count to date? 619 YES!! <em>Six Hundred and Nineteen</em>!!!!<br /><br />(I forgot my camera at my parents’ house over the weekend but I did manage to upload a couple of pictures before that. As soon as I retrieve the camera, I’ll show you the rest of the pictures. A fine time was had by all....The mittens, in particular, loved the slide.)<br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238197683651630946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyGOvNtimqJe2gLaQzG5BKs9dJgIygbzbel2T3vD_HW14HK0yWBKAlJME0sl8aQtQCelScyP3hO6uOWVWp5WnmafepBE09i2GZFcR49RogXfo8kj7ygncUCYNDhGO6dBsLREA6tg/s320/Hats+002.jpg" border="0" />619. I am so excited and amazed! Thank you so much, everyone!! Please keep knitting and sending. I'll be collecting until September 5. That Monday, I'll be shipping them ahead of me to North Carolina. Do you think we can make 700? </div><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="color:#990000;">A RAFFLE!! </span></strong></div><div><br />As I <a href="http://okwhatnext.blogspot.com/2008/08/drive-by-update.html">shared with ya’ll previously</a>, I’m working to raise the additional funds to cover the expense of getting the hats to the Ukraine. I’ve had several people make donations already via PayPal and regular mail - Thank you so, so much to each of you!! To aid the efforts, I’m holding a raffle!<br /><br />Say hi to Terry Wiggs (R) & his son TJ Wiggs (L). <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238476555010575554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJxZyxxgwv51izacsJjuhDi1oUkDNV3DrSVCcX4OxjLKCEdynuijH-T1zl3ycoDJIsiJFBdo7nkD9iL-Tz4gXJo3jFuE9IXActNQ3t6x2xktwz5Ay3ZhUbUJHrI-fSaQFJb3SLyQ/s320/Kiwi+004.jpg" border="0" />They are the fine gentlemen who own and operate <a href="http://www.terrystouchofgold.com/">Terry’s Touch of Gold</a> in Modesto. Last week, I stopped by the shop to talk to Terry and told him about the Ukrainian orphans and the hats and all the awesome. I also told him about the package fees and extra expenses that I hadn’t originally counted on. Being the kind, generous soul that he is, Terry agreed to offer up a raffle price to help me race the funds.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238476602596828946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaRF_8-Xcu-Q8cmqG0-uuvIDYcbViI5TFGPhkeW0OXwTSLMCUX-WbtE5EKD_o9EyXG4jkayoEO-loX4sP2gSOQ7BVhkEXvuRyDUN7OAyk1Yl5zObcRfZyWSF0hIK7ZpHZFPcHDPg/s320/Kiwi+009.jpg" border="0" />His & Hers Watches from ESQ Swiss. Retail value: $400<br /><br />And just for the knitty fun of it, I’m throwing in a beloved skein from my stash: a skein of Schaefer Anne, in beautiful shades of purple. <em>ETA: Picture of Anne</em>.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240073724315788642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib-BgaDx_qWLpCNvHO-ipT8y1jM1YrnvsPa25aoiOEqOGBdLe0n1SMmpTwzCb8meA_Wv40i8Kukfkf3mN9_RHFd6M2DVVhqJHH3TNQJnw02Xx13JUW6fZhO_lhThuOmXVENY7Bqg/s320/Anne.jpg" border="0" /><br />Want to make them yours?? Buy a raffle ticket!! The cost is $5 per ticket. (For those who’ve already contributed, I’ll put your name on a raffle ticket for every $5 you donated.) You can use the PayPal link at right or email me at crickitleigh at hotmail dot com, and I’ll give you my address and you can mail in your ticket money by check or money order. All raffle tickets must be purchased before 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time, Monday, September 15. I’m recruiting the help of my little pal Matthew <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238476591556398034" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwnrHHimN6yhy2iqNyyCY14ORHUVqaWqQEY_gyk8aNMsKyxvqBl3epvU0IG8kJpZeLqxBcaapUIHIFg34n4zyvK3izjM2gQ4r1qxb0cWZ33Frrqz_xLh0TEnRFXvaerk7LUTmN-A/s320/Kiwi+001.jpg" border="0" />(coincidentally, the son and grandson of TJ and Terry) to draw the winner, which I will announce on Wednesday, September 17.<br /><br />As a matter of full disclosure, the money raised from this raffle will be used for the following purposes:<br />- pay the third bag and (likely) overweight fees for the luggage containing the hats.<br />- cover additional expenses for my trip to Ukraine like…<br />- hotel stays when I go to meet the group in NC and the night I fly back to NC, before I return to California.<br />- Meals while in Kiev<br />- If we raise more money than I need to cover those expenses, I will donate that money to the children at the orphanage in Rivne.<br /><br />Thank you all so much for your hard work and dedication in knitting hats. It has been so amazing seeing this come together and in such a major way. The outpouring of kindness and generosity…I just don’t have the words to describe how awed and inspired I am by all of you!<br /><br />If you have any questions, please feel free to email me. crickitleigh at hotmail dot com</div>Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03580769390625167667noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18679747.post-89481169061489765412008-08-11T16:46:00.000-07:002008-08-11T16:56:07.732-07:00The Miracle of PayPalLooky there! In the sidebar! I created a Donate button. Turns out I <span style="color:#993399;">can</span> receive payments through PayPal. Isn't technology amazing?<br /><br />Some people have asked if they could simply make a monetary contribution to help cover the expenses of transporting the hats to the Ukraine (as discussed in the previous post) so I've set that up. If you are inclined to donate - THANK YOU! - every amount will help. I will be holding a special drawing on Wednesday, September 17 (my Daddy's birthday) to draw a very special price from among those who contribute financially. <br /><br />And I am, of course, still collecting hats! I'll have an update on new numbers and the list of contributors in the next several days.<br /><br />Thank you all for your kindness and ongoing support on this. I leave 6 weeks from today!<br /><br />(In case you are following world events, dont' worry: I have no intention of allowing the <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26142758">military/political goings-on</a> in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_(country)">Georgia</a> to prevent me from making this trip. While Ukraine and Georgia have many close ties, Rivne is - by my estimation - a very safe distance from the fighting. Anyway, I am among the hopeful that this will wrap itself up soon.)<br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#990000;"><strong>Today's Quote</strong></span><br /><span style="color:#990000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#990000;">"Where there is a will, there is a way. If there is a chance in a million that you can do something, anything, to keep what you want from ending, do it. Pry the door open or, if need be, wedge your foot in that door and keep it open." Pauline Kael</span>Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03580769390625167667noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18679747.post-38956150611372985462008-08-06T12:44:00.000-07:002008-08-06T13:12:55.423-07:00Drive-by Update<div><div>Today I had Chinese food for lunch and my fortune said, </div><div></div><br /><div><em>"You have a strong instinct to take care of people you love."</em> ahh...</div><div></div><br /><div>Seriously, where does the time go? Please forgive me for the lag time of posts of late. When did life get so crazy? (Maybe it always has been...) </div><div></div><br /><div>As of Monday, I have in my possession 344 hats. HURRAY!!! I am so thrilled. Beside myself excited. This is amazing! And everyday I am a little more excited and eager to see where this is going to take us. 500? 600? More? I am in awe. Thank you so much! This weekend or early next week I am going to post a list of names of the people from whom I've thus far received hats. Just as a check. </div><div><br />For now, though, how about a picture of the latest additions?</div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB1j9tXpYjVtWF3q2bzzAHrZ2nU4D2eruy8gvcjC0IIZdFc1Er_d-xOhF-KYnK7TMjGOMqIq1_U43yepb2wpFPxo66jJ8EIGaVi-8HRAKkgccaMKqCJI63r8l3ulxzTTnLqsQ19A/s1600-h/120+New+Additions.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231495459065757138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB1j9tXpYjVtWF3q2bzzAHrZ2nU4D2eruy8gvcjC0IIZdFc1Er_d-xOhF-KYnK7TMjGOMqIq1_U43yepb2wpFPxo66jJ8EIGaVi-8HRAKkgccaMKqCJI63r8l3ulxzTTnLqsQ19A/s320/120+New+Additions.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlQCr36j3tYfur53ZTnpOMeP_mGMEUT0R4osVXarXlQW2gAV5-pgNUIZ2t0YKUWwsfg9r_bfpG8ACVWtW5Rs3PmJlHE42sA7R6IQp4tC07YEFgGtrDhn0pKca6jGQivBqzWn_vbg/s1600-h/100_1020.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231495468893779154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlQCr36j3tYfur53ZTnpOMeP_mGMEUT0R4osVXarXlQW2gAV5-pgNUIZ2t0YKUWwsfg9r_bfpG8ACVWtW5Rs3PmJlHE42sA7R6IQp4tC07YEFgGtrDhn0pKca6jGQivBqzWn_vbg/s320/100_1020.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOiNcLUCkFN69eLGJYfdXtk1XKeIcirWCGYZeGcFBTE1xduznisB8Rg_On-TpNCy4rEJ2J6k61PYBZEjNRmehbSzeCiDWCIZkymp549LyIJ2y-PkvbswCnQNTriFzjbpOCZ-Twqg/s1600-h/100_1021.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231495479919775714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOiNcLUCkFN69eLGJYfdXtk1XKeIcirWCGYZeGcFBTE1xduznisB8Rg_On-TpNCy4rEJ2J6k61PYBZEjNRmehbSzeCiDWCIZkymp549LyIJ2y-PkvbswCnQNTriFzjbpOCZ-Twqg/s320/100_1021.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPC69Shr6Xk1DJBJGNBJ2sOWVvoBiRS2PBxwA0anLPSTD9yRyPI5IUz6TsafOLLe3qfzQjTfjnf9huc-PI6KqYjfiFIHrfsXXE_0trpfTE0lZ_WsWhdP0ccjMIA7aspSVxHnoRIg/s1600-h/100_1023.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231495481934851890" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPC69Shr6Xk1DJBJGNBJ2sOWVvoBiRS2PBxwA0anLPSTD9yRyPI5IUz6TsafOLLe3qfzQjTfjnf9huc-PI6KqYjfiFIHrfsXXE_0trpfTE0lZ_WsWhdP0ccjMIA7aspSVxHnoRIg/s320/100_1023.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDYo7zf7cAZwto_T5mhg1RN3LmCldqEWggw80f9imtVtOkh-2ao848oZm2rb_wC4Uoj9Z-DvI_yymMxQlALFAg-m8Zj-cfJieL2T0GTWIfGBvxHdfPcBReTxr0q0uNxGKbz-y1jQ/s1600-h/100_1024.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231495487610338754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDYo7zf7cAZwto_T5mhg1RN3LmCldqEWggw80f9imtVtOkh-2ao848oZm2rb_wC4Uoj9Z-DvI_yymMxQlALFAg-m8Zj-cfJieL2T0GTWIfGBvxHdfPcBReTxr0q0uNxGKbz-y1jQ/s320/100_1024.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>There's the whole crowd - 120 new ones since my last post - followed by closer views of the same hats. Can you pick yours out of the crowd?</div><div></div><br /><div>And this little darling that I particularly love, knit by Ruth in Minnesota.</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231496644220617394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnOPmqByNfPBTtOuUe9kR6FHNitya6EIFry90SV6Wyxd1TvCWK3GZ1UXWXpw1R4WD9ahRLfeOMdKF0DUN2Sd8NPBtWqjcBHK8bi3i0vf5hMjGwrjIwlRg4ywJvo_RsEorZoDW8Rw/s320/100_1027.jpg" border="0" />It is probably a good thing I don't wear hats because I would want to keep this one for myself.<br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="color:#663366;">A Plea for Help</span></strong></div><br /><div></div><div><span style="color:#666666;"><span style="color:#000000;">I am posting this next bit verbatim from what I posted this morning on Ravelry so if you've already read it there, skip to the "Look What I Did" section below.</span> </span></div><div><em><span style="color:#666666;"></span></em> </div><div><em><span style="color:#666666;">Help! Ok. I have been privately panicking about this for the past week and I’ve decided I can’t solve this one on my own so I am appealing to all of you.<br /><br />When I go to Ukraine in September, the bulk of the trip will be on Austrian Airlines. Back in June, I contacted Customer Relations at Austrian Airlines and explained about the hats and the orphans and they told me how to go about getting them to wave the fee for the third (heavy) piece of luggage. So I went through that process and I thought it was settled and I hadn’t been worrying about that expense. This week I got a letter saying that they have discontinued the practice of waving that fee except under very narrow circumstances…circumstances that don’t include handknit hats for orphans. <br /><br />I have considered the idea of splitting them up between everyone in the group but there are two things that make that a non-option. 1) I won’t be meeting up with the group until we are all at the airport the morning of September 22 so if it didn’t work out, I would be stuck and 2) we are also taking school supplies and necessity items over with us so everyone is pretty much maxed out in the luggage department.<br /><br />As with many of life’s worries, this one comes down to a matter of dollars. The mail isn’t a reliable option to that area (which I have known all along) so they are going to have to go on the plane with me. My best estimates (and I think they are very good estimates) indicate that with the large duffel bags I have and the space bags that were so generously donated, I will be able to get all of the hats there in two (admittedly heavy) duffel bags. (I am using an estimated total of 600 because that is where I think we are going to end up. How awesome is that?!?) This means two of us will have a third bag. Per Austrian Airlines, the third bag fee is $105 for a bag up to 50 lbs. These two bags will be heavier than that (right at 70 lbs) so that is another $75 for the overweight fee, plus a $50 charge per additional leg (i.e. we fly from DC to Vienna and then Vienna to Kiev. The $50 additional fee is for Vienna to Kiev.) All of that adds up to an additional $460 I hadn’t planned on. <br /><br />I will concede that this is an excellent problem to have…but a problem nonetheless. I don’t know about that rest of you but nearly $500 is a chunk of cash for me. I have already covered the $2800 for the base cost of the trip (at least that is done) and then I’ll have the expense of the hotel stays when I go to meet the group in North Carolina and then again when we come back, I’ll have to spend a night in NC before flying home as well as miscellaneous costs while I am away. <br /><br />I have debated and debated about posting this. I guess it is my Southern roots… I come from a place where it is considered bad form to discuss money matters publicly. (Equally bad form to ask a woman’s age, but that is an entirely separate matter.) In the end, I’ve concluded that we have been in this hat making business together from the beginning so it is only appropriate that I should come to you with this. <br /><br />In my heart, I know that we are doing an amazing thing with the knitting of the hats and I also know that the Lord wouldn’t get us this far and then not make a way to get them there. I know, too, that, cliché as it sounds, the Lord helps those who help themselves.