Idenify your Donations, It's IMPORTANT

Let me take this time to express how appreciative I am of everyone who donates.  Some knit, some crochet, some do both; but all the donations are truly needed and very much appreciated.  I'm thrilled beyond words to see the blog and it's mission continuing since it's early beginnings back in Dec of 2008.  Lots of blog posts, lots of pictures of wonderful donations, and lots of helping hands in that period of time.

With the wonderful growth of the blog and it's mission however, come a few problems.  when we were small I could remember everyone I got an email from and had little trouble identifying donations when they arrived.  Today, however that's not the case.  Though a nice problem to have (the growth that is), it's quite time consuming to receive donations with out notes identifying who they're from.  There are several issues associated with an unknown donation:

1. The obvious is to list a name on the blog with the donation, to be able to thank someone via email when the donation arrives.  
2. Accidents happen.  The donation arrives damaged.  Yes, this has happened.  Accidents occur sometimes when a box is damaged.  Sometimes the item arrives unraveled, torn...I need to be able to let someone know.
3. The donation isn't something suitable for our mission of keeping people warm in Central Ohio.  Lacy, white, non-washable items for example.  Or perhaps for babies vs adults, teens, and children.  I know though the information is listed on the blog, not everyone reads all the details listed on the item specific tabs across the top of the blog.  It's wasteful of time and money for people to send items unknowingly.  I need to be able to communicate that to them.  
4. With so many people using nicknames, avatars etc on Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo Groups, Ravelry, Crochetville and their blogs, I may not know who you are when the return mailing address says Mrs. George Smith.  I'm therefore not able to find you in my database, email contact list, or any of the above groups.  I've spent hours sometimes trying to identify the donation.  That takes away important time for me to knit or crochet, to post here on the blog, to continue to search for ways to promote the cause so that we might help more people in need.
5. It's important for me to be able to communicate problems in order to maintain integrate of the blogs mission. 

All donations must include a note with your name, and your email address.  Even if you wish to be anonymous on the blog, I need to know who you are and where the donation came from.  I am delivering items from all over the United States and Abroad to multiple shelters.  There are some safety issues involved making it necessary to know where the items have come from. 

All donations regardless of size and number are valued. All donations are appreciated, and all donations keep someone warm. We help, one stitch at a time. YOU truly DO make a difference. THANK YOU!

Donated Hats Warm Ears and Heads

These adorable knitted hats (6) come from the state of Michigan...our newest pair of helping hands. The skillful hands belong to someone in Osseo, Michigan. I've not found an email ady or name to say thank you, but we certainly appreciate your thoughtful donation. If you see this, please make contact.

2012 Donations:
Hats: 98+6=104
Scarves: 29
Slippers: 20
Shawls: 2
Afghans: 7
Mittens: 75
Squares: 79
Socks: 42
Misc Items are not counted individually (such as personal care items, headbands, gators, yarn, wrist warmers/fingerless gloves etc)

To be a contest winner, you have to enter. Get busy knitting and crocheting, get busy chatted here on the blog with making comments, and blog, tweet, and facebook away. There will be 3 winners. Please read details on Feb 14th's blog post. Good luck all.

All donations regardless of size and number are valued. All donations are appreciated, and all donations keep someone warm. We help, one stitch at a time. YOU truly DO make a difference. THANK YOU!

Shades of Gray Scarf

This shades of gray scarf is basking in the sunlight coming in from the window....was sooooo thrilled to take a picture and actually have some natural sunlight. We've not seen much of it here in Central Ohio. I enjoyed making this scarf, first time using this particular yarn. It's called Marble Chunky and is machine washable. It's 100% acrylic comes in a nice 314 yard ball and does in fact look like a Marble. Well named. It's over 7 feet long so will be nice size wise for one of the men in need. I used size 10 needles and just good old garter stitch. Working on a red one now as I had purchased 2 of these Marbles. If you've not tried this yarn, think you should. The feel is much lighter weight wise then lots of acrylics are....at least knitted. Might be interesting to see how it would look crocheted. As I worked with this, kept thinking what a great afghan it would make without the need to do any fancy stitches, just knitting away and let the shading fall where it may. Might have to check out what colors are available. I don't remember how pricey the yarn was at my LYS, but from I see on line looks to run about 12.99 a marble.

Need to identify some donations: (get names and email ady's)
Need email for an Elizabeth R from Oakhurst CA
Need email for a Ruth P from Michigan AND is this the same Ruth who donated here?
Need name and email for an ? knitter from Seattle, Washington
Need name and email for an ? crocheter who made hats
Links to blog posts with these unidentified donations ( and people I have no means of contact), listed in side bar. PLEASE folks it takes lots of time to search through my data base, my emails, RAV, Facebook, The Hive etc to let you know donations have arrived. Please include a note and means of contact....even if you wish to be anonymous on the blog, I need to have a way to make contact with you, and it's helpful for my bookkeeping.

