Mission Statement

Operations for Bridge and Beyond will cease on Dec 31, 2021, last mailing date should be Dec 24th

GOAL FOR AFGHANS

Afghans
Goal: 30
Start: #24
Current: 26
0.8666%
START
END

Monday, January 3, 2011

Joy to the World

JOY to the WORLD. You might have been singing those words from a Christmas Carole not so very long ago, or perhaps The Three Dog Night song came to mind. Both did for me. Joy indeed! Look at this wonderful donation Joy, an old high school friend sent.

crocheted hats and scarvesJoy and I got re-connected through the beauty of facebook. She's donated beautiful crocheted items previously. Am thrilled to have her on-going support. Two matching hat and scarf sets, and 3 additional hats. All nice and soft and warm.
granny squaresAnd, look at these fun granny squares. I've used some of her squares previously and am looking forward to designing another afghan for the folks at Faith Mission using these lovely squares. These 16 squares all are a part of our Give a Square Program, which is being extended until the end of this month of January 2011. If you click on the link for Give a Square you can see thumbnails of the ghans we've donated thus far.


2011
Scarves 8+3=11
Hats 5+5=10
Mittens 0
Socks 0
Slippers 3
Ghans
0
Squares
16

Please remember 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. It truly DOES make a difference. THANK YOU!

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Helen starts off our year helping the Homeless

Thank you Helen! Helen starts off our new year helping the homeless with 8 scarves, 5 hats, and 3 pairs of slippers! All wonderfully made. These items are all nice and soft, thick and warm...Perfect! And look at the nice variety of colors as well. Helen is our newest pair of helping hands. We're thrilled to have you join us and hope to see lots of of you Helen in the coming months.

Many thanks for your donation, it is so truly appreciated. Remember folks January is slipper month. Slippers for women and children, all sizes and colors are needed.

Keep your hands busy, busy hands are happy hands. I do want your hands to be happy!

2011
Scarves 8
Hats 5
Mittens 0
Socks 0
Slippers 3
Ghans
0
Squares
0

Please remember 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. It truly DOES make a difference. THANK YOU!

Please remember 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. It truly DOES make a difference. THANK YOU!

Saturday, January 1, 2011

It's 2011, there are still Homeless

Before we begin yet another year of knitting, crocheting, and looming for the homeless wanted to discuss a few important issues--the business side of things.

We launched Give a Square, with the idea of it being a 2 month period (Nov and Dec of 2010). My thought was focusing on squares for a given period of time would give us the ability to spread our wings a bit, but keep things manageable in terms of squares piling up here for me to assemble. Once they were assembled they would be given to Faith Mission. They house mothers and children in temporary housing (apartments), who've been abused and or homeless. They have 20 such apartments. I thought it would be nice to donate 20 afghans, lapghans and have a few extra that they would have on hand to give out as others moved in (plus some families need more then one ghan). Once folks move in they work hard to get them back into society; find permanent housing, jobs etc. They could take their ghans with them as house warming gifts. To date we've donated 10 finished ghans and have (at the time of writing this scheduled post) 1 in the works, with 2 others designed waiting in the wings with other squares still on hand. My current thought is we will continue to collect squares throughout the month of January. The Give a Square program will not go away, it will be and off and on program. From time to time I'll re-activate it, based on the number of squares I have on hand etc. So, feel free to continue to make squares and keep your eyes peeled for posts indicating it's time to mail them. Each month I'll select an item to be highlighted; but we will continue to collect
all items. The purpose of the highlighted item is to give people an idea of what to make if they're unsure what they want to make. To give us a focus. Typically it will be the item we've collected the least of--or where the greatest need is at that time. With that in mind Janaury's focus will be our "Rainbow Project".

Important Reminders:

Please remember not to knot and cut yarn when knitting and crocheting. When I receive items with knots I worry about them coming apart, and therefore take time to do a bit of repairing before I can deliver them to those in need. When changing yarn, always leave a tail (even if you do knot), and work into your work. With squares work in all tails except the last one please.

Please refrain from using loose stitches, as the items we make need to keep people warm in cold damp conditions, often outdoors for hours.

Please remember to include a note with your name and email ady, your blog url, or your ID from facebook, or Rav, or Crochetville, or wherever it is we've connected. I really do get confused sometimes with folks using different ID's in different groups.

For the month of January, we will partner with a daycare in the area to collect hats and mittens. I was contacted by a local daycare that does a service project during the month of January. The children collect hats and mittens for other children. This is a learning opportunity for them, to learn children their age have less then they do and to be able to help them. We will include their hats and mittens in our donations. I'm calling this project The Rainbow Project. Because they are children, their hats and mittens will be store bought, but our focus will remain knitted and crocheted, hand made. How sweet is that, children helping children! So think children, think rainbow colors, right and cheery if you're unsure what you want to make during the month of January. Hats and Mittens for children will be our January focus.

**Pending donations from Helen, Joy, Sandie, RoseMarie, and Louise to kick off 2011** Keep checking in, leave comments when you admire each other's work. Everyone likes to read nice words about their time consuming donation. And, spending time on the blog, leaving comments on the blog helps the blog's placement which is helpful in people finding us. Hint hint.

Please remember 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. It truly DOES make a difference. THANK YOU!

Friday, December 31, 2010

Happy New Year, LOOK What we've Accomplished!