<br /><br />All of that being said, here’s my idea. Tell me what you think. I am working on putting some things together – yarn related things, maybe a jewelry item, other things…I’m still working on the specifics. (This idea has only recently come to me.) Anyway, whatever those items end up being, what do you think of the idea of an eBay auction to raise this money? Do you think it would work? Have any of you sold anything on eBay before? I haven’t so I would need some help. Do you have any other ideas? This is starting to keep me awake at night…<br /><br />And as an optimistic side note, if we raise more money than I need for the expenses directly related to this trip, I would donate any extra to the orphanage in Rivne.</span></em></div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="color:#009900;">Look What I Did</span></strong></div><strong><span style="color:#009900;"></span></strong></div><div><div><br />I have once again (or still...) been neglecting Lori's socks. This weekend, I was being particularly neglectful by both starting and finishing a brand new project. One of these days, I will tell you the whole story behind this but for now I will just show you the pictures.</div><br /><div></div><div>I knit something for myself. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231498099272367074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4MYeMHqqRmHbX0uhcFuM5aEcDTwQXROgO6q34GZs7w2kdVBTxzU_JRrFKInuVK6rUnCN8hN4eeYx_hTLdfYu-tNhYFuj-pTNeCsb4mdaxK442wXbtYB4VXVvUkw6qINZmZKy1tQ/s320/Foliage.JPG" border="0" />A Kiwi bird. </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231498093354100722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMljagK1ELbD3_5fn265ImevGtucKJe5s0mM6mGxUupzZORb6Jzkyop8Tc5oA_psVu3qH_axpzwKLb3_3IJT-OP6fwKeQytIZUaEexsdkerdpHORuxl06wIyxpzA0787nSWlzwDw/s320/With+Mug.JPG" border="0" /> <div></div><div>Based on <a href="http://bittersweetblog.wordpress.com/2007/07/09/crazy-kiwis/">this pattern</a>, with a fair amount of poetic license. (I added the "feathers" and completely changed the feet.) Thank you, <a href="http://ennavic.wordpress.com/">EnnaVic</a>, for the fabulous mug!</div></div><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231498104658993922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjklNnlLHyKkqBU8wznxpaVS3oI8xkGerNFkZD1_il3hyrLVpzxBJvG1kB64zHAHiDXAsYf_a6cccVZrHl1PiXW2cwG5k3ivRZ12dWo0Ac823NDyw-5VSxmSzRyxkj3L_MBGMg6jA/s320/Drinking.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div></div><div><span style="color:#990000;"><strong>Today's Quote</strong></span></div><div> </div><div><span style="color:#990000;"></span></div><div><span style="color:#990000;">"I do the very best I know how - the very best I can; and I mean to keep on doing so until the end." -Abraham Lincoln</span> </div></div>Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03580769390625167667noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18679747.post-90913506690552505742008-07-22T19:46:00.000-07:002008-12-10T07:58:15.038-08:00If You're Wondering Why<span style="color:#990000;"><em>Sixty days from today, I'll be hopping a plane (several, actually) for the Ukraine. It is going to be here before I know it!!</em></span><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226036680424120578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxG43ZSlcNV3J4rSnlMMT8ysE0q8sdj0TaNdpPDnWk3edoiBSS6uvb8gW4hXCxqajjZZP1_uHZHlGu-N9ghmZ1lIYxc94RjT3-mzO_RSgjgYTI8DAjKuA92hGAsWyrqnKiRQTHAQ/s320/1995-6.jpg" border="0" /> <div><div>In the fall of 1994, I was starting my senior year of high school. My church and our local association of churches had (and still has) a sister church and a sister association in the Kherson region of the Ukraine and I found out through our youth minister that the following summer, the association would be sending a group of youth and young adults to the area to do some missions work. They were going to be interviewing youth from throughout the association and putting together a team of 10 young people and 3 adult chaperones. I knew as soon as I heard about it that I wanted to go so I put together all of the application and did the interview and in the end, as you may have guessed, I made the cut and spent the months leading up to the summer of 1995 preparing for the trip.<br /><br />That was a very difficult spring – including getting head lice while volunteering at the homeless mission – but somehow all of that only reinforced the rightness of going. There have been few things in my life that I have been as certain of as I was about going on that trip. I never doubted for even an instant that this was something I was called to do. You know how when you are making a decision about something major, how you weigh the pros and cons and consider the sacrifices versus the benefits and you contemplate if it is what you really want/need? I am usually big for making a list and thinking things through like that but this decision was nothing like that. As soon as I knew I had been accepted to the team, I knew it was the right thing.<br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226036677658671234" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4drrKVfGvxjH25IxIuSYk1tzGrPmWMmH4ZiYWfSmNGN3atj-IBAIZ40pbGfsrJWU9lbNYUx2P0mfujn1ZutF-yeQu3LPuNG0nt9XXAN74V4WyLZBfcasjFCBbiFmFlySfpmmJQw/s320/1995-5.jpg" border="0" /><br />I had always wondered what people meant when they said that God had called them to do this or that. I wondered how they knew. Different people had told me different things...one man I knew said that when he was called to be a pastor, it was as if a voice had spoken to him, like a loud whisper directly into his ear. Another person told me that it was like a warmth in her heart, like a rush. I guess for me, it was just a sense of peace, of right-ness and pure joy. I can’t explain it better than that; just that I knew and I never doubted it was where I should be and what I should be doing.<br /><br />When at last the time came to go, we flew from San Francisco to Odessa, via New York and Vienna. It was a long trip (if I remember correctly, it was about 50 hours from leaving SF until arriving in Odessa.) We were tired and a little anxious, uncertain about what lay ahead. When we landed in Odessa, our plane stopped in the middle of the runway for no apparent reason. Ray, who was our associational director of missions and had been to the area several times, explained to us that the land amidst the runways and on the airport property was used by airport employees for growing fruits and vegetables and for raising livestock. We were stopped in the middle of the runway because someone was herding sheep from one grassy patch in the middle of the runways to another across the way. It was the first of many odd little things none of us had ever experience in the US.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226038415771465970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqgE00CA2ceJtNB744JxgCZ6HW_P4Vy8voUwSNAkoydv1xVprLG3-ZuezgjDToQG4YClR3FIP8Lii4QTzGQRQbrYfG9ZmZw0aaAFsMq19qufuKN8MzbymvSTvfnw23swRfF4XtXw/s320/Lenin+Statue.jpg" border="0" />The Ukraine had become an independent nation in December 1991: from communist state to independent republic literally overnight. All of the sudden, people were free to come and go in ways most of them had never experienced. People were able to worship in new ways and talk openly about politics and religion and whatever else they saw fit. In the summer of 1995, politically, things were still largely unsettled and the people of the Ukraine were still finding their national identity (still are to a degree, today, from what I understand. I can’t even imagine what it is like to wake up one day and be a brand new country.) In the midst of all sorts of uncertainty, the people I met there were some of the most wonderful people I’ve ever met. If you were to press me for one single reason I want to go back to the Ukraine it would be the people.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226036132911934802" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQUBnLdrm5rXISN5E5I0N7WJnaBMqbfjNP8uYuZ9UtAFTAOHCYUmVSdq2dx-m_qJRwem2HCq21S8uJmydjyZtXgbsWwDtk25pJd8PCna7fq5kzfMycyYF9cPWF7smaAutwS9nrVw/s320/1995-2.jpg" border="0" />At that time the economy was really unstable – for instance, a hand embroidered table runner I bought for my mother in Kherson cost more than 1,000,000 Ukrainian coupons…about $11US – and there was a pretty good chance that if you were exchanging money on the streets, you were probably dealing with the mob. The international airport we flew into had chickens and dogs wandering around loose in the terminals and pay toilets consisting of a large tiled room with a series of holes cut in the floor lined up along the wall. (As you might imagine, your thigh muscles get strong fast when you have to literally squat every time you have to go.) Each place we visited, we stayed in the homes of church members in that particular town. Most of the places we stayed didn’t have any electricity or indoor plumbing but the people were wonderful and kind and generous. </div><div><br />We spend one Sunday afternoon with a church group in a small town where, after worship service, we all walked down to the waterfront and watched some people being baptized in the Black Sea. In another village, we met a man who’d spent 30 years in Siberia because he had been caught conducting a Christian worship service in his living room in the early sixties. When I met him in August of 1995, he had been back in his hometown for about a year and had only just met his grown daughter, who was 3 when he was arrested and had lived her whole life thinking her father was dead. A few days later in a different town, we visited a Russian Orthodox church that had been built by Catherine the Great but during Soviet years had been used as a meeting place for visiting KGB officers.<br /><br />I met people there who had suffered heartache and persecution and need that I cannot even fathom. People who had never even experienced electricity much less had it in their homes. People who used outhouses and didn’t have refrigeration and grew most of their own food and drank their morning milk just minutes out of the cow. Women who made all of their family’s clothes – and not as a hobby, but as a necessity. People who generously opened their homes to us, because they believed in the work we were doing, even when they were barely able to make ends meet without extra American mouths to feed.<br /><br />I have been a Christian since I was 8 years old but I have never lost a friend because of my faith. I have never witnessed anyone being persecuted for their faith. I have never had to lie about my faith in God in order to save my life or the life of someone I loved. I have never had to memorize scripture for fear that I would be imprisoned if caught with a bible. I’m not sure that, faced with such situations, I could boldly profession my love for Christ. It was humbling and inspiring and truly life changing.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226036685304915954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Ps0AcD30Fd1t_TjCacmiwHCJZ0vFpKDzmJGhFfWSS51S2s4CZkZBRdP2mYNhjzW9DEnwdIAZGS3VQnPbXKdgtYrcTBc4_IAXtujygii2JrOfmkw3i1FFncmw2dTRhR1nkI3-Rg/s320/1995.4.jpg" border="0" />The purpose of this trip was for us to help with building and improvement projects these churches had going and to share our faith and knowledge of God with the people we encountered there. And we did do those things; but more than that, we were the ones who were blessed. My life was changed by the quiet faith and love I witnessed in these peoples lives. By the sincere joy people took in their families and their churches and the little freedoms and blessings we so often take for granted. I was moved by the people who came to the revival services we participated in and shared their stories. It was humbling to see men who walked miles to work in the morning, worked 10 hour days in a factory and then walked home, happily exhausted, to play with their children and carry water up from the river so the family could cook and bathe.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226036130909460802" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG_-cUp_B9XOtZeOMOjeQu4MNrGLPpuoiPe8iaedHqy52yWELBmnBJSHiTbhf3koN3FaSd0-0vBczleYzGchKROR5Pe-yNAx85U30epqvPSviXrnXQxo3uom_0zMHfucNFnW0z1w/s320/1995.33.jpg" border="0" />So the short answer, and maybe the cop-out answer in some people’s minds, is that I believe in my heart that this is work that the Lord is calling me to do. I believe that maybe, just maybe, this kind of work in this place, are the reason I was put on this earth. Never for even one moment in the last 13 years have I doubted that I would go back to the Ukraine. Ask anyone who has known me for more than just a little while and they will tell you that I have always talked about returning. I believe that by going there I am serving the God I love and – I hope – making some small difference in the lives of his people. I don’t know what exactly this trip holds in store for me but I hope that by going, the lives of the orphan children or some of the people in the village or some of the people I meet while I am there will be better for my having been there. I do know that whatever happens, I won’t regret going.<br /><br />A lot of people have asked me why I am making this trip to the Ukraine. And every time anyone asks, I think the answer has probably been a little different. Not because I don’t know why or that the reasons have changed…just that I have found it nearly impossible to articulate. I hope maybe now I have been able to.