Pink Petuna "Welcomes YOU Home!"

You've probably read about our Welcome Home Project. Where Homeless Families through help are able to leave temporary housing and move into their more permanent housing. We, here at Bridge and Beyond, Welcome them Home with a gift of an afghan. Some are family afghans, some children directed and some are a combination there off. This ghan, Pink Petuna would be appropriate both in color and size for any girl -- from a youth to teenage.

I love the polka dots, I love the colors and I love that my friend and classmate, Connie donated yarn and partial finished squares to make this happen. You see it here, laying out in the works HERE... AND now being blocked after being laundered here in this post.........

Thank you Connie. Thank you for honoring our friend and fellow classmate Jack Otis with your donation during the month of November.

2011 Donations:

Scarves 420
Hats 914
Mittens 247
Socks 2322
Squares 567
Rain Ponchos 216
Cotton Washcloths 339
Sweaters/Poncho's 10
Slippers 100
Afghans 44+1=45 (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, head bands, shawl, hot packs, or yarn etc.

****Have you read all the updates in The People We Help? If not please do so HERE

December focuses on squares, remember squares should be made of washable yarn, all tails should be worked in as you go. Please don't leave tails when you change yarn. It truly slows down things at my end to tuck them in after the fact, and they tuck far better if you crochet or knit them in as you go. The only tail that should be visible is the very last one. Also, please please do not tie a knot and cut -- those squares always come undone and can't be used. Remember too, squares should measure no smaller then 7 inches and no larger then 10 inches. Avoid white. If you're squares don't fall into these guidelines, please contact me before mailing, thanks.

Can you believe this is post #573? WOW, only 27 post to hit the milestone of 600 POSTS!!!!

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!

Continued help for Ohio's Homeless is so very much Needed

Thank you Tammy (psmflowerlady), for this thoughtful donation of personal care items, socks, rain ponchos, hat, and a nice cotton washcloth. All items are appreciated and so very much needed. Thank you for your on going support of the cause here on the bridge, your frequent visits and nice comments. We're happy to have you with us.

Over the last 3 days I've posted reflections about The Men, The Women, and The Children we help. If you not had a chance to read about them, please do. Men, Women and Children are clickable. You might surprised to learn how many we're reaching out to. My hope for the upcoming year is to reach even more. The need is great, so please keep your hooks and needles busy, please keep spreading the word, and Please keep helping the blog with visits and comments. Remember, you do not need to be a blogger to leave comments, simply type your comment and click the drop down box that says name and url. Leave your name and leave the url space blank. So many of you don't leave comments I'd like to encourage you to change that. Please leave comments, it's nice to know you were here. It's nice to know you're reading the blogs (often updates are important), it's nice to see you admiring each other's work and supporting each other with nice comments...AND it helps the blog's placement with search engines which in turns help us reach more potential helping hands............more helping hands gives us the ability to help more people. Sooooooooo, please, if you've never left a comment before start doing so. Visit, and leave several. Thank you.

2011 Donations:

Scarves 420
Hats 913+1=914
Mittens 247
Socks 318+4=322
Squares 567
Rain Ponchos 208+8=216
Cotton Washcloths 338+1=339
Sweaters/Poncho's 10
Slippers 100
Afghans 44 (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, head bands, shawl, hot packs, or yarn etc.

**Have you read about Decembers focus? If not please do HERE
****Have you read all the updates in The People We Help? If not please do so HERE


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!

New Helping Hands for Ohio's Homeless

Please welcome Sue F from Ohio, our newest pair of helping hands. Many thanks Sue for your first donation here, and may there many more! Sue's above donation includes both knitted and crocheted goodies to warm our folks in need. The hats (10), and the scarves (8) are a variety of sizes and colors.


*****Please avoid open and lacy stitches, if you can see your hand through the item, and or poke your finger through...it's too lacy and not warm enough. *****

I'm happy to report that I've received emails inquiries from some more folks wanting to help and that the news of our cause is in fact spreading. Thank you to all who've helped in that effort with mouth to mouth referrals, facebook posts, tweets, and or posts on blogs and craft forums such as Rav, Crochetville, and The Hive. Please keep up the good work. It's not possible to have too much help. The more help we obtain the more people we can help, the further we can spread our arms.

2011 Donations:

Scarves 420
Hats 903+10=913
Mittens 247
Socks 318
Squares 567
Rain Ponchos 208
Cotton Washcloths 338
Sweaters/Poncho's 10
Slippers 100
Afghans 44 (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, head bands, shawl, hot packs, or yarn etc.

