Keeping Lanark County's Kids Warm!

Happy

2007-05-17T11:16:00.000-07:00

I've been calling up the participating schools, trying to arrange to collect the mitten totes and leftover mittens, and get them ready for next year. I figured that it was just a simple task but I hadn't counted on how happy it would make me feel.

One of the schools' administrators commented that "it (the mittens project) was well received", to the point that there were no mittens left in the tote. Now that was music to my ears! One of their teachers wants to start a knitting group, too - using my pattern!I didn't have the heart to tell her that it's locked in my head. Suppose I'll have to write it out now ;)
And to make things even better, they want to participate again next year!

Never let anyone tell you that it costs money to make a difference. It doesn't cost a cent (but the feeling it gives you is invaluable)

Why Bother?

2007-03-14T10:27:00.000-07:00

So many considerations go into projects like the Mitten Project – What will it cost? Who will benefit? Will anyone benefit? Will it eat up my precious time? Will it be worth the effort? What if no one supports my efforts? Why bother? They say that the devil is in the details but I say that it’s so easy to let details blur your vision, dull your intentions, stop your progress.

I meet so many good hearted individuals over the course of a month – people with ideas, hopes, the desire to ‘do good’ within our community. These people inspire me and push me to reconsider my plans, my abilities and my opportunities. People around us have great ideas every day, thinking up ways to help their neighbours, their friends, stray animals, the homeless, themselves but something happens in transition from their heads to their hands. The once great idea dissipates into debates of ‘why?’ and ‘how?’ Uncertainty slips into doubt; doubt slips into inaction which slips into antipathy. If we’re not careful, antipathy slips into hopelessness. The idea that inspired us now taunts us and reminds us that we let our own doubts build a wall between us and the action that we needed to take. As doubts pile up, the wall grows taller, overshadowing what once seemed like an opportunity. We see the wall, the risk, the fear - not the intention that started it all.

I started the Mitten Project with little doubt. The old me would have worried about that fact – there were no building materials for my own wall of inaction. Shouldn't I doubt...fear…stop myself? Why not? Probably because the acts needed to build the project were so small, so simple – knit 1 pair of mittens and share them with someone. It was so easy to see that one pair was simple to complete – why not another pair? Easy enough – put a good movie on or slap a CD into the stereo and pick up the sticks and string. Mittens were knit while laughing with friends, crying over loss, singing along at concerts, over tea, surrounded by love and while alone. In private and in public, I just knit. That one pair turned into 40 something pairs in the course of a few months. Like the snowball that becomes the snow fort, these mittens multiplied before my eyes, leaving little time to doubt or question. The process took over and set the priorities – just knit one more pair.

A simple pair of mittens provided me the chance to change my possibilities – a life without doubt achieved by listening to my heart, knowing with certainty what needed to be done and just doing it. By shutting off the voices of doubt that sing my personal background music, I was able to complete the first leg of this journey. Throughout the quiet knitting time, I envisioned happy children with warm hands, playing in the snow alongside every other child in the playground. An inclusive playground community where no one stood alone, shivering, left out of the game. The voices of this imaginary playground were loud enough to drown out the voices of doubt and their energy was enough to help spur me on to fill a basket with pairs and pairs of warm mittens.

What would you do to change your community for the better if money, time and ability were not a problem? How would you make a difference? Improve the lives all around you (and your own, in the process)? What voices strengthen your resolve or stop your action? What is standing in your way, blocking you from sharing your unique gift? What materials are you using to build your own wall of inactivity? I know what I used to build my old walls with. I know what little action it took to tear down those walls. Small acts make the difference. Like every journey beginning with a single step, a project grows with single small acts, the sum of which builds the change that is needed. Imagine what we could do together?

As Gandhi told us, action expresses priorities. Express your own priorities every day by doing one small act that shares your gift with others. Listen to the voices of your own imaginary playground and let them drown out your doubts. Like the man said, an ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching - I’d better get knitting.

In the meantime, take a few minutes to visit Idealist.org and listen to the voices of change that surround us. Be the change that you want to see in the world; support others as they strive to make this playground inclusive. Do it today.