<br /><div></div><br /><div><span style="color:#990000;"><strong>Today's Quote</strong></span></div><div><span style="color:#990000;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="color:#990000;">“Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, Or what’s a heaven for?” Robert Browning<br /></span><br /><em>(All of these pictures are from my last visit, with the exception of the Lenin statue. I couldn’t find a picture of my own – though I know I took a million of them – so I found that one on Google Images. Everywhere we went, there were statues of Lenin and on little hillsides and grassy knolls, you would see wooden or metal letters: “</em>Ленин с нами<em>” …. “Lenin is With Us”. Echoes of the Soviet era. That particular statue above is in the main square in Kherson.)</em> </div></div>Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03580769390625167667noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18679747.post-79107335404864086502008-07-13T19:52:00.001-07:002008-12-10T07:58:15.184-08:00How Many Mashed Potatoes Do You Have?The other night I dreamed that I was on a plane flying to the Ukraine. And (in my dream) I had that unsettled feeling. The one when you are two blocks from work and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you left the curling iron on at home, right next to a box of kleenex. That feeling that you forgot to do something but can’t quite put your finger on it….unsettled. And so I was flying and looking out the window and it went from day to night several times (after all, that’s how dreams are) and we finally landed and we were getting off the plane at the airport (though it was the Houston airport, but we were in the Ukraine – again, dreams). We were standing there at the baggage claim when I realized – in one of those horrifying moments of clarity – that I had forgot to pack the hats. And I sat down in the floor of the airport and cried like a baby. And I kept telling some stranger standing next to me, “What am I going to tell all the knitters? How am I going to explain this?”<br /><br />Then I woke up with a start, in a cold sweat, feeling sick to my stomach. I got out of bed and went in the spare room and opened up the box of hats, made sure they were all there. Reassuring myself, I guess. I sorted through some of the new hats that I haven’t put in the box yet because I haven’t photographed them for ya’ll yet. (I’m working on it.)<br /><br />Apparently I don’t have my neuroses quite as tightly controlled as I’d like to think. I mean really, as if after all these many months of planning and preparation, I might actually forget the hats! Of course, it is more deeply rooted than that.<br /><br />So big news: I’ve decided to raise the hat goal to 400. (If you’ve been over by the Ravelry group, this isn’t actually big news to you.) We are making great progress and I am beside myself excited about this. Every time new hats arrive in my mail or someone drops one off to me, I am inspired all over again. We have “declared” knitters/crocheters from 23 U.S. States (including the absolute myriad of super cool ladies down at the LYS) and 15 other countries. I’ve received hats from 37 different crafters. We are 72 days into the project with 70 days to go until I leave.<br /><br />In an earlier post, I mentioned that my coworker Mary had gotten her mother on the hat knitting bandwagon. A couple of weeks ago her mom, Maxine, game up from Arizona for a visit and brought with her twenty hats that’d she been working on over the last couple of months. And during her brief visit, she has continued knitting hats but I’ve yet to convince Mary to bring her to work so I can thank her. Wednesday Mary brought me two more lovely lids (for a total of 30 from Maxine!) and she told me that her mom needed to take a break because her arm was tired! Well, I would think so. I gave my whole-heartedly blessing to Maxine’s well deserved break. (as if my blessing mattered!!) Thank you Maxine!<br /><br />This week I’ve received hats from all sorts of fabulous people and places.<br /><br />Erin in Sunnyvale sent a package which was fabulous – I made my coworkers try on her hats when they arrived but I didn’t have my camera with me.<br /><br />I received a package from the always wonderful Trixie in Alaska…10 fabulous hats (brims lined with cashmere!!) and two beautiful, perfect, heavy glass jars of blueberry jam, handmade by Trixie and her children, from blueberries handpicked in their very own backyard. Thank you Trixie, so much. You are just lovely. If I show up on your doorstep one day, will you let me sleep on your couch for a few days and take pictures of your beautiful surroundings?<br /><br />Hats came from Lynn in Florida. Richly-colored, thick lovely hats. She made mostly rolled brim hats and when she packaged them in the box, she rolled them up and stacked them. When I took them out, they looked like delicious, wooly candy! (Lynn, did you mail these quite a while back? If the postmark is right, it took them nearly three weeks to get here. Crazy!) My co-worker, Judy, also brought me more hats. They are crocheted and just as cute as can be. I missed Wednesday night knitting this week because I went to San Francisco to pick up my SIL at the airport so I’m guessing Kaylee probably has a hat or two over there for me. (Every time I’m there, she seems to have something lovely that one of the “day time knitters” has dropped off. Have I mentioned a flippin’ awesome it is to have an LYS?)<br /><br />Kim, whom I “met” so many moons ago through a scarf exchange, sent me four soft and lovely hats. Reds and greys.<br /><br />If you’ve sent hats and I haven’t mentioned them or emailed you, please please drop me a line so a) we can make sure I got them and 2) so I can thank you publicly. If I’ve neglected to email my thanks, I pray that you will forgive me. People email or message me asking for the address to mail the hats to and yet, when the packages arrive (at the very address I so recently provided) I am surprised and excited. I get them out of their various packages and I ohh and ahh and admire them as a group and then I look at each one individually and admire the craftsmanship – because the artistry in each of these hats is endlessly varied and inevitably stellar – and then I hold each one and admire the smooshy softness and touch them too my face (ya’ll know…) and I almost always find someone standing nearby to try them on so I can admire them from afar. And then for the next several hours, I show them to anyone and everyone who will stop to look. I’m like a child on Christmas.<br /><br />If ya’ll will humor me for a moment, and forgive me a little philosophizing, I’ll tell you something. Here’s the thing: If you were to ask me, I would tell you that I am a pretty cynical person. That I don’t have a lot of confidence in the goodness or decency of people in general. I would tell you that I have a very strong faith in God but very little faith in humankind. I would tell you that I can be mean-spirited and I am sort of a hard-ass. But the reality is, if I told you all of that, I’d mostly be lying. People who know me best would likely tell a very different story. I can be realistic about people’s nature when I need to be (professionally, for example) but as a general rule, I am about as soft-hearted as they come. I’m probably not cynical enough, really, and I am too willing to expect the best of people. Some might even call me a bit of a goody-two-shoes. I am generally a rule follower and a peacemaker, and usually expect people to do the right thing and be good and decent, even when they’ve made it clear they can’t be trusted. In fact, I have so much faith in human decency that I am (not shockingly but still shockingly) disappointed on a regular basis. I know this about myself and I try to tell myself to hope for the best but expect the worst but it never works out for me. It is just my nature. I take things personally even when I shouldn’t<br /><br />So this project…it really does my tender little heart good. I’m not really sure I can impress upon you very how much this hat project means to me. I think it is maybe one of the greatest things I’ve ever been a witness to. Maybe that is silly, but hear me out. I know that these hats are not for me (heck, I don’t even like hats – for me, I mean) but there is something so heartwarming and uplifting about watching this come together. To have a simple idea (These orphans are cold. I know how to knit. The orphans need hats) and to see other people – friends, strangers, coworkers, neighbors, friends-I-haven’t-met-yet – join in to help warm the heads of these children – children I haven’t even met yet…children most of these knitters will never meet this side of heaven – it is probably one of the best things I’ve personally ever known. There is something so purely decent and kind and selfless about it all. I feel vindicated. I feel like all the times that people have ever disappointment me are washed clean and that maybe I was right about people after all. It makes me think that in the midst of all of the screwed up goings-on on this earth, there is hope for us all. No one objects to making handknit (excuse me: handcrafted) hats for children who, by no fault of their own, have had a tough go of things in life. People who are usually hard-nosed and uninterested find a smile and a kind word for this hats-for-orphans project. I cannot tell you how many people from all corners of my life have, upon hearing of this project, told me “Oh my aunt (mother, brother, cousin, sister) knits. I’ll ask her to make a hat.” Or “I don’t knit but can I give you money to buy yarn to make something from me?” Or (maybe best of all) “I don’t knit but I’ll makes hats if you’ll teach me how.” It is humbling and wonderful to be a part of this. After the rather trying time I’ve had of things in the last couple of years, it is wildly comforting and refreshing to see so many people so willing – and enthusiastic! – to make hats for these kids. So thank you – all of you – for every stitch and every email and every kind word and every contribution. Long before these hats ever make that long trip to the Rivne orphanages, goodness has come from this undertaking.<br /><br />When I first started this project, someone said to me, “That’s a lot of hats. Do you really think people will want to do that? I mean, that’s gonna be expensive.” I told her my thoughts: most knitters I know are generous people and most knitters I know are willing to dip a little into their yarn budget to do something good for the world. And every single day, someone out there proves me right. Thank you for that, too. I came across this quote and I think it is apropos.<br /><br /><span style="color:#990000;"><em>“Empty pockets never held anyone back. Only empty heads and empty hearts can do that.” <strong>-Norman Vincent Peale</strong></em></span><br /><br />In more fun news, the ever fabulous, ever generous <a href="http://toknitperchancetodream.net/">Susie</a> has volunteered to dye up a couple of skeins of prize yarn especially for this project. I won’t tell you what they’ll look like but I will tell you they will be in colors related to the project.<br /><br />Also, I have been working on this for a while but wasn’t ready to tell anyone. I’m going to have a “Participation Prize” for every knitter who has sent hats by the time I leave. (Not per hat, just per person.) See, for the last several weeks. I’ve been making sets of stitch markers for each of you. My ever lovely (still sockless) SIL Lori is helping me and they are going to be so cute. (If I do say so myself….) Anyway, I tell you this because it wasn’t until after the hats started arriving that I decided on this plan so, while I have kept note of every person who’s sent me a hat or hats so far in order to put their names in the prize drawing at the end, I hadn’t been keeping up with mailing addresses. If you’ve already sent in hats to me, please email me at crickitleigh<at>hotmail<dot>com with your snail mail address so that I can make sure you get your stitch markers in October. Also, FYI, as you probably know, RC is handling the logistics of the prize part of this project and she and I have been trying to decide if we should draw for and mail prizes while I am gone (which would be sometime between September 20 and October 8) or if we should wait until I come back (which would mean prizes would go out sometime during the last two weeks of October). Obviously, the advantage of doing it while I am gone is that everyone gets their stuff sooner but if we wait there is the dual advantage of me being here (which is really only an advantage for me) and secondarily, that we could include a picture from the trip with all of the prizes and stitch markers. I’d like some participant input on this.<br /><br />Side note: There has been some discussion over at Ravelry about fiber content. The plan was to have hats from natural fibers or natural fiber blends. This is not a matter of yarn-snobbery but simple a matter of function. These hats, while intended as gifts to brighten these children’s lives, are primarily gifts of necessity. It is very cold there and the goal is warmth. I’ve received several hats that are acrylic or other synthetic fibers. One Raveler mentioned that acrylic hats are largely decorative outside and provide little warmth; this is very true but I know that they can be used so I’ve made the decision to take these hats along anyway. I’m keeping them separate so they will know that these hats should probably be mainly for indoors or layering but please know they will go to a good home. If someone brings you a synthetic fiber hat or mentions that they have made them, please go ahead and send them to me. While wool and animal fibers are still best all hats will be lovingly received.<br /><br />So, anybody interested in knowing how many hats we have now?