**Have you read about Decembers focus? If not please do HERE
****Have you read all the updates in The People We Help? If not please do so HERE


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!

A Pyramid of Caring, AWESOME

Bridge and Beyond featured in Crochet Magazine, Dec issue page 17


These 11 packages (7 boxes and 4 pouches) arrived recently while I was out of town. My trusty neighbor...whom you've heard about multiple times made this display for me. I had to share! Firstly, I LOVE that I don't have to stop the mail and that he takes such awesome care of your wonderful handcrafted items. He's truly the best neighbor ever!

He knows and enjoys what we do, and likes to see where all the goods come from. This time though, he truly outdid himself. With the help of his very awesome and adorable son J....arranged these boxes for me to enjoy. His son.........who's adorable was concerned that all the packages were for me, and so they left the Fortune Magazine for my Darling Hubby. How cute is that!!

I envisioned J....sitting in the opening between the boxes and need to ask.............hey did you take a picture! Rest assured all, you're in good hands even when mail is delivered and I'm not around.

The more I looked at this picture the more I got to thinking. Not only is my neighbor awesome, not only are you all awesome to wait til I return to say, "hey...you goodies arrived".............but this represents the true power of a Pyramid...........a Giving Pyramid. Big packages, smaller packages all supporting each other.............all for the good of someone else. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart. We support those in need one package, one item, one stitch at a time.............TOGETHER............TOGETHER, WE ARE A FORCE, TOGETHER WE CAN AND DO ACCOMPLISH GREAT THINGS.............TOGETHER WE MAKE AN IMPORTANT DIFFERENCE

2011 Donations:

Scarves 412
Hats 903
Mittens 247
Socks 318
Squares 567
Rain Ponchos 208
Cotton Washcloths 338
Sweaters/Poncho's 10
Slippers 100
Afghans 44 (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, head bands, shawl, hot packs, or yarn etc.

Yesterday I posted information about all the women we've been able to help, while the previous day focused on the men. Today, I want to review with you the children we help through your thoughtful donations. The first group's we added children's items to were the 2 free clinics that care for mothers and their children (no babies), then we added children who wait in line for a hot meal through Holy Family, we've donated directly to the following schools (who work with many homeless children in need: Stiles Elementary, Darby Dale Elementary, West Broad Street Elementary, and Highland Elementary School. We've donated children items to both The Homeless Families Foundation and The YWCA where children and their families live in temporary housing as they try to get back on their feet. And we've extended beyond our borders here in Franklin County and donated children items to Vinton County (a very poor county in Ohio) through St. Vincent DePaul.

Please keep up the good work folks, we've helped many and need to help many more. The cold, wet and dangerous months are upon us. People need our help even more during these times.

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!

Crocheted Scarves Donated for Ohio's Homeless

Thank you Karen A for these fabulous scarves. The men will love the brown camo and tan on the left. The women will enjoy the pretty turquoise and light green and probably the variegated blue since it's a bit more open /feminine stitch. I really love how wavy the stitches look in the brown camo and light green; but the camo...it really shows up. Did you do back loop double crochets?

These scarves are such a nice size, that folks will be able to really wrap up, which is awesome when you're trying to stay warm. Many thanks Karen A for your on going support, it's appreciated.

Yesterday I posted a bit of a reflection/reminder about Men. The Men in need and the men we've helped to date. Today's reflection will focus on Women, and tomorrow's children. Please check in often.

While the group began as a group to help Men, the largest group in need and the group most often forgotten we were quickly able to expand to include adult women in our donations. We knitted and crocheted for women living on the street (though fewer in number then the men), the women living in temporary housing at Nancy Place through Faith Mission, and the women being treated at 2 free clinics that care for Women and Children. Through more growth we were able to add the women who wait in line for a hot meal through Holy Family. We continued to grow more and we're able to add The Homeless Families Foundation where families have help getting back on their feet while living in temporary housing. Shortly there after we added a 2nd family shelter with the same mission..The YWCA that also houses families. We extended yet again and went beyond the borders of Franklin County with donations to help women in Vinton County through St. Vincents DePaul.

Please check in tomorrow and see what together we've accomplished with regard to children.


2011 Donations:

Scarves 412
Hats 903
Mittens 247
Socks 318
Squares 567
Rain Ponchos 208
Cotton Washcloths 338
Sweaters/Poncho's 10
Slippers 100
Afghans 44 (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, head bands, shawl, hot packs, or yarn etc.

Asking you all during this busy month to add some extra comments to help the blog, tell a friend, a neighbor a co-worker what you do with your donations. Help us grow more so we help warm more folks in need.

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!