When Squares Grow Up, what do they Become?

These 17 crocheted Christmas colored squares donated by Cheryl S from Michigan will grow up into a Christmas Afghan. How perfect that will be for one of our families leaving temporary housing at The Homeless Families Foundation to make their way into permanent housing. What a true "Welcome Home" gift that will be. I may use just these squares, I may see what in my stash wants to join in.
And these 2 groups of squares also crocheted and donated by Cheryl S...the group closest to you, 8 colors and 20 squares most likely will be a ladies ghan for our Welcome Home Project. Possibly having other squares join them, possibly on their own. Very much still thinking stages there; but the 5 bright colors I grouped together in the upper right corner are 24 squares that started growing up almost immediately after I opened the box. Wham, this has to be a ghan for a little girl...I could see it immediately, it called out to me and has in fact already been named. Snow Cone. The bright green is lime, the yellow lemon, the pink would be cherry, the purple of course is grape, and the orange...........orange.
See...told you it's growing up fast. I quickly spread the squares and came up the traditional diagonal afghan, searched my stash for a color I liked with it and started edging and joining with a blue. Not really navy, sorta a dark aqua-ish blue. Edging adds about 5 inches to the length, as you can see, and about an inch in width to each strip. Once it's all joined, I should have enough to do a nice wide border. Snow Cone will make some little girl feel loved. What a wonderful "Welcome Home" gift this will be.

Thank you Cheryl for your support and your thoughtful donation, keep up the good work.

**edited, as you know my post are always written ahead, placed in que in the schedule...so, as I type this edit I can tell you, the more I worked on this little girls ghan, the more I decided it needed a different name...nix snow cone (though I may use that again on another ghan), This ghan is now named "Rainbow Bright". **

2011 Donations:

Scarves 343
Hats 657
Mitts 140
Socks 124
Squares 454+61=515
Rain Ponchos 80
Cotton Washcloths 318
Sweaters/Poncho's 7
Slippers 86
Afghans 34 (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 or yarn.

For those who like to plan ahead, I've added November to our working calendar it will be a focus on men through The Jack Otis Memorial Month. Hats, Scarves, Mittens, Slippers, for men. Naturally socks. Keep checking in for more details.

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!

Meeting Fellow Bloggers who Donate

It's always so fun to meet face to face after first getting to know someone here on line. That's the case with Nikki S, who's blog is theonlynikki.com (check sidebar). We chatted on line, then we meet unknowingly the first time. That is to say we hadn't planned to meet each other. Through my work, Nikki came in and was.......crocheting, conversation insued, naturally. lol

Thanks Nikki for these 4 scarves, much appreciated keep your hook on the move, hope to see you soon, both here on line and in person.

TIP: If you're making slippers, use thick yarn, or double yarn for a nice thick slipper. You could even make 2 slippers and stitch them together one inside the other for a nice thick and warm, as well as sturdy slipper. They could be reversible if you use 2 different colors.

2011 Donations:

Scarves 339+4=343
Hats 657
Mitts 140
Socks 124
Squares 454
Rain Ponchos 80
Cotton Washcloths 318
Sweaters/Poncho's 7
Slippers 86
Afghans 34 (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 or yarn.

For those who like to plan ahead, I've added November to our working calendar it will be a focus on men through The Jack Otis Memorial Month. Hats, Scarves, Mittens, Slippers, for men. Naturally socks. Keep checking in for more details.

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!

Mickey Mouse

This is one of 8 cotton packs sewn and donated by our newest pair of helping hands, Carol S from Indiana. I put some of her other donated items inside to take an up close photo so you could see the bag easier, then it was laying flat with all the other donations. However, something happened to the photo with everything laying out. When I transferred photo's from the camera to the computer...argh.

She donated 11 hats, 3 pairs of mittens and 8 cute bags that I plan to use for personal care packages. There were a couple of pretty flowered ones, and these cute cute cute Mickey Mouse ones. Adorable and very practical.

I'll add soap, hand made cotton washcloths, toothbrushes, toothpaste etc to these and they'll go to The Homeless Families Foundation as part of the Welcome Home Project. As families move from their temporary housing into permanent housing, they'll receive an afghan made from our squares/and or full ghans donated; along with a personal care pouch to help them celebrate the move.