<br /><br />Including the 120 shown in the previous post, 12 hats at RC’s house and these<br /><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5222697504139217890" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBT70mVTEiFcP5ewCwZCbPR-u3gM1N0YxXj_ovd0JFCrs9fnvSojHYMS0wblxiZzc902Ej5xjvVHDtrk89RdunFFPaVH_nfxlLn6CL7rE3OJFGk8K7xavePX18NuWkrcdP2WFJTg/s320/HardWood+014.jpg" border="0" />91 additional hats, we’ve reach (drumroll please)<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">224!<br /></span></strong><br />Only 176 to go! </p><p>Disclaimer: It has been approximately 150F degrees here for the last couple of weeks so my brain is cooked and I've been running a fever, too, so please forgive me if any portion of this post is incoherent. </p><p><em>*ETA correct number</em><br /><br /><span style="color:#990000;"><strong>Today’s Quote<br /></strong><br />"Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success." -Henry Ford </span></p>Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03580769390625167667noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18679747.post-4319261884640618192008-06-20T13:45:00.000-07:002008-12-10T07:58:21.291-08:00In It for the Long HaulYou know when you’re really busy and you have about 500 chores to do…so many things to do that you don’t know where to begin? That’s like this post. I have so much to say that I don’t know where to start. How about we just dive in, ok?<br /><br />I know I tend to prattle on and on, even on my best days, but this time I may have outdone myself. I tried to break it up into two posts but without any particular success. Oh well…it’s Friday. We’ve got the whole weekend ahead of us. There are hats and pictures and pictures of hats and updates and non-knitting content and made up words and flagrant misuse of punctuation…we’ve got it all. So sit back, relax, get comfortable and enjoy. On second thought, don’t get too comfortable. I’d hate for you to doze off before you get to the picture of the underside of the Golden Gate Bridge at the end.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#330099;">Mile Marker 95</span></strong><br /><br />I leave for the Ukraine in 95 days.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214070693636725586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl5pHmgh4KEflLhITveek_0Ovcc7bvGQ70cZUihL_3Jeprhvyilhyphenhyphen0oYvCAYJKl8YdGloM__XZ6pyqULEXLaL3yn9S_Phz9rg7YaWjXIIDc4U0Pj4MOr_VSJcYnKjVH0Ru-62Agg/s320/Ukraine+Map.gif" border="0" />I’m taking note of this because I know how these things happen…I know that right now (to me at least) it seems like this trip is a long way off. I also know that I am going to turn around twice and it will be time to pack my things and go. And I am going to wonder where the time went. So I guess this is sort of like verbal breadcrumbs. More than three months. 95 days.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#993300;">Contain Yourself</span></strong><br /><br />As this project grows, so must the receptacles in which I hold the hat-tasticness. When I very first started this, the hats I received fit nicely in my regular knitting bag but as time goes on and more and more hats come my way, the hats have, of course, taken up more room. I had to find a different container as they started to overwhelm my knitting bag.<br /><br />At first I moved them to this green-grocery bag. (Green, of course, in the sense that it is reusable and saves us from the brown bags and plastic bags. Obviously, I'm not doing too well on that front if I am using it to haul hats around in and still getting paper and plastic to bring home my groceries.)<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214075269763737890" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1gp9NmZ1C8I9ArzHdOL9TK56f3W0VwpSri1_CfoADO0REjNfReQsUkcYqiVjZHvMsCdBDGlKuH8ZComneaPZ1RY9uffAMRM3BkIbCmHh8rsT8n51IpaWPIOU1dht6n_BO6TzxLQ/s320/First+Purse.jpg" border="0" /> Later, they grew into this upholstered bag <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214088303438396786" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip9y326nPz9SuLpb0vUeX4k_pBNMXV_GrUcmDSy4ppr_UJaIDDN9qQ3NcRYOlfDj0gbx3Qo-V4jQ312k28JhsWW5u7hv7Emi1lTNOWGyyZDxDOAjsjTgRXVoZ5xqiiiSUzVAcjKQ/s320/Second+Bag.jpg" border="0" />provided to me by my friend Molly’s main squeeze, Rob (he made the bag himself) and some stayed in the boxes they arrived in.<br /><br />Now that I’ve got them all consolidated, they won't fit into the upholstered bag anymore so they have moved into new digs. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214088509837627826" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdvWNvluJLMq9Z8iQ3q7w8PWqna5uTpjxTSqVGQmF17TbT4MCEc-LzfcUpovJi4rQ859dO9cOoNuq0A6a_K4t91M6ajVgn6vXifCPGfnIOfmHMekZ3LYxLJYTt5PHsGGJotuyWwg/s320/Boxed+In.jpg" border="0" />The box my suitcase came in. There is still room in there for more hats. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214071956043486434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLfcxfPOAEBkYDNw7g3Cxg4ViY0FSsJOPwck5iYwF9NgKFFBeLCy495DJ3bQnBLJ9UduWtQYyT6eXL8mK2oVUtRnHjzjJ_oH9z3-0BFhJZyVhJ0C40oY-MIlUegqydoLwDgVm83Q/s320/Almost+Full.jpg" border="0" />See, not quite full. They are going to hang out there for a while, next to my crutches.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#663366;">Survey Says</span></strong><br /><br />Several people have asked me in the last couple of days what the current hat count is and I didn’t really know the number. I knew it was over 100 maybe 120. I was guessing 117, after going to knitting night Wednesday. For the sake of hat knitters everywhere (and because I hate not knowing exactly), last night I got all of the hats out and counted and photographed them. My kitchen table isn’t that big so I can’t get all of the hats laid out at once (which is pretty dang cool). Here they are, in three acts.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214070692956097426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSR8mN7BU2wdPIp8Y6uB29XHcNp6DyOsuL7N3t_Wa27zn6uRSxxBQxsFp-Estg8H-4m0yd7VEGt-JxdDAhnbPZurodSDxdhYYJlVhmoyItCTGQn7DoRz6yvN6hKVrMk4nsUtLLFQ/s320/60+Hats.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214070684381385010" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5z4SQfrIjy0qqSwMbk04t_P4bKeIjg0cui0Jc6xqaTzhZNdDkAE024FgojLKRz8-ryVwBsgkMfgFMk3r50WE-BRAbEITeMTFs-Liv-Oxg_QYQWfMz0sco1wGX9I3UbkeovFrqjQ/s320/53+Hats.jpg" border="0" />These first two pictures show 60 hats and 53 hats, respectively. That put the count at 113. That didn’t sound right to me for some reason but I can admit when my facts are fuzzy. 113 it is then. A very good number. So I gathered all the hats up and put them away and then I turned around and saw a small bag of hats on my couch. Damn. My best efforts to take a picture of all of them at once had failed. Whatever. I didn’t want to get them all back out so I photographed the last 7 separately.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214070681143875714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrM0JaMVu15fKnN1eju8YxaqqQhpekFFNssUZjpgCH7LsbbLRdgEC4RLZIfEJy3I_udYXAQ9PaaFxEXNCvsVc0S94LPioxh-Ws7V0Bpr6RQ7BLzOhSJZqyfnH0ZPS0tFik0ojoDQ/s320/7+Hats.jpg" border="0" />The intrepid <a href="http://rabiesonmyshoe.blogspot.com/">RC</a> also has 4 hats (and 20 some pairs of mittens!!) at her house. (<a href="http://rabiesonmyshoe.blogspot.com/2008/06/hats-received-and-hat-pattern.html">See pictures here</a>.)<br /><br />Which puts us at 124 (knitting has made me better at math). This count includes only those hats I and/or RC currently have in possession. I know there are others out there…Two that my co-worker Judy crocheted, which she is showing around to some of her family and friends before she relinquishes custody….Two that my friend Deb is doing, the first is completed and its “negative”/fraternal twin hat still on the needles, both done in the Fake Isle fair isles pattern. They are both beautiful. (She has pictures in <a href="http://anotherbandwagon.blogspot.com/2008/06/i-finally-finished-clue-2.html">this post</a>.) She’s holding on to them until she shows them to the knitters at her Monday knitting group. There’s also one that I knit that is hanging out at <a href="http://hooksandneedles.com/">Hooks & Needles</a> for a while. And one that Katy finished and still has at her house plus one that my co-worker Yo has. I let her keep it for a little while longer. After all, it is her first hat and her first knitting ever. She deserves to hold on to it a bit longer. Oh – and 15 that my friend Mary's mother has done in Arizona.<br /><br />That’s 22 more but my self-imposed rule is to only count those hats I actually have on hand and the ones that RC has on hand. Yippee for 124!!<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#990000;">Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. A Thousand Times Thank You</span></strong><br /><br />This is fabulous news, ya’ll. I can’t say thank you enough. As usual, the knitters are awesome. I must admit, not even begrudgingly, that the crocheters are pretty dang marvelous in their own right. The generosity and kindness…the diversity of the hats… ya’ll never cease to amaze me…ya’ll rock! 300+, here we come!!<br /><br />Just for the fun of it, here are some individual shots for your viewing pleasure. (Dial-up users, forgive me. Please.)<br /><br /><br />These hats were made by the fabulous <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/people/khosford">Katrina</a> and are the latest additions to the collection.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214084656500232322" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Q-QKpyZjhmkeXBff81ji1dB2Y6SEyiYTCd5KANJUZZdJFV2IHnDFxM-mhZToYG41Y4jBCzP99AIMb5qDwsyoK3QMOSDYUzK_-99J-WlbV9gE68PZQ4mhC9KnX8Ctg2zWIAZo1Q/s320/Katrina.jpg" border="0" />10 from her, all in a row. Katrina sent me the sweetest email when she mailed the hats, in which she told me that this project has inspired her and she has started knitting hats for her local Salvation Army. How cool is that? Thank you, Katrina!<br /><br /><a href="http://chronicennui.typepad.com/">Kim</a> knit this hat.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214086558240370578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRGVSgluxXgjrXn1-dQImYO7Pgohf3Ur0ItQ5DHiH5ErrU9JgQX3C6Aam2_keaDJO6oz48-wAOU8KV7Br499xJqhT7iLSAxqMbWd6ADuLNbVsuYN-YFVQn8JmAFjNBWk2nHUJh_A/s320/Kim+SWS.jpg" border="0" /> It was one of the first to arrive to me in the mail. I love the pattern and it is super soft. I’m guessing it is made from the Patons SWS. (Kim, correct me please if I am wrong.)<br /><br />Ahh, look who it is. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214083310579312386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl2WbienRQhg8eIKE4BwCdeBR8BV_z9dz8tFGHmfNx7puoIBuPxXJP9ohXuB8V5w2FYGN0_Xn6grHePcmSQnufhIBczYRcQHXZXcu-h2VQp2nRzpxzABmkK-TQrNT6DOt4euPWWw/s320/Alpha+Hat.jpg" border="0" />This is the hat that started it all. It isn’t a great hat. In fact, it is a little awkward. If I were to set you up on a blind date with this hat, I would probably tell you it has a great personality. That doesn’t matter, though. It’s beautiful on the inside. See, the weekend after I found out about my trip to the Ukraine, I went to the Bay Area to do a little shopping with Katy and my mama. I was in a rush the morning we left so I just grabbed my knitting bag and a ball of Icelandic Wool I had in the stash. I had in mind to knit a hat for an as-yet-unborn-baby of a friend. The needles I had in my bag and the yarn I took along weren’t a perfect marriage for a baby hat but they were all the knitting I had with me so I just kept knitting that hat. And as it grew, so did the idea of making hats for these orphans. I guess it just goes to show that even a thoroughly imperfect hat can be perfect, too.<br /><br />Here's the latest addition from <a href="http://anotherbandwagon.blogspot.com/">Deb</a>. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214083324134598178" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeXbUzAgpBiL2TSygFF6iWb4RuKvLZNvNUfhMcXNyK-E9iQLpupVzrteuhpB0iE4ptPsAADRD6sDwQv9rxRjwYZSRPBJNIN9hAOcL2pDCodqWCToVM08LZS_IF3aQwKfsrYo9w7g/s320/Deb+Foliage.jpg" border="0" />Knit from a bulky Cascade in a simple foliage pattern (I think from Knitty.) Very pretty and cushy. It was Deb who set up the Ravelry group.<br /><br />Come in under the “best use of hat topper decoration” category, this hat, <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214086562345029810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4n7o60yem_XtjhxUYlrEViZUs_IiOcwgybhfPC35Af9-0bcl-K_H9_yS_GiZdJzPOJuxxaLNYk7RtmMTcTTzSEVJQyb5g8Eden69aXMxUb7UxG67qy6pHlAvTwPzpYeVWg6pPjw/s320/Lee+PomPom.jpg" border="0" />which was knit by a lady named Lee who sometimes joins us at Hooks & Needles on Wednesday nights. Coincidentally, she was Katy’s psych teacher in college years ago. I’m super keen on that tassel/pompom action.<br /><br />I love love LOVE this precious little hat. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214071973971217298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjggZltT_xrY9hv66_tJN9BuvMs-mY58KfjesSJMUB-bFBkm7ojKD3NLF-xvKG-vsRVo9X05TYYZfIu9Ds8swKnWqDiH2GeOak5E_jCCbrm0ucyhi6MAFLrKylUnx5cPMansd9YvA/s320/Bea+Precious.jpg" border="0" />I need to get the pattern from <a href="http://www.strikkepinnerogandrepinner.blogspot.com/">Bea</a>. (Coincidentally, I think one of the hats Colleen has is from the same pattern.)<br /><br />This is one of Bea’s hats, too. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214074266343502050" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdgeokgKzKNny8f-DncrQcRDyAttEoLikjHV0Pgl_Rz-xTHOHUJED8LVkfvtufmJNzxOZRmwvbZOlyfwn2R7p_wCBOwZum4hoiHaSwBR7fC0CELEwXBe6UB5W3iGofjcevDZaxHA/s320/Bea+X-tra+Nice.jpg" border="0" />I also want to knit this pattern. I’ve tried to just look at it and figure it out but I want the actual pattern. It is really cute and a very practical hat. I need to make a hat for my niece Tegan and I think this is a nifty pattern for her.