Merry Christmas to You

This seems like it was only yesterday..............but it was really quite some time back. My DD had breakfast here with Santa. She loved to dress up all Christmasey, most little girls do. Lots of good memories from when she was young, and as she grew up; but this picture is one of my favorites so thought I'd share it with you. Bet you all have a similiar one of you, your children, or your grandchildren sitting on Santa's lap.

Merry Christmas to you all and many thanks for all you've done through out the year with your magical crochet hooks and knitting needles and looms. You've made hats, scarves, mittens, slippers, washcloths, and squares. You've sent rain ponchos and socks, you've donated yarn. You've blogged about our cause, tweeted about our cause, and facebooked about our cause. I hope you've chatted about what we do here with your friends, your neighbors and family who might not be on the internet. As the year winds down, let me express my Christmas wish for a continuation of the same, a Christmas wish for more helping hands, to grow our numbers of donated items and reach more people in need.

Blessings to you all, and please Keep up the Good Work.

2011 Donations:

Scarves 463
Hats 939
Mittens 253
Socks 333
Squares 849
Rain Ponchos 216
Cotton Washcloths 340
Sweaters/Poncho's 10
Slippers 115
Afghans 50 (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.

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 Squares and Scarves

Thank you Angie M. from Ohio, our newest pair of helping hands for these crocheted squares and scarves. The squares are sampler style squares (24), and 2 scarves are nice and warmth and large enough for adults to wrap up in. We're thrilled to a have you join here at Bridge and Beyond and hope to see you often.

Tomorrow is Christmas, no doubt you're all busy busy busy. I hope you're spending some quality time with family. Merry Christmas to you and yours.

2011 Donations:

Scarves 461+2=463
Hats 939
Mittens 253
Socks 333
Squares 825+24=849
Rain Ponchos 216
Cotton Washcloths 340
Sweaters/Poncho's 10
Slippers 115
Afghans 50 (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.

**Please, even if you're an old timer here to the blog, take some time and look around. Lots of information here, some has changed over time. Just about a week left folks in our December focus on squares. The 2012 working calendar, first quarter has been posted. January 2012's focus will be Mittens. Mittens for Men, Women, and Children. We need warm mittens, mittens with a nice long cuff please...that helps with warmth. Please check out further details by clicking on the working calendar tab across the top of the blog**


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!

Donations from Minnesota, The North Star State

Wonderful, wonderful. Look at this fabulous donation from our good friend, Liz (minnisoda on The Ville). A beautiful stripped ripple afghan. These colors are awesome together. The size is good for a teen or adult. 5 wonderful warm hats, 2 awesome scarves (super soft), and a nice cotton wash cloth. Many many thanks Liz E...your on going support is greatly appreciated.
And....wait, I'm not done folks. Look at 3 fabulous afghans. A wonderful and colorful afghan suitable for a family ghan, a nice blue and white some little guy is going to like, and one for a toddler...who's color doesn't show up here well in the picture. Sorry to say, cause it's not white, it's a nice green and blue. These afghans will be wonderful house warming gifts for our families at The Homeless Families Foundation for Project Welcome Home. (if you've not read the details of that folks, please do...click the house badge in the side bar).

2011 Donations:

Scarves 459+2=461
Hats 934+5=939
Mittens 253
Socks 333
Squares 825
Rain Ponchos 216
Cotton Washcloths 339+1=340
Sweaters/Poncho's 10
Slippers 115
Afghans 46 +4=50 (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.

**Please spend time looking around the blog....changes are constant, new information all the time**

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!

Did Someone Say YARN?

Laurie (luvs2sing on RAV), donated more green yarn...well maybe aqua? I'm seeing some scarves and hats from this soft yarn...stay turned folks. Many thanks Laurie. Now...check this out. Not only did she donate more yarn; but she while enjoying a shopping venture at The Yarn Market in Pinkerington, she was talking about Bridge and Beyond. You know, spreading the news AND

These lovely and generous mound of yarn was then donated by Deborah K. WOWZER, this is fabulous. Thanks so much Laurie for your thoughtful donation, thank you for spreading the word, and many thanks to Deborah for finding out these wonderful yarn to donate to the cause. Hats, scarves and more will come from this lovely mound of donated yarn. Many many thanks!!

2011 Donations:

Scarves 459
Hats 934
Mittens 253
Socks 333
Squares 825
Rain Ponchos 216
Cotton Washcloths 339
Sweaters/Poncho's 10
Slippers 115
Afghans 46 (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.

**Please spend time looking around the blog....changes are constant, new information all the time**

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!

Hitting the Motherload of Squares

Greens, blues, variegated, pinks, reds, browns, solids, stripes, variegated, yellow and more. Seriously folks, this is The Motherload here. Crocheted squares, 150 of them from our Dear Friend, AnneMarie from the fabulous state of New York. WOW and WOW and holly Cow! These squares are awesome, beautifully made, tails nicely tucked except the final one (extra thanks for that). When tails are tucked it saves additional time for me doing the assembly. The design she used on the bulk of these squares happens to be one I'm very fond of...no clue if it has a name. I like how solid and sturdy this design is. Mostly granny squares, though some are also sampler style squares. Many thanks for your on going support and for your generosity, AnneMarie. I'll be able to make quite a few ghans with these.

2011 Donations:

Scarves 459
Hats 934
Mittens 253
Socks 333
Squares 675+150=825
Rain Ponchos 216
Cotton Washcloths 339
Sweaters/Poncho's 10
Slippers 115
Afghans 46 (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.

WOW....think we might hit 1,000 hats before the end of the year? And or 500 scarves?? Wouldn't that be cool!

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!

St. Vincent de Paul

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is dedicated to assisting those in need. The group is named for a priest, Vincent dePaul 1581-1660, who dedicated his life to serving the poor.

You might remember me chatting/blogging about our friend Lynn whom I met at a sausage party here in the neighborhood about this time last year. She helps us by delivering our donations to Holy Family, and several at need grade schools. Additionally, she helped us spread our wings beyond the boundaries of this county, Franklin with a connection and friend she has in Vinton County. Vinton Co is a very poor county, in Appalachia. Through St. Vincent de Paul our hand knit and hand crocheted and loomed items have warmed more people in need.

I received a little note of thanks in email from Rosemary Savely, and wanted to pass along to you her appreciation for helping those in need in Vinton Co who's poverty rate is quite high. I'm not able to post the note here, due to names being mentioned.

Just know your work is valued, appreciated and so much needed. Keep up the good work.

2011 Donations:

Scarves 459
Hats 934
Mittens 253
Socks 333
Squares 675
Rain Ponchos 216
Cotton Washcloths 339
Sweaters/Poncho's 10
Slippers 115
Afghans 46 (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.

WOW....think we might hit 1,000 hats before the end of the year? And or 500 scarves?? Wouldn't that be cool!


**PLEASE
Notice the new items on the blog such as a working calendar for part of the upcoming year of 2012, the search this blog feature moved up in a more prominent space on the blog, the guidelines for squares, the things to read Before you donate, the area with details about the people we help, and more. Updates are on going...please, please keep reading.

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!