2012 Donations:
Hats: 73
Scarves: 10+1=11
Slippers: 3
Shawls: 2
Afghans: 3
Mittens: 18
Squares: 78
Socks: 15
Misc Items are not counted individually (such as personal care items, headbands, gators, yarn, etc)

All donations regardless of size and number are valued. All donations are appreciated, and all donations keep someone warm. We help, one stitch at a time. YOU truly DO make a difference. THANK YOU!

Donation of hats, Unidentified

17 hats here in the picture being donated. All are crocheted but I've no clue whom they're from. There was no note or return address label on the box. I tried to read the stamped mailing label but was unable to. I tried to plug in 3 different numbers on the label that I thought might be a tracking, that didn't work. Some of these hats are very open and lacy (beret style) and those will be held until warmer weather where folks might still be in need, but perhaps less in need of a really warm hat. Look at the details, in particular on the top left olive greenish color hat...very nice.

**Reminder folks to please include a note with your donations so I know who you are and how to contact you. Even if you wish to be anonymous, please include your name and email with the donation so I can let you know it arrived. You can still be anonymous here on the blog if you wish; but a note saves me enormous amount of time trying to identify you. Also looking for a Ruth P from Michigan, need your email. AND Elizabeth R from CA? If you're out there, please make contact.

2012 Donations:
Hats: 19+17=36
Scarves: 4
Slippers: 1
Shawls: 2
Misc Items are not counted individually (such as personal care items, headbands, yarn, etc)

Please read all details regarding size, color, stitches in the tabs across the top of the page folks. Thanks.

All donations regardless of size and number are valued. All donations are appreciated, and all donations keep someone warm. We help, one stitch at a time. YOU truly DO make a difference. THANK YOU!

First Donation in 2012

This is the first donation of 2012. It comes from Michigan. Ruth P, our newest pair of helping hands. I've not been able to make contact as there was no email ady included with the donation. I've searched through my email box, and all the groups I belong to in order to find Ruth to no avail. If anyone knows Ruth P in Michigan, please make contact. I'd like to be able to let her know her donation arrived.

?? Also, I wonder if this Ruth P is the same Ruth as this donator?

She starts us out with 4 hats, 4 scarves, 1 pair of slippers, and 2 shawls.

Thank you Ruth.

2012 Donations:
Hats: 4
Scarves: 4
Slippers: 1
Shawls: 2
Misc Items are not counted individually (such as personal care items, headbands, yarn, etc)

Please review the tabs at the top of the blog for requirements for size and color for hats, scarves, mittens, slippers, and squares. Patterns are also available.

All donations regardless of size and number are valued. All donations are appreciated, and all donations keep someone warm. We help, one stitch at a time. YOU truly DO make a difference. THANK YOU!

Awesome Knitted Hats donated by Unknown

These are fabulous hats, super soft, nice and stretching, warm and extremely well made, knitted hats. They come from an unknown knitter in Seattle, Washington. There was no note with the hats and no last name on return label, just Seattle, Washington. Yoo Whoooo, they are lovely, and very much appreciated. Please sing out so we know who you are.

Folks, if you wish to be anonymous with your donation; no problem but please for record keeping please include your name and email with your donations and state you'd like to be anonymous and I'll list it that way. When I get things unidentified I don't know if it's an over-site, or anonymous, and I'm not able to email someone to let them know their package arrived.

Many thanks for your thoughtful donation.

2011 Donations:

Scarves 294
Hats 592+2=594
Mitts 133
Socks 115
Squares 454
Rain Ponchos 80
Cotton Washcloths 308
Sweaters/Poncho's 6
Slippers 86
Afghans 33 (2 sent to our friends at Pine Street)
Misc Items I've not counted misc items like all the personal care items, the neck warmers, and the head bands.

I launched a program called Welcome Home a couple of days ago. This is in connection our recent mission expansion that includes The Homeless Families Foundation in the list of those we help. If you've not yet read the post about The Foundation, please do, HERE.

**A Few more days in September for our scarf focus, I'll go back and recheck to see if we have anyone for the drawing for the scarf contest**

MITTENS........Mittens will be October's focus, and we never get enough of those. I know they're not the easiest things to make. We do have a few patterns posted folks. As you think about making mittens and or reviewing patterns...think about adding length to the cuff; helps make them warmer. Thanks!

All donations regardless of size and number are valued. All donations are appreciated, and all donations keep someone warm. We help, one stitch at a time. YOU truly DO make a difference. THANK YOU!