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214071968670663634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiETeOeB-bewoTHTV7-equOE_0ZB10t9Ft40BA93vQNFcHdfpwztYfIdv9Uq2A22tRScDObBr6-HywtTSM1XUNSzqM3nwLU7qefWOh36Fa1OvdMaB1h0sXEMuV19GQkTohnQ6dAKA/s320/Anita+Autunno.jpg" border="0" />This hat is knit from di'Ve Teseo (the kind-hearted step-sister of the Autunno, which is still officially my favorite hat yarn.) This particular fall-colored delight was knit by the lovely Anita, who is not only a neat lady and big help to everyone at Hooks & Needles but also my supplier…of the best coffee I’ve ever tasted. Yum. Anita rocks hardcore.<br /><br />My LYS proprietress-of-fabulosity knit this sweet little pastel hat from a pattern of her own making out of a new shade of Autunno. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214084658425372258" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEtlIKobZsyIEafvHpxrSLvr66Z5RSUSN4PPlke5pHt4gGk1VibxM7NX95yvITWsKEfSiIusRoCjAjFP1q_JCuh3xxjIZ5ol5HlXP4B4kLusukjysRjzIn8oX2gm_bKXqDTDloFw/s320/Kaylee.jpg" border="0" />I’m showing you <a href="http://www.hooksandneedlesyarn.blogspot.com/">Kaylee</a>’s hat as a reminder that she’s still offering a 10% discount on hat yarn to local shoppers and free shipping for knitters from afar. (<a href="http://hooksandneedles.com/">Hooks & Needles</a>)<br /><br /><div><br />Team effort hat, part the first: <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214084649174822978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_cW1hppFx8A1JBKf5igBioi-fc_SXdMq5pgaOk2J1gR80H_vkzfiC8YiQtJyJpn8FBV0vOqUrCcm6VSk70QUpn8QmvZUtoznwRvbxC8RSESGhWyrljlCtk2uw5GbtUEAWIC08jw/s320/Julie+Koolie.jpg" border="0" />This hat was Kool-Aid dyed by crazy fast knitter <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/people/Knittinrn">Julie</a> and then turned into an awesome hat by her daughter-in-law.<br /><br />Team effort hat #2: <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214095253509439986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxi3zYp1556hhWwaarZrKiRql-oSwS4JhCn49d7_llujF3fiC2wnCCOYV15NckPpeKlnE9AMAXqp7XrTmcEsVRZwNRDbBuI85I-12z-C4dLOOy_O7xfm5HArPp2FgeSvLX-VuiCA/s320/Team+2.jpg" border="0" />My friend Mary knit this little hat from some leftover wool (the navy, top part of hat) but discovered she didn’t have enough to do a whole hat. Mary is a newish knitter and wasn’t sure what to do at that point so she just finished it off and decided it would just be a small hat. Unfortunately it was a little too small. So I took it to Kaylee and she crocheted that fancy little multi-color border and the hat is just right now.<br /><br />Hats are super cool but so are prizes. One prize in the Super-Cool-Hat-Knitting-Contest-Pool is two skeins of Interlacements in the Alabama colorway. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214075257526034546" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8b_15XpqmKAgdInjMj7WL2VEf9Y0GhUJ_cmue3Wv-909jcfnCnLVrVblTyzJbOn7m_RTDiWfdu5kWzhIvbQGxsKaJjE1MoFcXzIO6Lq426Rw21bBs51IjnWJwBHTT7jc7XyVo6A/s320/Cotton+Prize.jpg" border="0" />Each of these two skeins is 800 yards and 100% cotton.<br /><br />Two additional prizes: <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214088295303453714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4OAKzzmcE5Ys6dvMIA8hadspI06teNCKWO-N6vNSKE5nHKEb-O9hMBYgCQ06PHOn33x_PlZ5BK_zSqNwro8bn2B2wAn2-E9joE2djyolYlMv9h1QFyrZ1Tku2EKL2CNOK8eFZXA/s320/Red+Scarf.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214083336403078610" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZAxWVkyM7xUAgWSnP4kgxz-KTgaVfHjZQ9z4qFR_ABb49k0A_Lq3RbwpPZRRK2Ta9ZeABJBDQgD39DOQNxw-uEorgMOwUQxWPxm7K8zdUShe_AMtI_sswxdIXHpsgAfIdyRVwIQ/s320/Green+Scarf.jpg" border="0" />SCARVES!! These two handknit beauties were made by the ever-talented Kim. Each scarf will be paired with some not-yet-determined something else, probably yarn. Thanks, Kim!<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#009900;">Flat Knitting is Cool, Too</span></strong><br /><br />Back in the murky days of the early part of this year, when I was busy wallowing and not blogging or doing much knitting, my friend Molly decided she wanted to learn to do Entrelac. (I mentioned this in a post a few weeks ago.) Since I am a pushover, I volunteered to learn it so I could help her. Turns out that this technique, which was always very intimidating to me, is actually quite straightforward. Straightforward and surprisingly enjoyable knitting. So enjoyable, in fact, that immediately after completing the sample, I cast on for a pillow top. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214086571821743970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-oTdEfFuddsCQ5J7jj8ba7SlIIZ2aseMAVI06tlreU6QY0v-DkaHyvnp68bA2dIndZmvIrmmi5Qe1uJ8eiRXpUnNEbrxjKZYRM62egMYeOhVgGs1-vckZaywrsWVhVRlGfMADiQ/s320/Pillow+Top.jpg" border="0" />(After all, I had an 18” pillow form in my spare closet, just waiting to meet its destiny. And apparently its destiny is Misti Alpaca Pima Cotton Silk.)<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214088285782127698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtaJmF_Kw7mMfSx8pixBXMy12eWaaTUFKM6qvjMGdM7P2cSTM0Hlhj7uhHWPQb0sENu0YGX1m8e1Bl89Re8icYUJgttQ4jUT2U2K-eo6acyNMKd9VDXnvDthZP-8eHC6xfVuVrRA/s320/Pillow+Top+Mtns.jpg" border="0" />I’ve got the fabric for the back. I wonder how long it is going to take me to drag out the sewing machine and make it into an actual pillow case…we’ll see. But the knitting was fun.<br /><br /><span style="color:#ff6666;"><strong>Excitement Afoot</strong><br /></span><br />If you are relatively new to this blog, this news isn’t going to mean much to you but it is great news, nonetheless. See this?<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214074275207295394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhegPN3sITOeZ5AgxZ5NmFGN_l7tq75JvUnpaVbPHXX1ltkhAfO12HXFybe4AvwzLj_vWU8KrMXZ2CTtDG_Ti_3Xx-cThLTprD5nRJ9iheENltL2by4zua2zgbsHYN4jOQpXKYDSg/s320/Brace+Yourself.jpg" border="0" />That is perhaps the best ankle brace ever made. Lightweight, thin enough to fit in most of my shoes, very supportive, comfortable…Best of all, though, today is the last day I have to wear it – or any brace – on a regular basis. I’ll keep it around for distance walking and playing badminton and other activities that are particularly demanding on the ankle, but otherwise I’m free of it. Third time is indeed a charm. No more ankle surgery on the horizon for me. My ankle is almost completely better. Not absolutely better yet, but well on its way. Per yesterday’s visit with the good doctor, the grafts are “fully incorporated” and the cartilage has “stitched together nicely”. I can walk and I can climb on rocks and I can go up and down steps and I can bend it every which way I please and – AND – I can even stand on my tiptoes. A very important thing at 5’2”. I can’t even articulate how pleased and relieved I am to be at this point.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;">I Digress</span></strong><br /><br />Remember earlier in this post, I mentioned about going to the Bay Area a while back with my sister and my mother? Well it was a really wonderful, peaceful, relaxing day. We did do a little shopping but then we got a wild hair and decided to do a little sightseeing, too. San Francisco is well-known for its many sights and activities but one of the less well-known is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Point%2C_San_Francisco">Fort Point</a>. Fort Point is located directly under the southern side of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Gate_Bridge">Golden Gate Bridge</a> and was the only fortification on the Pacific Coast during the Civil War. It has had other functions since then but today it is a National Historic site. Interestingly, when the Golden Gate Bridge was originally planned, it included the destruction of Fort Point but the Chief Engineer redesigned some of the bridge elements in order to keep the fort intact.<br /><br />Just a couple of pictures from there. Katy and I went up to the top and it was beautiful from there. Very, very windy and beautiful. Katy then me.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214084657671034626" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY57mAxHEx5yD84L33XVKzqShtMrYuajSdgMwpHW82ns1KEMF5HU7SRTjRVIO2ojClUwvV1KJs4a6MUXHwD1RBoy-cOQAgb8cYkghWTxnVLomguKxn1IE3kc_hXXwnIfK7_5pNoA/s320/Katy+Fort+Point.JPG" border="0" /> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214086566371258082" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiGVKHziyQvmWvVdDCqAoiNpP2S04DcYGv2C6jZuPJjPO77A6fHqXwgeJAL3QyM13cpYn9yq3QbCPlahi6qTem_nVUqmXZZsnABB7g_iO7eifjEb3KzafDRaWS65xhL7VePVzKsA/s320/ME+FP.JPG" border="0" />A murky shot of Mama and Katy in one of the alcoves where cannons were once mounted.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214086562792971954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUqAB9_i6MTV1IRyt5Ia83foxEPdLeieIw_HG83sDrtT8-hCX6A5zPtrimupifKOMD-P9VWg1vwh1JIxOHgMF8IrYa6xw4IBMQGzpmBRM4Q5eOQkyQWCFysXd-WDBj17O0mWWQ9A/s320/Mama&Katy+FP.JPG" border="0" />Even if you aren’t interested in the history of it, there are some beautiful views from Fort Point and no charge to visit. All and all an excellent stop for anyone visiting San Francisco.<br /><br />As promised: the underside of the Golden Gate Bridge. (I think that is my finger there on the right. Umm.) <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214075253252535618" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjejNDJihyoXYD2nWpJmIUAwBpoB-WI5OKAmApwGV1OFRkGzMaFtT1xQPvrKaU0W37XU6SJvBKG5RgRyusDBLaQdahyphenhyphenoWMX0HFGw2S9-D3cTGKyskfNZKvH9-CftVFH6j9O7KfcMw/s320/Bridge.JPG" border="0" />Whew! I think that’s all for now. Do ya’ll feel caught up? I hope you have a wonderful weekend and thank you again to everyone who is knitting or has knitted hats. Please forgive the hit or miss links. I think I’ve run out of steam…<br /><br /><div></div><div><strong><span style="color:#990000;">Today's Quote</span></strong></div><div><span style="color:#990000;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="color:#990000;">"The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone." -Harriet Beecher Stowe</span> </div></div>Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03580769390625167667noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18679747.post-31406098294995940932008-06-19T12:35:00.000-07:002008-07-07T12:39:54.889-07:00Two Basic HatsIn case anyone is looking for a hat pattern, here are two VERY BASIC patterns I've been using. I know there are a bunch out there that are much cooler than these and you'll have to use a chunky-ish yarn (I've been using the Autunno as frequently mentioned) since these patterns are worked on US Size 10 or 10.5. If nothing else, these patterns can be used as a jumping off point.<br /><br />***********************************************************************************<br /><br />HAT PATTERN ONE – BASIC K2, P2 RIB<br /><br />Abbreviations: K = Knit, P = Purl, K2Tog = Knit 2 stitches together, P2Tog = Purl 2 stitches together<br /><br />On size US 10 or 10.5 needles, cast on*** 60 stitches. Join to knit in the round, being careful not to twist your stitches.<br /><br />Row 1: Knit 60<br />Row 2: Knit 2, Purl 2<br />Continue repeating Row 2 until the piece measures approximately 6 - 6.5”. <br /><br />Work decreases as follows:<br /><br />Decrease Row 1: *K2, P2, K2Tog, P2, K2, P2Tog*, repeat from * to * to the end of the round<br /><br />Decrease Row 2: *K2, P2, K1, P2, K2, P1*, repeat from * to * to the end of the round<br /><br />Decrease Row 3: *K2, P1, K2Tog, P2, K1, P2Tog*, repeat from * to * to the end of the round<br /><br />Decrease Row 4: *K2, P1, K1, P2, K1, P1*, repeat from * to * to the end of the round<br /><br />Decrease Row 5: *K2, K2Tog, P2, P2Tog*, repeat from * to * to the end of the round<br /> <br />Decrease Row 6: *K3, P3*, repeat from * to * to the end of the round<br /><br />At the end of Decrease Row 6, cut yarn approximately 12 – 15”. Using a darning or sewing needle, thread yarn tail on to needle and pass through all stitches then pull tight. Weave in end inside hat to secure. Weave in cast on tail. Add pompom if desired. <br /><br /><br />***I use the knitted cast on but any cast on method will do just fine.<br /><br /> _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ <br /><br /><br />HAT PATTERN TWO – SIMPLE ROLLED BRIM HAT<br /><br />Abbreviations: K = Knit, P = Purl, K2Tog = Knit 2 stitches together, P2Tog = Purl 2 stitches together<br /><br />On size US 10 or 10.5 needles, cast on*** 60 stitches. Join to knit in the round, being careful not to twist your stitches.<br /><br />Row 1: Knit 60<br /><br />Repeat Row 1 until hat is approximately 6 – 6.5” from edge when knitting is laid flat.<br /><br />Work decreases as follows:<br /><br />Decrease Row 1: *K4, K2Tog *, repeat from * to * to the end of the round<br /><br />Decrease Row 2: K to the end of the round<br /><br />Decrease Row 1: *K3, K2Tog *, repeat from * to * to the end of the round<br /><br />Decrease Row 2: K to the end of the round<br /><br />Decrease Row 1: *K2, K2Tog *, repeat from * to * to the end of the round<br /><br />Decrease Row 2: K to the end of the round<br /><br />At the end of Decrease Row 6, cut yarn approximately 12 – 15”. Using a darning or sewing needle, thread yarn tail on to needle and pass through all stitches then pull tight. Weave in end inside hat to secure. Weave in cast on tail. Add pompom if desired.Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03580769390625167667noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18679747.post-43698068764481221282008-06-13T11:37:00.000-07:002008-12-10T07:58:21.862-08:00So Far<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_iqAt5Z_OCQamRUni-fX537y7V64Vwe-HYcLc8PBwl-rpLDX2Jqo4Xu3ywwAh2KYVZUBY_pRLhPudtS0QEuUIdZKzYTJSnShTXfrFKbn_1lzAbaQXwsbyXgNjX9YbEDN2FgKvAw/s1600-h/IMG_0780.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211437530591170722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_iqAt5Z_OCQamRUni-fX537y7V64Vwe-HYcLc8PBwl-rpLDX2Jqo4Xu3ywwAh2KYVZUBY_pRLhPudtS0QEuUIdZKzYTJSnShTXfrFKbn_1lzAbaQXwsbyXgNjX9YbEDN2FgKvAw/s320/IMG_0780.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib7G9GUtMEohkYkMHorma5dftryS3m1rwU1o8GKmJetOr1xCH3ssgwsUUnaBCnRzHtiEBVhFFb3IKfNc4zTj3akZ8sRZSaHxSPjK9j6nBk6uWtcvsa55e08MwSunkhAhRzSUbKyA/s1600-h/IMG_0787.