Mittens just so divine

2007-02-06T12:46:00.000-08:00

You get a dozen for a dime (croon along with me; you know you want to. I have images of Bugs Bunny, singing to a carrot - you know this one, don't you). Well, most of the mittens have been sent off to warm little (and not-so-little) hands. There were a few bumps along the road but all said, it's been a positive experience. Knowing that you can directly help someone without them ever knowing is just magic. Knowing that one less child will have chapped hands and that s/he will be able to join their friends on the playground, make snowballs, laugh - if that doesn't convince you that the effort is worth it, your heart is made of stone.

One of my favorite quotes has always been, “Fifty Years from now… it will not matter what bank account I had … the sort of house I lived in or the kind of car I drove… but the world will be a little better, because I made a difference in the life of a CHILD”.

We forget that sometimes,that small differences are still differences. Making a difference does not need to be extravagant or cost a lot of money. All of the yarn used for this project has been scraps from other projects. The total cost to me has been a couple of dollars (literally, $2!!!) for the clear vinyl that I used for the backs of the tote bags. Your hands can create the difference that is needed, once you push aside the thoughts that your work needs to be large, expensive or perfect to matter. To a cold child, these mittens are a small contribution that makes a huge difference. They're not perfect. They didn't cost a cent. They didn't change the world. But to that cold child,...

Baa Baa Black Sheep - have you any wool?

2007-01-22T08:47:00.000-08:00

Why yes, I do - 5 bags full!
I chose the most democratic method of selection for the recipient schools - numbers on chits of paper, selected from a hat (eyes closed, thank you very much) and then the numbers matched to a spreadsheet list of area schools - phew - long story short, the schools have been contacted and arrangements for delivery shall be made. It's a pretty exciting day in the Bumbershootska haus

2007-01-08T09:16:00.000-08:00

Flashlight is not too impressed with knitting,
but I happen to like it... a lot
here's a little proof

And no, your eyes are not seeing double; I tend to make duplicates of mitts in certain, more popular colorways, like the camo yarn
I've got a couple of pairs on needles right now so I will be making up sets for delivery later in the week
How do you think I should distribute them?
should I start locally and give them to the 5 Mississippi Mills schools or should I draw school names from a hat so that selection is totally random?
take a second and drop me a line with the method that you think is 'right'. I would really appreciate your feedback :)

Knitting, Gathering, Distributing

2007-01-05T07:40:00.000-08:00

It's been almost 4 months since I started this project and I am finally able to make a mitten-run. The first batches of mittens are ready to go to schools, just in time for the big return to school after the holidays. Instead of shoe boxes to hold the pairs of mitts, I've decided to make simple drawstring bags. I think that a basic shoe bag pattern, decorated with a felt mitten/ embroidery would be nice and roomy enough to hold the first installment of mitts. I'll try to run off a few this weekend. With K the elder at work all weekend, I'll have free time to do so and I surely have enough fabric to make a 100 or so of these.

I'll post photos of the distribution as soon as I can

Even though I have been the only knitter on this project (so far, at least), it's still exciting to be able to do this. Because of my limited resources (time, $, and the limitations imposed by my PA), I only have enough for 5 schools at the moment but I'll keep plugging away. I think that I can make enough for at least 2 more schools in the coming weeks. Next year, it'll be different. Thanks to my fellow Craftster, Ooak_Diva, I may have a few more pairs for distribution. Many, many thanks to her inspiring work!

Happy New Year's thoughts to all of you - may this year bring you a wonderful creative outlet, personal peace and collective prosperity. Most of all, may your hands be warm and your hearts be light.

Tara

Blue, Green & Red

2006-12-20T20:35:00.000-08:00

I love bright colors... I can no longer deny this fact
Here are some of the brightly-goodness that I've managed to wrangle off of my needles in this turbulent time of tradition and terror (of the best kind, of course)

I am planning on whipping up some more, smaller ones in brights, too. I love to see kids in brightly colored mittens, playing with their mittens, loving their mittens . Hell, I like to play with mine too so I guess that says a lot about mittens

They bring out the best in you!

Here's to 2007 bringing out the best in all of your lives -
*Be kind to others as often as possible - you never know when your act of kindness will make the difference that is needed
*Walk with soft feet and leave as little a mark on this delicate planet of ours as you can
*Be the best you that you can be
*Knit more + give more = smile more (now, isn't that a cool equation?)

