New Helping Hands from Michigan

Clapping for more helping hands!  Thank you Robyn B from Michigan, our newest pair of helping hands.  We're thrilled to have you join us with awesome crocheted goodies.  Hats of varying sizes and colors...excellent.  My favorite scarf is the variegated one on the left of the screen...it's nice and big.  Thank you so much Robyn, and please keep up the good work.  

Hope to see you here often on Bridge and Beyond. 

**Reminder squares should only be mailed during the month they are highlighted, at least until I catch up a bit.  I'll sing out to let you know if that changes.  November will be the next time squares can be mailed.**

Donations: 2012

Hats 632+11=643

Scarves: 347+4=351
Slippers: 138
Shawls: 2
Sweaters 3
Vest 1
Afghans: 32
Mittens: 274
Squares: 461
Socks: 169
Rain Poncho's 209
Cotton Washcloths 404
Misc Items are not counted individually (such as personal care items, headbands, gators, yarn, wrist warmers/fingerless gloves, face-masks, neck warmers, t-shirts, soap, deodorant, shampoo, toothbrushes, Teddy Bears and footies 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!

Thank You from Faith Mission

Though I know most of us don't knit, or crochet or donate our hand made goodies to receive a thank you or a pat on the back; I wanted to share this hand written thank you from Faith Mission.  For those who may not know, we've been donating hand knit and hand crocheted items to Faith Mission for over 3 years.  They take care of so many in need.  They have a men's only shelter that gives nights here and there to those on the street, they have Nancy Place for women in need with disabilities, and they operate several family shelters.  They care for many, and I pleased we've been able to continue to support them and their worthy cause with our items made of love.  Each hat, scarf, pair of mittens or slippers truly is appreciated.

Keep up the good work folks.

**Reminder squares should now only be mailed during the month they are highlighted, at least until I catch up a bit.  I'll sing out to let you know if that changes.  November will be the next time squares can be mailed.**

Donations 2012:

 Hats: 632

Scarves: 347
Slippers: 138
Shawls: 2
Sweaters 3
Vest 1
Afghans: 32
Mittens: 274
Squares: 461
Socks: 169
Rain Poncho's 209
Cotton Washcloths 404
Misc Items are not counted individually (such as personal care items, headbands, gators, yarn, wrist warmers/fingerless gloves, face-masks, neck warmers, t-shirts, soap, deodorant, shampoo, toothbrushes, Teddy Bears and footies 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!

Sandbox isn't Child's Play

2012 Donations:
Hats: 632

**Looking for a John R. from Minneapolis, or his wife.  If you're out there, please make contact, leave a comment here on the blog with your email addy, or email me directly at sandycrochet@gmail.com...yet another unidentified donation**

Been awhile since I've shown you the fruits of your labors folks with regard to your donated squares.  These squares come from a variety of people.  I know off the top of my head quite a few of the crocheted granny style squares come from my high school classmate, Joy, but there are others both knitted and crocheted.  Some of these squares vary a bit in size as they were made before I changed the size requirements.  Currently plan is to do 1 row of variegated in the granny stitch around the true granny style squares, then measure them to see how much more needs to be added to the sampler style crocheted squares, and the knitted corner to corner squares for things to fit together.  My quess is the other squares are going to need about 3 rows of stitching...but, we'll see as time continues.  I've named this afghan Sandbox with shades of brown and perhaps the blue represents the sky.  This afghan will be donated to Homeless Families Foundation, as all our afghans are for Project Welcome Home.

**Reminder squares should now only be mailed during the month they are highlighted, at least until I catch up a bit.  I'll sing out to let you know if that changes.  November will be the next time squares can be mailed.**

Donations 2012:
Hats: 632
Scarves: 347
Slippers: 138
Shawls: 2
Sweaters 3
Vest 1
Afghans: 32
Mittens: 274
Squares: 461
Socks: 169
Rain Poncho's 209
Cotton Washcloths 404
Misc Items are not counted individually (such as personal care items, headbands, gators, yarn, wrist warmers/fingerless gloves, face-masks, neck warmers, t-shirts, soap, deodorant, shampoo, toothbrushes, Teddy Bears and footies etc).

**Reminder to all to please check tabs across the top of the blog for suggested sizes, colors, and yarn type.  Don't miss the working calendar**

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!

What Size are You Knitting or Crocheting?

What size you knitting or crocheting?  The hat you're working on to donate...what size is it?  Are you making an adult hat, a child's hat, a hat to fit a teen?  If you're following a pattern, you'll know immediately what size it's intended for; but I don't.  I used to try hats on when I opened a box of donations; not all hats, but those that you can clearly see aren't for a large male...I have a small head and if a hat fits me, it's generally good for a teen or a child.  That was my way of telling which bag to put it in.  I tried to separate and label bags for kids, female adults, or male adults.  That took time, and wasn't very exact; but ...that was before we grew so much.  I love that we've grown.  Growing has given as the ability here on Bridge and Beyond to help more people....and plenty need our help.  But....growth has made the above scenario impractical.