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211437543911659874" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib7G9GUtMEohkYkMHorma5dftryS3m1rwU1o8GKmJetOr1xCH3ssgwsUUnaBCnRzHtiEBVhFFb3IKfNc4zTj3akZ8sRZSaHxSPjK9j6nBk6uWtcvsa55e08MwSunkhAhRzSUbKyA/s320/IMG_0787.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN-Bnhe404FAulcStV5TuLWhFOsT91lQB7LO85fminObRCsr-y3IU0FRazRLdtbP06xIoTcfZVCGsRDQ-IO3ssEd2QoKEFYsZYDS_305MtSy4g6EkdL1z5qs_OtSJFnkG_SzCKZg/s1600-h/IMG_0783.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211437550440162674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN-Bnhe404FAulcStV5TuLWhFOsT91lQB7LO85fminObRCsr-y3IU0FRazRLdtbP06xIoTcfZVCGsRDQ-IO3ssEd2QoKEFYsZYDS_305MtSy4g6EkdL1z5qs_OtSJFnkG_SzCKZg/s320/IMG_0783.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />This blog really should be called "At Last Here's A Picture".<br /><br />I have some individual shots, too, but this is the group as of last Thursday evening. (I really did TAKE the pictures when I planned....)<br /><br />They are beautiful and I am just so amazed all over again at how wonderful the knitters (and crocheters and supports) are. We are so blessed and I sincerely CANNOT WAIT to see the children's faces. Thanks again everyone!<br /><br />For all of you attending Potlucks and Knitting today - have fun. Take lots of pictures!!!<br /><br /><br /><div></div>Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03580769390625167667noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18679747.post-68267568312774358792008-06-05T11:20:00.000-07:002008-06-05T11:31:32.467-07:00Watch This SpaceAs <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">ya'll</span> may have noticed, I seem to live by a pretty loose interpretation of time. Like, when I say I'm going to take pictures over the weekend, sometimes that means, not the weekend but <em>sometime</em>. You know, eventually. <br /><br />This past weekend turned out to be strangely chaotic and I didn't get pictures done but tonight I have firm plans to conduct a Hat Photo Shot. I'm so excited. Please check back <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">tomorrow</span> (realistically, probably late afternoon/early evening) for pictures of the hats so far. I will also have a new accurate count....we are somewhere in the 80s now.<br /><br />Not to be <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">repetitively</span> redundant but for informational purposes and because I'm not sure if everyone who reads here is on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Ravelry</span>, I am posting this update verbatim from the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Ravelry</span> group. People have been asking (and rightly so - hurray!) what I plan to do if I end up with more than 300 hats....<br /><br /><em><span style="color:#333399;">Thank you so much for asking. At the moment, I have 70 hats. If I receive more than the minimum needed of 300, I will take them with me to Ukraine. My reasoning on that is twofold:</span></em><br /><br /><em><span style="color:#333399;">1) 300 is the approximate number of children currently living in this particular orphanage. The number of residents at a facility like this can fluctuate from day-to-day and so by September, there may be more children living there. The maximum they can they can <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">accommodate</span> is 425 though they have not ever “reached capacity”.</span></em><br /><br /><em><span style="color:#333399;">2) If there are more hats than heads, I’d like to leave extra hats with the staff so when new children come to live there, they will be able to provide those children a hat as a sort of welcome gift. I can only imagine how frightening and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">intimidating</span> it most be to enter a facility like that - with literally hundreds of other children - and I like to think that a little personal handmade gift might brighten a difficult day for those children.</span></em><br /><br /><em><span style="color:#333399;">Additionally, if we end up with more than needed, I’d like to include the staff of the orphanage in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">handknit</span> hat love. There are less than 30 workers in this facility (what a daunting task…can you even fathom what that kind of work must be like?) and I’m sure they would appreciate a special hat, too, if there are enough.</span></em><br /><br />If you have any other thoughts/questions on that please let me know.<br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Ok</span>. Just a quickie but I am all out of time at the moment. Come back tomorrow for the pictures!!<br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#990000;">Today's Quote:</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#990000;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#990000;">“You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.” Gandhi</span></strong>Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03580769390625167667noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18679747.post-58260228186600074612008-05-29T14:09:00.000-07:002008-05-29T14:32:12.480-07:00K2Tog<strong><span style="color:#990000;">K2Tog</span></strong><br /><br />Over on the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Ravelry</span></a> hat project group, <a href="http://www.myarns.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Gari</span></a> (<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/people/myarns"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">myarn</span></a> on Ravelry) informed us in a post from Tuesday that they are planning a hat <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">KAL</span> and potluck at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Maranacook</span> Yarns in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Readfield</span>, Maine on June 13. I was so excited and inspired by this that I talked to the ladies at my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">LYS</span> and we decided to make it a bi-coastal knitting potluck.<br /><br />If you live within driving distance of either location, it would be so awesome if you could make it out. I’d love to put some names and faces together and, of course, it is always good to meet more knitters! Come for an hour or stay for the whole time, but please come!<br /><br />SO! Friday, June 13 5pm-9pm, please join us in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Readfield</span>, Maine or <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Oakdale</span>, California for hat knitting and food.<br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Maranacook</span> Yarns 138 South Road • <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Readfield</span>, Maine • 04355 • 207-685-9704 • <a href="mailto:MYarns@roadrunner.com">MYarns@roadrunner.com</a><br /><br />Hooks & Needles Yarn Shop 136 N. Third Avenue • <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Oakdale</span>, California • 95361 • 209-845-2258 • <a href="mailto:hooksandneedles@sbcglobal.net">hooksandneedles@sbcglobal.net</a><br /><br />P.S. Does anyone want to host a knitting potluck somewhere in between??<br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;">Arrivals<br /></span></strong><br />I received a box of hats and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">handknits</span> from <a href="http://chronicennui.typepad.com/">Kim</a> on Tuesday. This was my first batch of Hats from Afar. Thank you, Kim! I’ll take pictures this weekend and share all of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">knitterly</span> goodness with you then.<br /><br />Then today I got another package in the mail, this <span style="color:#663366;">time</span> from <a href="http://www.strikkepinnerogandrepinner.blogspot.com/">Bea</a> in Norway. It never <em>never</em> ceases to amaze me how many awesome knitters there are out there. And I mean both awesomely skilled at knitting – I am impressed and a little intimidated every time I look at others’ <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Flickr</span> pages – and awesome, wonderful people, as evidenced by their generosity and willingness to reach out and lend a hand…or a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">handknit</span>, as the case may be. Thanks, Bea! You rock!!<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#663366;">On the Home Front</span><br /></strong><br />The current hat count is 70. Personally, I am on course for success in regards to my goal of completing a Hat a Day in May…Which means, of course, that while I haven’t strictly knit one hat each day, I’<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">ve</span> come pretty close and will have completed 31 hats by Saturday. I’m going to give myself a breather in June and set a goal of one hat each week and then, depending on how the counts are going, get back on the Hat a Day wagon in July. This should give me time in June to finish Lori’s much neglected socks, (<a href="http://rabiesonmyshoe.blogspot.com/">RC</a>, how did you knit so many pairs of these and I got so far behind?) work on the Loopy Ewe and a few other odds and ends. If I get some sort of wild hair, maybe I’ll even manage to knit a long, long neglected hedgehog or a llama. Lori’s socks are a must. We’ll see about the others.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#009900;">Sickness</span></strong><br /><br />I think I might be suffering from some sort of knitting-related illness. Last night, I was standing in the yarn shop, mentally debating my next hat, while at the same time dreamily caressing the <a href="http://www.straw.com/cpy/yarns/pandasilk-preview.html">Panda Silk</a> and contemplating knitting myself a headscarf. Something light and a little airy and beautiful and delicate. Maybe a simple <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Mobius</span> something. So, May is for hats, June for socks and tending to existing projects, July for hats. Perhaps in August...<br /><br /><span style="color:#990000;"><strong>Today’s Quote</strong><br /><br />Matthew 25:40 "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'"</span>Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03580769390625167667noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18679747.post-4229298883769890742008-05-21T22:13:00.000-07:002008-12-10T07:58:22.367-08:0040 Hats<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEickoWIJe1uIiOH_qIdT8R1zejlhr9WrC2-TQ6kMxFMZYoPVkvGY7y-_NwshAHdO_GMxkhjUThh0E9jMm5YCUFIVEhjgEgEXnZQG7GFlXr2VHEudDK8DHnUbjX1VNUmcx8LNbNLRg/s1600-h/40+Hats.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203061683850278402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEickoWIJe1uIiOH_qIdT8R1zejlhr9WrC2-TQ6kMxFMZYoPVkvGY7y-_NwshAHdO_GMxkhjUThh0E9jMm5YCUFIVEhjgEgEXnZQG7GFlXr2VHEudDK8DHnUbjX1VNUmcx8LNbNLRg/s320/40+Hats.jpg" border="0" /></a>We have reached a milestone....40 Hats. I know there are others on the way in the mail but as of tonight, I have 40 hats (as pictured above) in my possession. Thank you, thank you!!!<br /><br />Also, Milestone #2, my beloved local purveyor of yarny goodness has launched her website. Stop by!!! Click on the front door, and you're there...136 North Third Avenue, Oakdale, California 95361. (209) 845-2258. The free shipping on orders of hat yarn deal is still in effect. Take advantage while she is feeling generous! (Seriously, though, she is very generous. That offer isn't going anywhere.)<br /><a href="http://hooksandneedles.com/index.html"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203062220721190418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxIAGGtrY6TfVg-ZFofXMvDdOFpncLEr5COuAg_wlLikVlqAuC3NPrq8GOWsdqYCa8BSTFGJ1tRLY8igVbjW_XjMMHjY6BQs_ERIkgzKWGN0oB1YJ6ZK_mat69utrQmn6Tm90RaA/s320/H&N.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><p>Because quick is the status quo around here of late (still knitting hats...26 so far for me) I'll tell you these tidbits:</p><p>1) I have approximately 400 million yards (give or take) of hand dyed cotton that I will be sending to RC as a prize for the hat contest.</p><p>2) My sister Katy, new knitter extraordinaire has carpal tunnel. Seriously! She is halfway through hat number three and making a valiant effort with the brace.</p><p>3) Remember these words: LABOR OF LOVE. There are plans in the works for a shindig at Hooks and Needles to wrap up the hat project over Labor Day weekend. I'll post more details as they come but for now, if you can be in bright and shiny Oakdale, California any time between Saturday, August 30 through Monday, September 1, please save the date. <em>Sidenote: Oakdale is a perfect potty stop on the way to/from Yosemite from a lot of locations. Kaylee has promised to stock up on TP.</em></p><br /><p>4) The Ravelry group is growing by leaps and bounds. We are currently at 28 members. If you haven't joined, please do. If you are lurking around out there knitting hats in some cold dark corner, please poke your head out and let me know you are there. It is so exciting to know where everyone is. </p><br /><p>I think that's it. Things are nuts on this end but good nuts, not nuts a la first quarter 2008. Send yarn. Send wine. </p><p><span style="color:#990000;"><strong>Today's Quote:</strong></span></p><p><span style="color:#990000;">"That ain't the half of it, honey, but that's all I'm telling." -Alice Coachman </span></p>Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03580769390625167667noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18679747.post-7343194598706895812008-05-15T15:07:00.000-07:002008-12-10T07:58:23.081-08:00Merrily We Roll AlongI’ve never made any claims to be a fast knitter. In fact, I’ve long-since come to terms with my status as a comparatively slow knitter. Nevertheless, I was reasonably confident I could meet my self-imposed goal of knitting a hat every day in May (and maybe June…but we’ll see about that). What I didn’t consider was that going to work, attending to normal life AND knitting a hat every day doesn’t leave a whole lot of time for blogging.