EA can make a difference!!!

[theworm[$]]

I probably should have posted this in the Women's room because I doubt that we can get a lot of men involved, but I know that our membership here is amazing and I want anyone who wants to help to get involved.

Warm up America and Blankets for Canada are two groups who work to donate quilt style blankets to folks in need.

Who receives the afghans?
WUA! afghans are distributed to individuals and families in need through community service organizations as well as through chapters of national organizations such as the American Red Cross. Sponsors of WUA! in communities around the country are encouraged to donate completed afghans within their own community in the true spirit of "neighbor helping neighbor." The Foundation also assembles and stockpiles afghans at its North Carolina office. A list of afghan requests is maintained and as afghans become available they are shipped to the next name on the list. Agencies to which the Foundation has donated afghans include: Battered women's shelters
Nursing homes
Teenage pregnancy homes
Hospitals and clinics
Daycare centers
Hospice care facilities
Churches
AIDS facilities
Homeless shelters

Michael's Craft stores support Warm Up American and Blankets for Canada by collecting squares in their stores.

Wouldn't it be great if we at EA could help? I know that not everyone here knits or crochets, but we have members who do and others who would like to try. All we need to do is make rectangles that are 7" by 9". Those would be joined to make an EA quilt for somebody in need.

You don't have to be an expert crafter. If you've never knit of crocheted before, it's OK - this is a project of love - not a time to worry about our skills and how fancy our projects can be.

We can all make one or more squares and drop them off at our local Michael's stores or I'll volunteer to join the squares together to create an EA quilt for charity. I think it would be great if we can try to get enough rectangles to donate one or more blankets by Thanksgiving.

If you are interested or know somebody who might be, sign up here. A simple rectangle will not take long to make - even for a beginner, and by working together we can help to warm a heart for Thanksgiving.

[MiracleMax]

If I can figure out how to get started again, I'd be more than willing to help.

[theworm[$]]

MiracleMax said

If I can figure out how to get started again, I'd be more than willing to help.

I can't help with knitting, but if anyone wants to try crochet, I can post some links to easy tutorials that will help you make a very simple rectangle.

[MiracleMax]

I crochet. Or at least I learned to about two years ago, started a blanket, and still haven't finished it. Granted, when I started the blanket, I was doing it wrong, making it tons harder on myself than it should have been. I even taught my sister how to crochet. The hardest part for me has always been getting started though.

On a side note though, I'd like to learn how to knit too.

[theworm[$]]

I tried to teach myself to knit. That was amusing.

[pippadaisy[$]]

Did I miss a Lynn child somewhere??

[thinkerlady[$]]

I knit. I can help if we want to do a knitted one. I will do a crochet one Wormie too. Are we putting it together? Or just making the squares??? More info.

[pippadaisy[$]]

I can probably do a square. So long as, er, I can single crochet the whole thing.

[lynnzop[$]]

Uh. I can try. It will be pretty fugly, though. Remember that abomination of a scarf I tried at your house? Even BRIDGETTE couldn't get me on the right track.

Do you want specific colors or yarns?

[conradd]

I can do a knitted square or two. Rectangles are fine. Knit a row,purl a row is fine. Anything else is probably not fine.

Deb

[theworm[$]]

Yay!!!

All single crochet is just fine! Knitting is just fine. They don't have to be fancy or beautiful - they just have to be 7" x 9".

I think this will be so so cool!!

I'm thinking that we should aim to have something to donate by Thanksgiving. It can be knit or crochet. You can use any colors or yarns as long as they are 7" x 9".

We can go one of two ways. Everyone can just donate their pieces locally, or you can all send them to me and I'll connect them and make a blanket that I can send to a charity that we all agree upon. I'm so excited that you all want to do this. It makes a heart feel good!!

[thinkerlady[$]]

I vote we send them to you. I like the idea of us all "doing it together" and I am ok with you donating it wherever--

When do you want the squares by?

[theworm[$]]

If you all get the squares to me by mid October, that should give you plenty of time to make one (or as many as you want) and me plenty of time to join them and mail them someplace. (and of course take pics and post them here).

If anyone needs my address, PM me.

And if anyone has a charity of choice, post it. We can take a poll if necessary to pick one to receive the blanket.

[thinkerlady[$]]

I'll need you address, but not yet. I will lose it. I'll be around, so I will PM you. I want to see how many I can get done.

[theworm[$]]

[conradd]

What kind of yarn should we get? And what colors?

[theworm[$]]

Let's just say that we'll use worsed weight yarn - it should be warm. Doesn't have to be fancy.

Since it will be a patchwork, I think it's fine to use any colors or combos that you want. Let's just call it an aphgan - not a baby blanket. I think if we stay away from baby pastel colors, that any colors in any worsed weight yarn should be ok.

[thinkerlady[$]]

I have plenty of "left over" colors. Works for me.

[mjfrombuffalo[$]]

Yes, let's call it an Aphgan. I like that name.

mj
who does not craft in any way, shape, or form but will cheer on the rest of you

[theworm[$]]

afghan, aphgan - remember - I spell in Greek

[conradd]

Wool or acrylic?

[theworm[$]]

acrylic is softer and some people are allergic to wool.