Mitten-ventory

2006-12-18T09:01:00.000-08:00

In the mad dash to 2007, I've only managed to add 3 pairs to the pile.
So far, here's what I've knit
small - 3 in 'girl' colors, 2 in 'unisex' colors
medium - 1 in 'boy' colors, 6 in 'girl' colors and 3 in 'unisex' colors
large - 1 in 'girl' colors and 3 in 'unisex' colors

for a grand total of 19 pairs, only. I was really hoping that the number would be considerably higher but whatcha ya goin' to do, eh? At least we've had to suffer through a couple of relatively warm weather (double digits yesterday - we actually took care of a few major gardening tasks that we hadn't managed to accomplish in the autumn). That could change, though...

All I want for the holidays is to know that our neighborhood kids have warm hands and hearts

LK learns a New Term

2006-12-15T08:56:00.000-08:00

Mittens, blocked and drying - ready for little hands

I learned a new term this week - "ghetto knitter" - a fellow blogger has a button on her site with a ball of Red Heart and that term! I love it! If that's what I am, then so be it! I love Red Heart - bright colors, easy wearability and great for kids. Isn't that what this project is all about?

en fin! Une autre paire ...

2006-12-01T19:53:00.000-08:00

Well, it took me long enough but here's another pair. I am coming to terms with my variegated wool obsession and was even good enough to buy only one skein of this multi-colored splendor last weekend (earth-tones in SWS, no less). I am noticing, however, that a lot of the mitts that I've made recently have been knit with my collection of many, many variegated yarns! I ...just...can't...help...it...

After a warm and damp week, the snow started this morning.It made for a special and snowy Light Up the Night in A-town with some good tunes and cocoa. It's nice to live in a small town :)

The day started off with freezing rain and sleet and although wasn't an official snow day, I'm sure a lot of kids took the day off. I worry about cold, frost-bitten hands out there, walking to and from school or not being able to play outside, with friends because of mitten-less-ness. It's easy to forget how awful cold hands can be - try shoveling out your walkway during a cold wind/ snow day and you'll soon see the difference a warm pair of mittys can make. Let's work together to make this happen less and less. The thing about this project is that it runs 12 months a year. Even one pair of mittens makes a difference. If you're a member of a service club or knitting group, how about a MITTEN CHALLENGE? Challenge all of you members to knit us a pair of mitts! Challenge them to challenge each of their knitting friends to do the same and soon we'll see a really big difference!!!! Or you could make time to knit a pair a month. There are so many ways to get involved

With all of the holiday knitting going on, I'm trying to squeeze out a few more pairs for Naismith/Holy Name of Mary/ R.Tait McKenzie schools.
It's been a struggle to drum up support for this effort but I'm doing my best; that's all that I can ask, right? I know that whatever I manage to do will be appreciated, somehow.

2006-11-21T08:31:00.000-08:00

The Importance of Giving

I was taking my usual morning romp through Blog-Land when I stumbled across an amazing group of knitters!!!! Knit Unto Others is working hard to keep the fire under our feet burning and getting us to knit for our local (and not so local) charities. I think that if you can knit, you've been given a great gift and that you need to share it, even if it is 'just' a pair of mittens here & there.

This KAL is designed to encourage people to knit for others, to keep people warm and to nourish our own souls in this time of over-consumption and rushing-around-edness.
So far, I have 16 pairs of mittens (and 2 hats) knitted and ready to warm some kids' hands (and hopefully, their hearts). My Lanark Kids knitting was put by the wayside as I muddled through some work stuff and other volunteer concerns on the go - I'm back and ready to KNIT!!!

One of my favorite performers, Fred Eaglesmith introduced a charity where people could donate bike reflectors for the migrant workers in Southern Ontario, who often ride their bikes in the dark. Too many people were getting injured because on-coming traffic couldn't see them and Fred decided that he had to do something. Instead of asking for money, he asked that people buy & donate these reflectors so that they could be distributed to whomever needed them. In a recent concert he said, 'how great is that? Charity without money' (ok, well you can donate money too - but that was not what this was about). It just a kind gesture from one human to another. When Fred said that, I had just begun my knitting project and was wondering what I had gotten into - would anybody help? would my paltry effort even make a difference? After hearing that though, I realized that whatever effort we put into making the communities stronger, warmer, more love-filled, it all mattered

We may not know each other but we are all interconnected. We all matter. Keep giving - whether knitting, bike reflectors or food to a local food bank - it all adds up and it's all appreciated.

If you have knitted us some mittens, please mail them to us as soon as possible - it's getting nippy up here and I'm sure that there are some very, very cold hands walking to school in the mornings. Please send them to: T. Egan, PO Box 36, Almonte, ON, Canada, K0A1a0 (thank you!!!!)