PLEASE, tag your hats with the size you made.  If you're one who doesn't use a pattern, what size do you think you're making?  Please keep in mind we do not collect or donate baby items.  We need adult sizing for both males and females, male and female teens, and male and female children's sizes.  There is a chart that might be helpful to you on the top of the blog...just click the hat tab.

Mittens, and slippers also need sizes.  Again, kids, teens, and adults both sexes. 

Let's take the guessing out of our donations.  If they come to me un-tagged...I guess what the size they look like...that's done again at the various shelters.  Most of the shelters are staffed with volunteers, who work limited hours.  If items are properly tagged they're able to get them in the hands of those in need quicker.

Please avoid pins (both straight and safety).  I've gotten stuck a few times, and would hate to think anyone at the other end might.  I do try and remove and replace them; but no doubt I've not gotten them all.  Tag with string or yarn and small paper tag.  No need to be fancy, just a plain white tag is dandy.  Some use those actual tags with string attach which work well, and a few have been creative and used their pinking sheers and or zigzag scissors from their scrapbook supplies to cut little squares...punch a hole and put yarn through..........either method works well.

Thank you. 

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

More helping hands!  Thank you Kathy U from West Virginia for your thoughtful donation of crocheted and knitted warm goodies for our homeless and those in need here in Ohio.  Kathy is our newest pair of helping hands, we're thrilled to have you join us and look forward to seeing more of creations here on Bridge and Beyond.

Remember to click all pictures folks to enlarge them to see them better.  3 matching sets of hats and scarves and 4 additional scarves from our new friend Kathy U.

Welcome, and hope to see  you here often.  Please keep up the good work.


2012 Donations:
Hats: 628+3=632
Scarves: 340+7=347
Slippers: 138
Shawls: 2
Sweaters 3
Vest 1
Afghans: 32
Mittens: 274
Squares: 461
Socks: 169
Rain Poncho's 209
Cotton Washcloths 404
Misc Items are not counted individually (such as personal care items, headbands, gators, yarn, wrist warmers/fingerless gloves, face-masks, neck warmers, t-shirts, soap, deodorant, shampoo, toothbrushes, Teddy Bears and footies etc).

**Reminder to all to please check tabs across the top of the blog for suggested sizes, colors, and yarn type.  Don't miss the working calendar**

****Reminder PLEASE folks read details regarding size and color for the items you're knitting and crocheting.  Squares should only be 8 x 8****


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!

Idenify your Donations, It's IMPORTANT

Let me take this time to express how appreciative I am of everyone who donates.  Some knit, some crochet, some do both; but all the donations are truly needed and very much appreciated.  I'm thrilled beyond words to see the blog and it's mission continuing since it's early beginnings back in Dec of 2008.  Lots of blog posts, lots of pictures of wonderful donations, and lots of helping hands in that period of time.

With the wonderful growth of the blog and it's mission however, come a few problems.  when we were small I could remember everyone I got an email from and had little trouble identifying donations when they arrived.  Today, however that's not the case.  Though a nice problem to have (the growth that is), it's quite time consuming to receive donations with out notes identifying who they're from.  There are several issues associated with an unknown donation:

1. The obvious is to list a name on the blog with the donation, to be able to thank someone via email when the donation arrives.  
2. Accidents happen.  The donation arrives damaged.  Yes, this has happened.  Accidents occur sometimes when a box is damaged.  Sometimes the item arrives unraveled, torn...I need to be able to let someone know.
3. The donation isn't something suitable for our mission of keeping people warm in Central Ohio.  Lacy, white, non-washable items for example.  Or perhaps for babies vs adults, teens, and children.  I know though the information is listed on the blog, not everyone reads all the details listed on the item specific tabs across the top of the blog.  It's wasteful of time and money for people to send items unknowingly.  I need to be able to communicate that to them.  
4. With so many people using nicknames, avatars etc on Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo Groups, Ravelry, Crochetville and their blogs, I may not know who you are when the return mailing address says Mrs. George Smith.  I'm therefore not able to find you in my database, email contact list, or any of the above groups.  I've spent hours sometimes trying to identify the donation.  That takes away important time for me to knit or crochet, to post here on the blog, to continue to search for ways to promote the cause so that we might help more people in need.
5. It's important for me to be able to communicate problems in order to maintain integrate of the blogs mission. 

All donations must include a note with your name, and your email address.  Even if you wish to be anonymous on the blog, I need to know who you are and where the donation came from.  I am delivering items from all over the United States and Abroad to multiple shelters.  There are some safety issues involved making it necessary to know where the items have come from. 

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!