<br /><br />Rest assured, though, that I have not fallen into a hole again and I am not ignoring the blog.<br /><br />I’m knitting hats. (And doing my damnedest to reply to comments. Carisa, I don't have an email address for you....but rats - I'm glad you like them as pets. I understand their are also people who keep tarantulas and pythons for pets. I am not one of those people.)<br /><br /><br />On a completely unrelated note, I am so jazzed that Whitney won <a href="http://cwtv.com/shows/americas-next-top-model">America's Next Top Model</a>.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5200730037568076002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOae9wyW_TdvZyd8DBO12CXHVfPMcXK_Px6RIzqkgx8Qj4taJEdJsxeISMQfle3zXlU6dxUmC1hQSOPC2rBc4f8swe7irY9HchzWW7f2s_KfomRNZFlPEli9jIBtytd16BmpLFUw/s320/ANTMW.jpg" border="0" /><br />(I think they should have left her hair alone - like in this picture. The blonde was somehow <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081856/">Dynasty</a>-esque, I think.) Anyway, Anya was lovely and all that but I was a fan of Whitney from the very beginning. Hurray for her!<br /><br />So far, we’ve got 31 hats. Here is a picture of the 14 hats I personally had knit as of last Wednesday. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5200724630204250274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEVNqjNKKJVgred6tjXEjPEWvs4f3hr_urbAkbr5DIrzbOTEWzSDelE6eomUyBR2md0GoZJFHYOqYBso7tJdTtMqRVVOY6vtVWYT0olJAg39IkMzmvB7BEdBJRbktGb0hTle_6lw/s320/my+hats.jpg" border="0" />I’ll try to take another picture next week with everything I have so far.<br /><br />When I first took on the task of knitting a hat a day, I worried that I wouldn’t be able to knit fast enough to keep that pace (as mentioned above) but it turns out that my hands are up to the task. My yarn budget, however, is not. My stash was good for a while but I’ve knitted up all of the hat-a-day appropriate yarn (i.e. any yarn that must be knit on needles smaller than a US 8 will not do) and now I’m buying yarn a couple of balls at a time at the yarn shop and cashing in a couple of gift certificates I’d been holding on to. Who knew I had so much sock yarn? Seriously – I love the stuff and it is beautiful but there is no way I can knit a hat from sock yarn. (At least not for this particularly project.) If you come across any good sales, please let me know. FYI....I heart <a href="http://missionfalls.com/home.php">Mission Falls 1824 Wool</a>. I continue to be amazed at how much it softens up from the ball to the knitted product.<br /><br />Did you see the Hat Counter in the sidebar? I know it is small. This is what it looks like up close.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5200725063995947218" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="371" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ9mDqYEt4WY74XkpwR08qkkDuieiqx7SqNpvplQOv_5xnpetFsSbOkfEgZ629wpYb634dwCKOTLtKlaG5OVwCUpiW3V_8TAOHS4-xwGXhWiUHEfBgazsZIPfGTLD5f2UdEmt2hg/s320/HCounter.jpg" width="205" border="0" />I’ll update it periodically, probably once a week or so.<br /><br />Are you on <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/">Ravelry</a>? I am. (as okwhatnext) I haven’t posted any of my projects there yet but I am there and I am loving looking at everyone else’s fabulousness. <a href="http://anotherbandwagon.blogspot.com/">Deb</a> started a Ravelry group for the hat project (called Kristys Hat Quest) and I’ve heard from knitters in Maine and England that they will be making hats. Both of those knitters are knitters I had not previously encountered through this blog or elsewhere so I am doubly excited to meet new people.<br /><br />Katy went with me to knitting again last night. Can you guess why?<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5200724638794184882" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidjRz5yKJmkNMAVEYwAhCIAx07KL3OIkCA5s9X0nZ7XClTefBUiUExGOUEd6JWY6QDginLsu2jQXmsWGXKecGfXddpemVWJVNd_B40Uc2Yr6fxme49miplo9Uz59pcBhbcQMbQrg/s320/Katy.jpg" border="0" />Because she had finished knitting a hat and needed help finishing it and adding the pom-pom. Kudos to Katy for knitting a hat for the children! (Also, just between us, she bought more yarn to make more hats. She even conceded that she kind of likes knitting. Who knew?)<br /><br /><a href="http://hooksandneedlesyarn.blogspot.com/">Kaylee</a> told me she received her first hat yarn order this week. Patricia in Montana, if you are reading this, THANK YOU!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.rabiesonmyshoe.blogspot.com/">RC</a> posted about <a href="http://rabiesonmyshoe.blogspot.com/2008/05/300-hat-project.html">the contest</a>. And she also <a href="http://wiknit.blogspot.com/2008/05/300-hat-project-august-28.html">submitted the details</a> to <a href="http://wiknit.blogspot.com/">WiKnit</a>. How cool is that site, by the way?<br /><br />I really did meet the <a href="http://www.yarnharlot.ca/">Yarn Harlot</a> at the Maker Faire but I haven’t managed(and probably am not going to manage) to write a post about it. For the record, here’s a picture of me looking like a big goober and Stephanie holding one of the first hats for the Hat Project. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5200724647384119490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9L1YNrqvU77YT_69qLzGzblVTSvhFhRVzNr9tT0ZBWNfHzRH0N-wz5rWe4fEUfSY8Yz3PVXjkk4P-rsYzdQYgVBvcDij7-zRmZ57xzGFuAIlzyq7r8tOacWbvyURHiYbD-g-TGg/s320/Me&SPM.jpg" border="0" />In addition to knitting hats this week, I’ve also managed to finalize my travel arrangements for September and I received my new passport back in the mail. It makes it more exciting and more real as the particulars come together. Hopefully, I won’t stoop to the level of stopping strangers on the street and telling them, “Hey! Guess what – I’m going to the Ukraine.” That would just be embarrassing.<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#990000;"><strong>Today’s Quote</strong><br /><br />“If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home.” -James A Michener</span>Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03580769390625167667noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18679747.post-29639371027802575632008-05-07T14:21:00.000-07:002008-12-10T07:58:23.577-08:00Hat-stravaganza<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Py2SjsNDyAFzl1Jym-kkbWSxrNzOUuzEXdg2ix7tyCpDbdJztT8mkNQA_ArXEjN4_xX6_UI5arFqlssiqWAya_aXy8Z1uLM24DjPkZOMMUYALW9PqcVvJaFEu0N-tQMczMyvtA/s1600-h/Orphans.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5197750856976462674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Py2SjsNDyAFzl1Jym-kkbWSxrNzOUuzEXdg2ix7tyCpDbdJztT8mkNQA_ArXEjN4_xX6_UI5arFqlssiqWAya_aXy8Z1uLM24DjPkZOMMUYALW9PqcVvJaFEu0N-tQMczMyvtA/s320/Orphans.jpg" border="0" /></a>(The lady who is organizing this trip to the Ukraine has been there before and this is a picture of some of the children at one of the facilities in Rivne.)<br /><div><br /><div>While I’ve been busily knitting hats – so far so good on the hat-a-day-in-May pace – others have been making hat plans and getting on the bandwagon with me. I am so thrilled! For those who’ve asked (and for those who want to know but haven’t asked yet) here are the particulars on the Hat Quest:<br /><br /><strong>Total Hats Needed:</strong> 300<br /><br /><strong>Deadline:</strong> I am leaving California September 20 but I am asking that all hats be to me by September 5 so I can figure out exactly how much space they are going to take up and then, by some miracle, figure out how I am going to get them all to the Ukraine. (Anybody have one of those bottomless Mary Poppins bags?)<br /><br /><strong>Sizes:</strong> There are children of all ages, from infants to early teens, so all sizes in that range will work. We need the least of the infant sizes, so if you can aim a bit larger (school-aged kid size) that would be perfect. (Plus, if we end up with too many bigger-kid size hats, they can be rolled at the brim or otherwise maneuvered to fit small kids but baby hats can’t be made to fit bigger heads….in case you are interested in my logic.)<br /><br /><strong>Patterns:</strong> Any pattern is great. Do you have a hat you’ve always wanted to knit but no appropriate recipient? Now’s the perfect time! The only caveat on that is it would be best to steer clear of any lettering on the hats (for all you crazy colorwork knitters) since it is unlikely that any of these children speak English.<br /><br /><strong>Yarn:</strong> Wool, animal fibers or wool/animal fiber blends are preferred. It gets very cold there and, I’m told, electricity availability is spotty so 1) even inside, winter is quite cold for these kids and 2) these hats aren’t likely to go through any sort of vigorous hot water washing that might cause accidental felting. Please note: If you can’t knit wool or other animal fibers, that’s ok. Knit a different fiber and I’m sure that your cotton-linen-mircrofiber-hemp-corn-nylon-something-else hat will be much loved. (I’m talking to you Carissa, who I met on Saturday who has run out of people to knit for. It was so nice to meet you – I hope the pets are all well.)<br /><br /><strong>Mailing:</strong> When you are ready to mail your hat, email me at crickitleigh(at)hotmail(dot)com and I will give you the address. I’ve heard from several people who live near other knitters and they are planning to accumulate hats and mail them all together, which I think is an excellent plan.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#cc0000;">Other good things I know about this Hat Knitting Quest:</span></strong><br /><br /><a href="http://www.rabiesonmyshoe.blogspot.com/">RC</a> is planning to run a contest to go along with this. For this, I am eternally grateful since 1) I love a contest 2) I am dreadful at managing contests and 3) Knitting at least one had every day, having a job, a husband, a home and two dogs to attend to doesn’t leave enough time for doing a contest too. I’ll post a link when RC posts the rules and prizes on the contest. In the mean time, watch <a href="http://www.rabiesonmyshoe.blogspot.com/">her blog</a>.<br /><br />Kaylee, the ever lovely proprietress of my LYS (aka <a href="http://hooksandneedlesyarn.blogspot.com/">Hooks & Needles</a>), has signed on to be the Official Yarn Store of my hat quest. Which means that for local knitters, if you buy your hat yarn/needles from Hooks & Needles, you’ll get a 10% discount and if you are a faraway knitter, you can order yarn from her and she will ship it to you for free. Her full-fledged website is still in the works but in the meantime, you can <a href="http://hooksandneedlesyarn.blogspot.com/">visit the shop’s blog</a> and call or email in your order. Also, she’ll be donating a prize to RC’s contest<br /><br />SIDENOTE: I have a serious knitter-crush on the Autunno that <a href="http://hooksandneedlesyarn.blogspot.com/">Hooks & Needles</a> carries. One ball makes one hat (and a pretty quick one) with plenty left over for combining on another hat or making a massive pom-pom. I’ve been knitting it on 10 or 10 ½ needles, 60 stitches, K2P2 and this works up great for me. (Remember, though, that I am a tight knitter.) And oh the softness! At $7 a ball, you really can’t go wrong. She has lots of other great stuff, too. The Teseo is great, too, and the same price.<br /></div><div>I think that is it for now. I’ll put up a link to this post in the sidebar in case you need to check back later or if you want to refer a friend. I’ve gathered up the hats I have so far and I’m going to take pictures at Girls’ Night Out at the yarn store tonight of the progress.<br /><br />Thanks again to everyone for their enthusiasm. I’m starting to believe that 300 isn’t such a big number after all. Unless, of course, we are talking cockroaches or rats or tarantulas….then 300 is most certainly a big number. Luckily, we’re talking hats.<br /><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5197750852681495362" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYma345xHMaerVKfHg2DVNcUny6fMgrb777W8KM392P4u5SfYkfUMWY3PQtHUzTTYhnQjJs5FIMMiFOuQjDntKr5K_gVlxNk0MfRoe45L-V_uvzlxY4vtR9dz4WoRSRcv2roOGdA/s320/Knitting.bmp" border="0" /><br /><span style="color:#990000;"><strong>Today’s Quote</strong><br /><br />“In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.” -Albert Schweitzer</span></div>Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03580769390625167667noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18679747.post-55351602671607211712008-05-05T06:12:00.000-07:002008-12-10T07:58:23.744-08:00A Hat A DayThank you all SOOOOO much. I am so happy to hear from each of you. I am amazed at how much better it makes me feel just hearing others say they get it. Doubtless, there is likely to be some backsliding here and there but I am so encouraged and I appreciate all of your kind words and support.<br /><br />I know we’ve all said it before but it is still true – knitters rock.<br /><br />So, last week, I mentioned about knitting a hat every day this month. The place where I live – Northern California – is quite warm, all year around. It doesn’t snow here, even during the coldest winters. There is rarely a day a year that really even requires a heavy coat. So it might come as a surprise to you to find out that I have committed to knitting a hat a day this month. They aren’t for me – as you might imagine. They are for Ukrainian orphans.<br /><br />In 1995, the summer after I graduated from high school, I went to the Ukraine on a mission trip with my church. The association of church here has a sister association there and I was a part of a group of youth and young adults who went there to meet and work with our sister churches. It was one of the best experiences of my life and I have always longed to go back. I loved the country and the culture and the people. After all of these years, I have a chance to go again, with another church group from the church I grew up in in North Carolina. I had heard about the trip a couple of weeks ago but it was just this past week that I found out for sure that I am going to be able to go. This is the most excited I’ve been about anything in a long time and is probably particularly good for my spirits right now.