Cheers, Knit unto Others - you truly rock!!!!

2006-11-18T19:08:00.000-08:00

There's been so much knitting in Bumbershoot Haus this weekend - but mostly non-mitten-related (finishing up Knitty's shedir & starting Berrocco's Pasadena) so I thought I would compensate with some colorful mitten photos. I've been busy writing & editing for my other gig and continuing to look for other opportunities to collaborate with other groups (and catching up on my non-charity-related knitting)

I don't know if you've heard about Idealist or not but I am a true fan. This is an awesome resource for anyone who believes that we can change the world for the better. I've listed our group as an affinity group so others can join in, regardless of their locale. One amazing thing about our current world is that you can contribute to a cause virtually - never leave your region, still make a difference - WOW! No matter where in the world you live, Idealist can help you find a great way to contribute to your community or to collaborate with groups, like ours

More mittens to come - I've promised myself that I'll get another 4 pairs off of my needles by next Friday. How many are you planning on knitting?

I enjoy hearing from other groups, doing similar projects in their communities. I especially enjoy hearing from people from other regions who want to contribute even if they never ever ever set foot in Lanark County. Personally, I think that everyone should visit this beautiful place at least once. We're only 45 minutes west of Ottawa but we're hours away from hustle and bustle. But if you can't, making us a pair of mittens is the next best thing

2006-11-15T10:00:00.000-08:00

Better to be busy than not to be, I suppose

Lots of wool is flying around the homestead these days; after 2 elections (ours and 'the big city's'), it's nice to focus on "woolly" stuff and not heated political drama(even if it should be called 'yarn', and not "wool' as one of my readers nicely reminded me -yup, I know, I know. Whaddaya want! It's my 3rd language and sometimes, I make gaffes. I don't think that I speak any language exceptionally well which is odd when you consider how I much time I spend talking. My parents laugh and tell me that I would be alone in my crib talking away and they would check to see which of my siblings had wandered in to my room, to disturb my napping. Usually I was alone, just talking for the sake of talking... Some people's kids, I tell ya!

I've found some really simple 2 needle mitten patterns for all of you who have expressed interest in knitting but don't want to experience the 'fun' of knitting in the round. There's an excellent stitching tutorial in Debbie Stoller's SnB books, too (can't remember if it's in SnB or SnB Nation... but it's the best article on the subject that I've found so far). There's also this pattern link, with more mitts and gloves than you could ever knit.

I still have a lot of yarn (see, I used the right term) leftover for those of you in the area who would like to knit along with us.

Wherever, I wish you a safe, healthy and yarn-filled day. A day without yarn is a day without yarnshine (like sunshine, but better!)

2006-11-06T09:49:00.000-08:00

Hello?

Is anybody out there?

Your wool is waiting....

2006-10-31T07:20:00.000-08:00

Currently on my needles: Hot pink cuffs with varigated pink and purple 'hands'

It's been a slow start to what I had hoped to be a good project but the worst case scenario is that the Mississippi Mills schools will all get a small bundle of mitts to distribute. The other alternative is the Snowsuit Fund of Lanark County.

Just in case you think that mittens are my life, here's a purse that I made using SnB's Bowling Bag as the starting point. I added an extra 1/3 to the dimensions to fit all of my junk but realized afterwards that the original size was more than adequate. I used Paton's Classic Wool (merino-y good) in black and cream.

It's time for the rest of you to share what you've been up to - send me an email or post a comment about what kind of charitable knitting (or even gift knitting) that you've been up to. The most creative submission will get a small token of appreciation.

2006-10-24T10:33:00.000-07:00

The Knits for Kids Project is nearing its 2nd month and I can't believe how much yarn I've gone through. This is truly the ultimate stash buster!

I've been busy packaging mittens for distribution- tieing pairs together with yarn bows and putting them, by size, into lock-top freezer bags. This will serve to keep them clean and hopefully deter my Lab puppy, Nashville Tee from chewing up all of this hard work.