I'm sorry you all don't get to see the hats, they were knit and so nicely made; as were the mittens. I would gladly re-photograph them, but since posts are written and in que, by the time this was written the items had already been donated.

2011 Donations:

Scarves 339
Hats 646+11=657
Mitts 137+3=140
Socks 124
Squares 454
Rain Ponchos 80
Cotton Washcloths 318
Sweaters/Poncho's 7
Slippers 86
Afghans 34 (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 or yarn.


** October is mitten month**
***November will be Jack Otis Memorial Month**

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!

Hospital Scarf

Started this dark green (tealish) crocheted scarf while my Dad was in the hospital (ICU), needed something to keep my hands busy, something easy, something I didn't have to count. This green scarf is made from some of the green yarn donated by Laurie HERE. It's nice and large for the men folk. I like adult scarves for men to be substantial, so this one is 8 3/4 inches wide, 6 foot long, with a starting chain of 29 stitches.

TIP: Please leave tails of several inches after changing yarn and work them in, do not cut after a knot.

2011 Donations:

Scarves 338+1=339
Hats 646
Mitts 137
Socks 124
Squares 454
Rain Ponchos 80
Cotton Washcloths 318
Sweaters/Poncho's 7
Slippers 86
Afghans 34 (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 or yarn.

October is Mitten Month

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!

Knitting 4 x 4 for Homeless

Suzann from Tennessee, SSeger on Rav knitted and donated 4 scarves and 4 cotton washcloths. The scarves are varying sizes and a couple are knitted I believe with double yarn which will make them especially warm. The cotton washcloths are the standard corner to corner design. I've often wondered how many items we've all made together in that popular corner to corner method...be it knit or crochet, washcloth, or dishcloth, or ghan, or baby blanket. Always such a winner!

Many thanks for your thoughtful donation, it's greatly appreciated. Please keep up the good work.

2011 Donations:

Scarves 335+3=338
Hats 646
Mitts 137
Socks 124
Squares 454
Rain Ponchos 80
Cotton Washcloths 315+3=318
Sweaters/Poncho's 7
Slippers 86
Afghans 34 (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 or yarn.

**Have you checked our map recently? Is your state represented? Is your state listed with your name either on the bloggers list, the non bloggers list, or the Facebook/Ravelry list? If not, please leave a comment and let me know what state you're from. Do you see a state not represented where you know someone? Can you encourage that someone to join us? It's been awhile since we've gotten to add a new state to our list of those who donate.**

***A couple of additions to the working calendar have been added, have you reviewed it lately?***

Donation in que from: Nikki, Carol, Frank, Jenn, Jeanette J, Cheryl, AnneMarie, Sandy

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!

Donating Pink Poodle for Project Welcome Home

A traditional pattern, knitting corner to corner (like so many of us do for grandma's favorite washcloth), with a bit of a different twist here. Used 2 different skeins of JoAnn's Sensations Boucle', one the black, gray, and light pink combo AND the 2nd skein was the brighter pink and white combo. Knitted on size 8 this seemed to take forever and I was hoping it would be a bit larger. It appeared like it would be when I started the decrease....but sometimes its hard to measure well when things are still on the needle. Edged with about 5 rows of both single crochet and double crochet to give the ruffle border and you can see how much the colors change.

This will, I hope brighten some young girls eyes and be a nice "Welcome Home", as part of our Project Welcome Home through The Homeless Families Foundation.

2011 Donations:

Scarves 335
Hats 646
Mitts 137
Socks 124
Squares 454
Rain Ponchos 80
Cotton Washcloths 315
Sweaters/Poncho's 7
Slippers 86
Afghans 33+1=34 (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 or yarn.

*Did you read the helpful hints and guidelines about color and size? If not please do, scroll to 10-9-11

**Have you checked our map recently? Is your state represented? Is your state listed with your name either on the bloggers list, the non bloggers list, or the Facebook/Ravelry list? If not, please leave a comment and let me know what state you're from. Do you see a state not represented where you know someone? Can you encourage that someone to join us?**

***A couple of additions to the working calendar have been added, have you reviewed it lately?***


Donations in que from: Suzanne W, Nikki, Carol, Frank, Jenn, Jeanette J, Cheryl, AnneMarie, Sandy

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!