Squares for Survivors -now with link!!!

[crochet.sandie]

For those who like to be kept updated -- Jackie delivered 40 afghans to St. Matthew Church in Boyce on Friday, December 9. As of Dec 5, she had collected 2, 267 . Wow. I know I'm impressed. Fabulous job, Jackie!

 

Those who visit S4S web site may have seen Jackie's notice:

"There is a fellow crocheter down in South Louisiana, in one of the Katrina affected areas who is interested in making blankets for people in her area that suffered losses. I would like to send the leftover squares to her, but wanted to get an opinion from those who sent them to me.

 

Would you mind if I passed the squares on, so that the cause could continue down south?"

 

There were 3 replies which indicated it was fine, but since there were over 2000 squares, I thought maybe I should get more opinions since I am the fellow crocheter. :-) We have a means of getting the squares to me which would not cost anything if done quickly -- by Tuesday Jan 17.

 

I have agreed to put together the squares that have already been donated to be made into ghans for Katrina victims in the New Orleans area. I live nearby so I know tons of victims personally. Even 4 months after the hurricane hit many are still without homes and have nothing. We've also had some cold days so a warm afghan would surely be a blessing, both for the cold and for the comfort. Being in a state of flux all this time, esp during the holidays, brought stress levels up high.

 

If there's enough interest, I can create a page at the Cabana for updates.

 

Thanks!

[crochet.sandie]

Since no one commented, Jackie sent me the squares. They are beautiful squares. I have only had a chance to glance through them so far, but noticed that a few are knotted and then cut off at the knot.

 

One of my biggest rules and the first thing I teach my students concerning ends is that when you begin and end your squares, leave a long strand and sew it in several inches. I probably sew my own ends in 4".

 

You will be pleased to know that I have a list already of close to a dozen folks who have been displaced who will benefit from your generous efforts. One family has taken in two other families and they are all living in the same place. another is pregnant with a 2yo and they're trying to repair their Katrina damage. Another is a 70yo widow who lost everything. That's just a few examples. So though it's been months since Katrina hit, folks are still far from recovered.

 

I have decided that I will use all the squares that have been donated, but will not continue the effort beyond that since folks seem to have moved on to other efforts.

 

Thanks for your help.

[crochet.sandie]

I have finished the first afghan, a baby afghan in peach and white. Picture is up at my yahoo photo page and also on Crochet Cabana picture pages. The yahoo photo album called Special are also Katrina ghans but not made with the squares donated for S4S.

 

I will try to put the picture here if I can figure out how. :-) If you see a picture, it worked. :-)

 

 

 

[clocke]

Yup, your pic showed up just fine for me. Those colors are really pretty!!

[crochet.sandie]

I won't post pics of every single afghan I make because I imagine that would take up a lot of space here but I'll post the first few. This is another baby afghan in Bernat Baby Coordinates. I used a combination of join as you go and whipstitch for the joining.

 

[crochet.sandie]

Last one. I will post all pictures to my yahoo photos and to Crochet Cabana.

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/sandiept/my_photos

http://www.crochetcabana.com/projects_13.htm

 

These first ones were small so they didn't take as long. It may be a few days before I have another one ready.

 

 

[tobybob]

Those are really nice. Can you tell me how you did the shell around the baby afghan? I jsut finished a 35 Granny Square Afghan. A gift for my Mom for her birthday. I would like something like that around it. Tried many borders but didn't like them. Thanks.

Marlene

[crochet.sandie]

Those are really nice. Can you tell me how you did the shell around the baby afghan? I jsut finished a 35 Granny Square Afghan. A gift for my Mom for her birthday. I would like something like that around it. Tried many borders but didn't like them. Thanks.

Marlene

 

Sure can. It's the border pattern at Crochet Cabana.

http://www.crochetcabana.com/patterns/shell-border.pdf

 

Basically it's (sc, ch 2, 2 dc) in one st, sk 2 then do it all again, all the way around.

[tobybob]

Thanks so much. I'm going to take the border off the afghan I finished last night and put this one on.

Marlene

[Mom w/a Motif]

Sandie- I love all your afghans! I have bookmarked your website. I have to tell you, your site was one of the very first sites I went to (and printed out a preemie afghan pattern from) when my mother in law first showed me how to go online and do a search (of course, crochet- for me) I hadn't looked for your site, until today when I saw your post and said 'No way! She's at Crochetville now' (Small world- for me)

 

Tina

[schcrochet]

Just spent an hour or more reading from page 1 to here on this thread trying to get up to speed on this project. I've only been a member here a little while and so came on well after the wonderful started. But...after spending the time reading, do I understand this is no longer an active cause? Jackie is no longer collecting squares? And the person she passed it to in another city is also no longer doing it? There seems to be such a huge need still from what I see on the TV, I was a bit confused. Would be most happy to join the cause but appears I'm too late. Guess I'm just double checking?

[crochet.sandie]

Just spent an hour or more reading from page 1 to here on this thread trying to get up to speed on this project. <snip> do I understand this is no longer an active cause?

 

Sorry for the confusion. As far as I know Jackie is no longer accepting squares. I have taken all her leftover squares and am joining them into ghans.

 

I am definitely not accepting 6" squares. I do have one lady who has asked if she could donate enough 12" squares to make an afghan and I agreed to put them together and pass on to a Katrina victims. If anyone else wants to do that, I will accept a minimum of 12 twelve inch squares.

 

The reason for this is because I have found the squares to be all different sizes and it takes a lot of time (and yarn) to bring each square up or down to the same size before I can even begin joining them. If the same person makes all the squares, then they should all be the same size.