If you have mittens ready for distribution or supplies to donate, contact me and we can arrange a pick-up. Even one pair of mittens makes a difference
Can't knit? You can still contribute

Buy a ball of yarn for the project
Help us to find places to meet - local, with beverages preferred ;)
Let people know what we're doing

One pair of hands can make a difference - put your pair to good use.
The first snowflakes have already begun to fall in this part of the country; let's work together to keep those hands warm :)

2006-09-17T10:24:00.000-07:00

Warm Hands = Warm Hearts

Pavlina stopped by yesterday, on her way back to Kingfisher, OK and of course, her hands were not empty. She delivered 2 lovely skeins of the softest birchleaf-green wool, purchased on her last foray to the Hudson Valley. Much thanks for this beautiful delivery. It won't be able to be applied to the Mittens Project (only acrylic - easy to care for and no risk of allergies) but I'm sure that I'll be able to use it for something wonderful (expect a pair of socks, Girl LOL). Knitters are, by nature, generous and I'm hoping that this project will be able to help share that generosity.

I've been knitting a pair of mittens a day since last week and the count is up to 10 pairs, so far. I'm trying to knit them in a variety of sizes and colors so that there will be an assortment. In a ideal universe, the child would be able to choose the pair that appealed to her or him, a unique set that made them feel special and happy. Not only would their hands be warm; their hearts would be too, safe in the knowledge that someone in their community cares about them.

I've been a little worried that I would be working on this project by myself but then I realized that even one knitter can do something. Maybe I wouldn't hit the goal of 220 pairs that I had initially set for the Mitten Project but I would make some sort of difference. even if only 10 kids benefit by receiving a pair of mittens, that's 20 warm hands walking our streets, feeling good.

Peace
Tara

2006-09-12T11:27:00.000-07:00

Nothing beats a pair of mittens that someone knit with love.

I am working on my 6th pair of mittens and have two hats (more than just 'hats', these are kitten helmets from the Paton's Hat's & Mitts for Kids booklet). I'll try to finish a few more pairs of mitts and then start on a few simple toques, too. Maybe in hockey team colors (do kids still like to wear their favorite team's colors? My boys did but they're almost 22 & 17. I feel so out of touch LOL).

In this month's Interweave Knits, I found a really cool mitten pattern that is knit flat and then stitched together; normally, I wouldn't knit this way (hate the sewing part) but this pattern has a really neat spiral effect around the thumb. I couldn't resist and knit a pair in orange (deep carrot orange) and green (dusky thyme green). I also took some of my merino stash and knit myself a pair in a deep blue-purple and forest green that matches my favorite ski jacket.

Take care of yourself and if you feel like it, knit a pair of mitts for Lanark's Kids :) (email me and I'll send you the mailing address where you can send them)

2006-09-07T07:04:00.000-07:00

I was sitting in my living room, thinking about all of the yarn that I had stored in my craft room - what was I going to do to minimize this stash (ok, 'stash' is a nice word - it's more like a hoard, a big, fat hoard). Then, it hit me! Knit mittens! Ok, so the message wasn't that clear but in essence what it came to was - knit a bunch of mittens and hats and deliver them to my sons' old elementary school. After all, they would know who needed them, when the time came to distribute them.

Then, as many of my ideas do, it grew. What if I could gather together like-minded (read “socially-conscious”) knitters who want their knitting to make some sort of difference? Who better to receive this bounty than our county’s kids? There have been so many times when I have been overwhelmed by the kindness of the people of this region, especially in the last few years. It’s not that county got nicer; it’s that my eyes could finally see just how good these people are. Typical of a lot of farming communities, they take care of their neighbours when they have to and let their neighbours help them when they need it. Being a city/suburb-kid, it took me some time to figure this out. I want to channel a little of this energy into keeping our kids warm this winter. Ok, enough sap – let’s get to the project.

The goal is to knit at least 20 pairs of mittens for each of the county’s schools. It’s a biggie, that for sure but even if we only get a few schools covered, it’s better than none at all. Still, I really hope that we can do this.

Here are the guidelines:

Acrylic yarn is easy-to-care-for and will not shrink if tossed in the wash; let’s stick to yarns that are wool-free to minimize allergic reactions, as well
No draw strings, string ties in hats, no mitten cords, please – these are items that can injure small children and c’mon, that’s not where we’re going with this. For more information, please check out the Government of Canada’s information on safer children’s clothing.
A variety of sizes, styles and colours are needed. Let’s make things that our kids will wear

If you want to participate in this challenge; please contact me (put “knit for kids” in the subject line of your email to help me weed out spam).

This is a totally volunteer-driven exercise and any donation (whether of time, materials or even a place to meet, coffee to share with the group when we get together – anything – would be most appreciated)