Happy New Year One and All. Many thanks for your support throughout this year. Thank you if you blogged about our cause, Thank you if placed a badge and link on your blog, Thank you if you knitted and donated, Thank you if you crocheted and donated, Thank you if you loomed and donated, Thank you if you sent socks and personal care items, Thank you if you told a friend, a neighbor, a co-worker about our cause, Thank you if you printed one of flyers to distribute to help spread the word. THANK YOU!!

I blogged about how we began and what was accomplished in our first month-actually less of operation HERE. I posted a blog about the growth that happened in the year 2009 HERE.

And now I want to list all those helping hands in this calendar year of 2010:(because this is not something I could accomplish by myself)* in no particular order

RoseMarie, Louise, Liz (minnisoda), my Darling Daughter Christine, Sandie in Florida, Jessica, Mary in Ohio, Yarn Yokel (Jason), Dorothy in Wisc, Judy in Ohio, Jean in Ohio, Sandie in Louisiana, Ruth, Lisa, Scharlet, Krystine, James, Sacha from France, Nelda, Bunny, Linda in Florida, Frank, Becki, Sarah, Susan, Tracy, Robbie, Patty in Ohio, Margaret, Karen V, Karen A, Cindy, Taby, Pat, Peggy, Tracey (Tcara), Lex (Alexis), Gail, a 2nd Patty, Joy, Yvonne, Donna, Joyce, Cyndy, Sandra, Anne G, Kate, Alma, Emily, Chris, Shelly, Christi, Jodi, Paula, Brodie Jo, Jennifer T., Esther maddeleine4), Trudy, Jenny, Barbara N, Becky, Bonnie, Mia, Becky P, Theresa, June M, Jan, and Rae.

Sometimes with people use one name or ID on a forum or in a group, a different one if they blog, and perhaps a different yet for their email I have troubles figuring out who's who when the mail comes and has a real name. Sometimes it's taken some time to determine who's who. To date, there is still one person I was never able to identify to thank and that would be Brodie Jo. I posted here multiple times and in other groups and forums I belong to; but never did make a connection. Brodie Jo, if you're out there please know your donation was very much appreciated. If anyone knows Brodie Jo, please zap me a note, thanks.

We really grew by leaps and bounds this year with more and more helping hands, with being able to help more people I was able to add to the mission several times. How awesome is that. We're listed on many additional lists these days. I put forth a real concerted effort at spreading the news several months ago and it has really paid off with more donations coming in daily.

Here are our final numbers of donated items for the calendar year of 2010

Scarves 340
Hats 592
Mittens 151
Socks 101
Slippers 34
Ghans
10
Squares 238

We grew in number of blog posts having 185 in 2010. We had our first contest, a blog contest that our good friend Sandie in Louisiana won. We had a mitten challenge which included another mitten pattern from our good friend and long time supporter Beth which Dorothy and Jean won. We added slippers to the list of items we need, and squares through Give a Square. I'm very happy with what we've been able to accomplish, one stitch, one donation at a time. We do make a difference, an important difference every single day in someone's life. THANK YOU.

I look forward to what we can accomplish together in the upcoming year of 2011.

Please remember 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. It truly DOES make a difference. THANK YOU!

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Fun Girly Ruffle Scarf Set

crocheeted hat and scarf setThis was fun to make folks. The pink hat was a start from the garage sell stuff donated by Krystine. It wasn't quite finished, in that it wasn't long enough to cover a head or tight enough to stay on, a whole at the top where it was joined would let lots of cold air in; so I added a good size edge and brim (you see it rolled up here), a fun and funky curly cork screw topper to take care of the hole. And since I had pink yarn that matched made a fun funky curly girly scarf to match. Both are crocheted. The scarf is made from JoAnne's sensations (pink, and gray and white) Mohair which I love, sooooooo soft and nice to work with. The cute camo-ish black, gray, pink and white is I think Italian made Moda Dea. The label is long since gone; but that's what I think I remember.

I think one of the little girls at the free clinic will enjoy this.

2010
Scarves 339+1=340
Hats 592
Mittens 151
Socks 101
Slippers 34
Ghans
10
Squares 238


Please remember 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. It truly DOES make a difference. THANK YOU!

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Designing Warmth for the Homeless

designing an afghanPinks, Purples, Turquoise, Goldish Yellow....25 of the 70 squares donated by Anne, Carol, Pat, and Kris will come together to make a bright and very cheery and girly Afghan. Not sure what color I'll join this with, must check my stash and see what jumps out at me. Naturally it could be done in white, ivory, black, but ....I happen to know I have some of the same variegated.....off the top of my head, I doubt I have enough to only use it; so will put on my thinking cap and see what I come up with when the time comes. Got one in the works as we speak, and a 2nd one designed ahead of this one in que. Love thinking ahead though.

Sure have enjoyed the fun and different squares that have come as a result of our Give a Square program. Those with ones I had on hands will give us the ability to make a good number of ghans for those folks at Faith Mission.

2010
Scarves 339
Hats 592
Mittens 151
Socks 101
Slippers 34
Ghans
10
Squares 238


Please remember 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. It truly DOES make a difference. THANK YOU!

Where are You and Your Yarn From?

I'm trying to identify where everyone is from, partially for fun. Take a look at the map. Also, believe it will aid me in cases where we have several people with the same name. Please look at the lists of bloggers and non bloggers and see if I have the state you hail from. If not, please leave a comment and let me know.

Additionally, we've had help from Scotland, England, Germany Puerto Rico, Canada, and France! They don't appear on the map, but their help is still greatly appreciated.

Where The People Who Donate Come From, is your state represented?