 

Besides that, I have received a number of squares that are knotted and then cut at the knot. I have to glue those down so they won't come undone in washing. If you donate any new squares (for any effort), PLEASE do not do this. Always leave a long beginning and ending strand and weave it in (or ask if you can leave it for the assembler). I don't care if you tie and then sew in the ends though some people will yell and scream about that. That's your choice. But I do insist ends be woven in so the recipient won't have holes in their ghans after a few washings.

 

I have also received a number of squares with tiny ending strands. I have to undo the last round of these and rework a few stitches to give enough to sew in. I am trusting that those with more than one color have been sewed in securely as I can't undo the entire square.

 

I do NOT mind doing this work at all. It's easy enough to do, but it takes time when you have hundreds of squares, delaying the receipt of ghans to the people in need.

 

I have no idea who did which square or where they come from. Not all are from Crochetville folks so do not be worried you sent in troublesome squares. I do NOT have names, so no one needs to feel badly or worry about their work. Every single square is important and appreciated very much! I will use them all one way or the other and they will all benefit Katrina victims. This is not a complaint, just information I think everyone needs to have to be most useful.

 

To be totally honest, the crocheting of every square is beautiful. The stitches are well made. The color choices are wonderfully diverse, a joy to work with. I even received enough homespun squares (see photo in other post) for a complete ghan. This will bring much joy to someone as it is so very soft and was so much fun to work. Homespun is not cheap so this was a very generous gift.

 

I also received some yellow squares that are very cushy. It appears to be worsted yarn but has little puffs all over on both sides. I don't think it's the puff stitch, but I can't place it. It's gorgeous though.

 

So, yes, this effort is mostly closed, but I'm open to correspondence with those interested in continuing.

 

My apologies if anyone is offended - that certainly is not my intent. I am sometimes a bit more direct than people like, but I believe in doing my best work whether it is for a charity effort or anything else.

[schcrochet]

So, yes, this effort is mostly closed, but I'm open to correspondence with those interested in continuing.

 

Thanks for the update, I just wasn't clear. I understand what you mean about working ends in and the time to put together etc. Quess I thought this was a large effort with lots of people involved and didn't understand the dwindling. I'm not much a fan of 12 inch squares, as they really require too much yarn for one to use up odds and ends which is advantage of the 6 or 9 inches. Naturally fewer 12's are needed. It's the good and bad of it all I guess. Plus the smaller squares are the more traditional looking.

 

Guess my next question then would be if you actually have an address where you taking things that we might use for mailing. Perhaps those of us interested could mail completed things direct? I'm not sensing you're asking for more squares? Can you help in directing us?

 

I'm sure all you've done is greatly appreciated.

[crochet.sandie]

Guess I thought this was a large effort with lots of people involved <snip> Guess my next question then would be if you actually have an address where you taking things that we might use for mailing. Perhaps those of us interested could mail completed things direct? I'm not sensing you're asking for more squares? Can you help in directing us? I'm sure all you've done is greatly appreciated.

 

As I understand it, Jackie did have a group of folks who were helping her join squares in central La. I am working alone, however, though if anyone wants to join me I'd love the company. :-) My daughter has helped with sewing in ends on the finished afghans.

 

I'm not asking for more squares, no. The suggestion of 12" squares was just because some have asked if they could send. This is such a sweet offer that I could not refuse. I think it's wonderful that folks want to help and I've seen the devastation and the depression of those affected firsthand.

 

There is no one place I am donating to. I am getting afghans into the hands of individuals and families who are referred to me by people I know. Most have lost their homes or have extensive repairs that are still being made, five months after the hurricane. A few are college students whose families had to move out of state. I have a list of about a dozen people right now and have already donated afghans I made myself to about a half dozen others.

 

The folks I want to reach are those who were not in shelters where major efforts were centralized. Those folks in shelters were helped at least to some degree. The folks I want to reach are those who perhaps went to family or hotels. Also those who stayed in the city to work in the hospitals to help others when they didn't know where their own families were or if their homes survived. Those workers are some of the heroes of this whole thing IMHO.

 

We evacuated to a hotel. The worst thing was not knowing what was going on in our town, on our street, to our house. We were blessed to have contact with friends in the area where we evacuated who had a computer. That helped us find information and keep in contact with friends and family. But we were on our own. We had to eat out every meal for a week. We were able to wash clothes at our friends' home since we had no idea when we left that we wouldn't be allowed to get back in the area for some time. We had a pet with us. We had to tend to her. We couldn't get additional funds as our bank was out of commission.

 

Fortunately, our home did not have major damage and to my knowledge we did not lose any family members though at least one member was stuck in a hospital building for several days under terrible conditions. My own husband slept on the floor in his office at a local hospital for a week, doing whatever needed to be done.

 

So all that to say, there are still those who would appreciate knowing they have not been forgotten, that people realize the toll this has taken on all the affected areas (not just Louisiana, but Mississippi, and all the places that accepted evacuees). The after-effects of this event will be with us for a long time as we try to rebuild our lives in some semblance of what it was before.

 

You'd be surprised (or maybe not) the effect the gift of a handmade afghan can have. My husband delivered several to his co-workers and in every case it was deeply apreciated. One woman even cried when she received her ghan.

 

This is all probably more than you wanted to know, but perhaps will help you understand why I agreed to do this even though joining squares is not my favorite thing to do. And you will forgive me any mistakes I make in communicating.

 

Thanks to everyone who donated. It is appreciated.

[crochet.sandie]

I am going to start a new thread for this effort to keep folks updated. That way you won't have to go through all the past posts to find out what's happening.

 

Thanks!

[schcrochet]

I am going to start a new thread for this effort to keep folks updated. That way you won't have to go through all the past posts to find out what's happening.

 

Thanks!

 

Super idea Sandie

Perhaps this one should then be closed by moderators?

Anyway, thank you for all your hard work, and wonderful information. I've gotten your PM's and plan to start hooking something for you.