<br /><br />As for the hats, while I am there (end of September/first part of October) we’re going to be working with several orphanages in the town of Rivne. In particular, there is an orphanage there for special needs children – those with mental and physical disabilities, that don’t have a place at other orphanages in the area. I talked to the lady who is organizing the trip and she and I agreed that it would be fabulous to take some handknit hats to the children. And originally I thought we’d need about 160 hats. Which seemed totally doable…but then she called me last Thursday and umm, probably we are going to need 300 if all the kids are going to get one of their own. (300 is capacity for the two orphanages we will be visiting.) And she wondered if maybe I knew any other knitters…<br /><br />The thing is, if I take 160 hats that will be great. (Heck, if I take 10 hats, they will be thankful and will be able to use them.) BUT if I could round up 300 hats, it would be like Christmas for these kids. This is a very poor area and these orphanages get very little funding; they rely almost completely on private support. The Ukraine (as a whole) has come a long way since I was there 13 years ago. More areas have electricity (though for limit hours each day) and indoor plumbing is more common than it was then and the economy is much more stable. Even with all of this progress, there are still orphanages like these that struggle to care for needy children and in this case, it is made that much more difficult because of the unique challenges these children face.<br /><br /><br />I did go to the Maker Fair Saturday and I was working on a hat (of course - though it seemed inappropriate note to take the sock knitting to this event) and in the afternoon, they had a sit and knit together time during which I finished Saturday's hat. And hoping to instill the hat and this project with a little bit of knitting mojo, it posed for this picture.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196913181422436738" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYLvKc4jKQvOJlcETSOsgJh78q3qcxFt8PB3MtBpbupN3KOcai6Lrlsw5RMRkQEmFj8BRmWaYDFMp103x-8fhyphenhyphenJ4ReHXaX7RiIVA0awiOREKaqci6XBpj8JqGxfNbK58qO1qi3tg/s320/YHSatHat.jpg" border="0" />Anybody interested in knitting a hat or two?<br /><br /><span style="color:#990000;"><strong>Today’s Quote</strong><br /><br />“Let us put our minds together and see what life we can make for our children.” -Sitting Bull</span><br /><span style="color:#990000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;">P.S. The Yarn Harlot really is as fabulous as everyone says she is. I had a blast Saturday and I'll share more pictures and the details of the fair the next time I post.</span>Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03580769390625167667noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18679747.post-67564556426911942962008-04-30T15:48:00.000-07:002008-05-01T15:16:48.268-07:002008 - A Bad Year for Blogging<p>So the last several months have gone something like this:<br /><br />Ankle Surgery<br />Hospital Stay<br />Christmas<br />Back to Work<br />No Blogging<br />Long and Tedious Recovery<br />Ridiculously Overwhelming Case of the Blues<br />Stressful Work<br />Still No Blogging<br />Guilt Over Neglecting the Blog<br />Continued Tedious Recovery, Lots of Walking on Crutches<br />Crying/Hiding in a Corner<br />Going to Work<br />Sleeping<br /><br />And for more than 3 months, I didn’t read any blogs and I didn’t check my email (that was a mess) and I only answered my phone when I knew who was calling – and even then, not all the time. I didn’t go to knitting at the yarn shop on Wednesday nights, though people call and offered to drive me when I couldn’t. Then I felt guilty for ignoring people which made me feel worse and made me cry more.<br /><br />It was weird, I felt like I was walking around in someone else’s skin, looking at everything from the outside. Clearly, it has been a difficult several months. It wasn’t one particular thing that kept me from blogging. It was a whole combination of little difficulties and for a while I lost my motivation and, honestly, I was kind of hiding from the world. I wouldn’t say I was “depressed” per say but probably, that’s what it was. In retrospect I should have talked to my doctor about it but it was sort of like waking up in a really dark cave – you know it is dark but you have no idea why or where you’re at.<br /><br />And I’ve missed my blog – and everyone else’s blogs - and I’ve missed the people and the longer I’ve gone without blogging, the more I’ve missed it and the more guilty I’ve felt. And I’ve wanted to respond to emails but after such a long silence, I’ve felt obligated to write something worthwhile and I just haven’t been able to muster up the motivation to write it all down. Plus, after ignoring the whole world for a while, there’s the fear that you’ve (I’ve) been gone so long that no one even WANTS to hear from you anymore, which only makes you feel worse and less motivated.<br /><br />Thanks so much to all of you who left me comments and emails. When I finally read them all, it was really wonderful and made me feel much better.<br /><br />Even now, I am still working hard at being in a good frame of mind. For instance, last night at knitting (I finally went for the first time since December) one of the ladies told me that Stephanie Pearl-McPhee is going to be two hours away on Saturday and I desperately wanted to have other plans so I could hide out at home by myself. But then I opened my mouth to respond and before I knew it, I’d said I would go. So I’m going with <a href="http://anotherbandwagon.blogspot.com/">Deb</a> to the <a href="http://makerfaire.com/">Maker Fair</a> on Saturday.<br /><br />All angst and anxiety and tears aside, I decided it is high time to post something on my blog – even if it isn’t exciting or useful or meaningful or anything else – and just hope someone reads it.<br /><br />NOW BACK TO YOUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAMMING<br /><br />So enough about that.<br /><br />I’ve been doing a little knitting lately. I didn’t do any knitting for most of the months of January, February and March. Since then, though, I’ve finished one of Lori’s socks but I haven’t finished my felted Loopy Ewe. I’ve learned to knit Entrelac (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Knitters-Bible-Claire-Crompton/dp/0715317997/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209679799&sr=8-1">The Knitter’s Bible</a> is a super fabulous book. The directions are clear and concise and practical.) I learned the technique and liked it so much, I knitted a pillow top out of some Misti Alpaca Pima Cotton Silk I had. It is pretty (the yarn and the technique) – and I love it (the pillowtop). I’ll take a picture and show you tomorrow.<br /><br />I’ve knit some more little socks. So cute.<br /><br />I’ve knit some hats. I’m planning to knit a hat everyday this month. And I’m going to beg ya’ll to knit some hats, too. I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow.<br /><br />Saturday the trip to see the Yarn Harlot. That will be fun. I’m jazzed, since I missed her when she was in Petaluma last year.<br /><br />I’ve missed ya’ll so much. I think I’m well on my way to getting back in the swing of things. Now I just need to get caught up on my blog reading.<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#990000;">Today's Quote:</span></p><p><span style="color:#990000;">"Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I myself have founded empires; upon what do these creations of our genius depend? Upon force! Jesus Christ alone founded his empire upon love; and to this day, millions would die for Him." -Napoleon Bonaparte<br /></span></p>Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03580769390625167667noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18679747.post-85387330360448321082007-12-25T23:33:00.000-08:002008-12-10T07:58:24.748-08:00The Joy of Christmas<div>I'm home and still in one, recently modified, piece. </div><br /><div></div><div><strong><span style="color:#990000;">Ankle</span></strong></div><div></div><br /><div>It has now been two weeks since my surgery. I spent the first 8 days in the hospital. Overall, they took great care of me and, as much as I love being home, I was glad to stay there and let them take care of me. There is a lot to be said for IV pain medicine and that orange nurse call button. So, first week there, second week home. I did basically the same thing both weeks: slept, took my meds, drank a lot of water. Yesterday I went to the doctor to have my stitches and staples removed (16 and 6, respectively) and to have my cast changed. The new cast is glow-in-the-dark. Umm. This is the highlight of the news from my corner of the world. (ha)</div><div></div><br /><div>Thank you all for your emails and your kind words. </div><div><span style="color:#cccccc;">.</span></div><div></div><div><strong><span style="color:#663366;"></span></strong> </div><div><strong><span style="color:#663366;">Knitting</span></strong></div><br /><div></div><div>I've been doing some knitting, mostly simple little bits and pieces that lend themselves to dozing off in the middle. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5148188342811083154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0rjdcoA8v75UBzQpMY8Pfvgix4cUZB-GnarZjFocwwUQE3pFcNzwLGmQOJVA5BPMRw9hk2vwvj6Y21M_aeUGu9RHjEUQ6ET9xz-RLsd4zLrwsHA7IZIfm_371PHy1yxg3sTp_9w/s320/Tiny+Socks.jpg" border="0" />Last week, I got yarn in the mail. <u>Always</u> a good thing. I got new yarn from the one and only fabulous Susie. Two skeins of something secret (I'll show you eventually) and this beautiful skein in her colorway November 15. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5148187440867950962" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilgur2zBUYO8ctqtXJUBaa-1p2jcSdwGXFVxKYfPhBR108eps-nzJvV_zv0cxohbeSXtewlsMq70CJwI7dJ_dVBFUYcNBbT6LWNWMmp-6Oo3gSb_B0WAMehOKHWyPKJi2kEkRXLQ/s320/PTK+11.15.jpg" border="0" />This yarn is (likely) going to one day become hunting socks for my husband.) </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Susie (generous, kind soul that she is) also sent me this bag of mini/scrap skeins of her hand dyed yarns, for me to use for tiny socks. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5148188338516115842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWr55O4qDMCORxxlzQaTE5qsG3KU0PYildJ7SF200bKNS2x51ySFhkXRDT0buPXYbIHSoUDJOIyXrn8DYsv8T0qqfs7VVzlz8Tj6jRAMMl3tAmQNPzQ5kpJJF0mO2v6kbdymRUlw/s320/PTK+Babies.jpg" border="0" />(See those above? Those are her yarns.) Thanks again, Susie!!</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="color:#009900;">Christmas</span></strong> </div><div><span style="color:#cccccc;">.</span></div><div>Christmas was wonderful here. We were all together (my parents, the siblings/spouses, and the children) and that in and of itself was fabulous. I received so many great gifts and enjoyed <u>so</u> much delicious food. My sister bought me a skein of beautiful handspun alpaca (which I haven't taken a picture of yet) and a cute little sheep finger puppet.</div><div><span style="color:#cccccc;">.</span></div><div>Remember I told you about my <a href="http://okwhatnext.blogspot.com/2007/12/zoom-whishhhwhat-was-that-noise.html">brother-in-law, Jeff</a>? Well, Jeff occassionally reads this little blog and apparently he has been paying attention because look what showed up in my Christmas goodies: <a href="http://okwhatnext.blogspot.com/2007/11/knitting-goodness.html"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5148187427983049042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLafuciFFpGN6KMhScj2v_PY-dl4liigKF_7C_sBawU005DIs5JepoSMAhLpy_gu2XfsEEskRvKuMs99TyZ7b87Mak5LqpGnftSIb-KddY3KL85DR2zma8AYXedsh67YxKZ7HsUw/s320/LE+Kit.jpg" border="0" /></a>The Loopy Ewe kit I had been longing for! When we got home from my parents, I immediatley sat down and started trying my luck at needle felting. The legs are sort of hard and I am sort of sleepy but here is my progress so far.</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5148187436572983650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8N_Sc1U7TXhl6TPz9GJBveOOLtNVMTPcELj07YdGUPkq4NBR8eZ1_HdzQ_TFpITFtpzRmc_i-0bhyphenhyphenSrnyO-Ro4fT8qi_LIZ_laEBwaApfRvB45wrGVkSPGWSHfobPH4Ui1IoNZQ/s320/LE+WIP.jpg" border="0" /><br />So, that's it. Now I think I'll sleep some more.<br /><br /><div></div><div></div><br /><div><span style="color:#990000;"><strong>Today's Quote:</strong></span></div><div><span style="color:#990000;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="color:#990000;">"The earth has grown old with its burden of care </span></div><div><span style="color:#990000;">But at Christmas it always is young, </span></div><div><span style="color:#990000;">The heart of the jewel burns lustrous and fair </span></div><div><span style="color:#990000;">And its soul full of music breaks the air, </span></div><div><span style="color:#990000;">When the song of angels is sung." </span></div><div><span style="color:#990000;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="color:#990000;"> -Phillips Brooks</span></div>Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03580769390625167667noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18679747.post-78967385806837478492007-12-11T10:03:00.000-08:002007-12-11T09:51:51.440-08:00Under the Knife<p>Just a quickied to say that I'm headed out to have my surgery. Thank you all so much for your sweet emails and your kind words and prayers. If you've sent me a note or a message and I didn't reply, I apologize but please know I did get all of your emails and I so appreciate your kindness. </p><span style="color:#990000;"><strong>Today's Quote:</strong></span><br /><span style="color:#990000;"></span><br /><br /><span style="color:#990000;">"We are here to add to the sum of human goodness. To prove the thing exists." - Josephine Hart</span>Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03580769390625167667noreply@blogger.com6