A Soapy Connection

ONLY 12 POST LEFT BEFORE THE WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN, LINK FOR BLOG CONTEST FOLLOWING THIS POST

Through The Hive ( click here to you read my previous post), I've met Cyndy. Allow me to introduce her to you. Cyndy makes soap. She loves all forms of crafting; but is especially fond of old time homesteading types of crafts. Certainly making soap is that.

She is in the process of donating some of her fabulous handmade soap for our friends in need under The Bridge. You may recall how I periodically put together soap, shampoo, toothbrushes and other personal care items to accompanying our much need hats, scarves, and mittens. I'm thrilled. Not only is she big hearted by donating, but this soap is made from all natural materials no chemicals and is therefore healthy for our skin (and there's). Cyndy started her soap hobby back in 2003, and in 2009 it grew into a business. She grows her own ingredients in her garden in Northwest Illinois. She and her family personally use everything they make. Please visit her webpage to see all the wonderful handmade soaps available, be sure and tell her Sandy sent ya.

Welcome to our team of people helping the homeless here in Central Ohio, Cyndy. I'm so happy we've connected because of The Hive


**Still time to enter yourself for the free yarn give away** Click on Still time for the info on the contest
**Stay tuned for final pictures of the 2 ghans going out in the mail tomorrow for Pine Street
****Donation pending from Anne
2010
Scarves 172
Hats 205+43=248
Mittens 19
Socks 59

2008-2009
Hats 368
Mittens 66
Scarves 147
Socks 79 pair*counts from day 1, Dec 2 2008

Our Homeless Friends need Helping Hands

Have you noticed this new Icon/Badge in my side bar? I hope so. The Hive is a new place to hang out, make connections, and have fun. By making connections I mean connect with other cool crafters like yourself. Some knit, some crochet, some mold clay, some sew, some work with wood, others paint, others bead and on and on and on. Some are hobbyist like me, others professionals, some are artist, others are manufacturers. It's new, it's fun, it's easy.

Always looking for ways to spread the sad news that homelessness exists, and the happy news that we can and DO, make those who are homeless a little more comfortable. We strive to make them realize they are not forgotten. We strive to make their lives better, one stitch at a time. AND we do, each and every day with hats, mittens, and scarves lovingly knitted, loomed, or crocheted by caring crafters. I've joined The Hive.

You can too. Click on the Badge in my side bar, or the Red Words The Hive above. Join, have fun, help me spread the need for more helping hands to help us help the homeless. You can do more then that too. You can enjoy seeing what others work on, you can connect via blogs with folks who share some of your other hobbies. I know most of you do more then crochet or knit. I know many of you try to balance selling your beautiful hand crafts as well as spend your time donating to worthy causes. You can promote your ware's there also.

If you join, be sure and tell them Sandy sent you, and don't forget to connect as followers there.

Corner to Corner Ghan is done, for our friends at Pine Street, and Bit's of this (stage 1 HERE) and that is in it's last stages. I'm hoping to finish it in the next day or so.
You can see once I edge everything to even up sizing a bit with off white (in the previous picture, stage 2 Here), I decided it needed a little something else. Sections of similar sized areas were edged with navy, working now on connecting those pieces then will decide about some final edging. I think the projects changed quite a bit as it's progressed.

**Still time to enter yourself for the free yarn give away**
2010
Scarves 172
Hats 205+43=248
Mittens 19
Socks 59

2008-2009
Hats 368
Mittens 66
Scarves 147
Socks 79 pair*counts from day 1, Dec 2 2008

Edging and piecing together

This is the second stage, stage I here. You can see it's coming together a bit more now that things are edged, or in this picture almost edged. Some squares and rectangles reguired 2 rounds, some 3 and some only 1 to make them fit. Several required a bit more than that. But, it's working. I had taken this photo a couple of days ago so am actually now further along in that this part of the edging is done. It's actually now more pieced together. Will keep you posted. My goal is to finish this in the next couple of days in order to get the 2 ghans out in the mail together to Pine Street. Goal...might not make it, but it's the goal I'm working towards.

**You still have time to get yourself entered in the blog contest and win free yarn.
2010
Scarves 172
Hats 205+43=248
Mittens 19
Socks 59

2008-2009
Hats 368
Mittens 66
Scarves 147
Socks 79 pair*counts from day 1, Dec 2 2008

Before Blocking a Knitted Afghan

This is my completed corner to corner ghan. My first knitted ghan. I do enjoy knitting; but typically crochet ghans. This ghan is knitted corner to corner using the very basic dish cloth pattern starting out with casting on 4 stitches and ending up with 4 stitches before the bind off. I meant to count how many stitches were on the middle row before I began my decease but didn't. Knitting always requires blocking while crochet usually doesn't. One of the reason's I tend to crochet ghans more then knit them. However, I like the mindless ease of the corner to corner ghan and even when just using the basic stitch think the corner to corner business adds to the over all design of a ghan, adds interest I think. It also makes using up odds and ends easier as you don't have to worry about having enough yarn to make really long rows all the time. I didn't count the number of rows before changing colors, changed when I felt like it, or when the yarn looked like it might be running out. You can see some of the colors were repeated, some not. Even where the colors repeated, I might have stopped because I was at the end of that ball. Sometimes you have multiple little balls of the same color.

A good portion of this yarn was from my stash, some was donated by Dear Bunny, some from my DD, some from Rae's Mother, some from Lydia, and some from Tony. So, while I did the knitting, it seemed like a group project to me.

After putting it in the laundry, I blocked it for several days while I was working on the Bits of this and that ghan which will also be for our friends over at Pine Street.

**You still have time to get yourself entered in the blog contest and win free yarn.


2010
Scarves 172
Hats 205+43=248
Mittens 19
Socks 59

2008-2009
Hats 368
Mittens 66
Scarves 147
Socks 79 pair*counts from day 1, Dec 2 2008