Tag Archives: charity

Welcome! (Blanket)

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You guys know I like a big project, I like a nice group project, and I like using my knitting for positive change.

So, honestly, it was only a matter of time before I wrote about the Welcome Blanket project.

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The Welcome Blanket project is a lovely pro-immigrant activist statement/group art project/just a dang nice thing to do.

Basically, people across America knit or crochet or quilt smallish lap blankets (they ask for 40″x40″), and send them in to be collected at an art gallery somewhere in the US. (So far they’ve been in Chicago and Atlanta, and they’re getting ready to do an installation just outside of Boston.)  Once the donated blankets have been on display for a bit, they are then distributed to newly-immigrated families, along with notes of welcome and encouragement.

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(These blankets were displayed in Chicago last fall.)

It’s a beautiful, loving gesture to families that are doing something incredibly difficult in a country that isn’t always the most welcoming to new people.

If you’re interested in taking part, unfortunately the most recent round of blanket collection (at the Fuller Craft Museum) has just finished, but don’t fear!  The Welcome Blanket folks are going to keep going, and I’m sure a new collection will be just around the corner.  I know I’ve got a couple ideas for blankets that I want to make (in all my free time).

If you’re running short on ideas, but want to participate, there’s an official “Welcome Blanket” pattern that you’re more than welcome to use (but feel free to get creative).

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Do you ever do any activist/charity crafting?  What projects have you participated in?

Mother Bear Update

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So, I’m not doing a great job with my New Year’s Resolution to complete one mother bear every month this year.  So far my MO has been to do nothing with my bears for a good three or four months, then panic and knit up a bunch of bears in a weekend.

And this month has been no different.

I spent last weekend sewing up the half-dozen bears I had knit and stuffed back in June, and the first half of this week has been focused on knitting up three more bear bodies (I still owe an arm and a half to finish my September bear).

None of my bears have faces yet, but that’s OK.  I’m currently planning on doing all the faces in one fell swoop over the holidays.  That seems like a nice Chrismassy activity- sewing faces onto charity teddy bears while listening to Christmas carols and munching on gingerbread.  It feels very much like something out of a book from the 1940s.

Have you been making any Mother Bears?  Or are you busy doing other charity knitting?

More Bears!

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There’s bears all over!

Well, not really.  They’re just in a box in my closet, but it’s a pretty big box.  And right now, it’s full of 8 bears.  (Well, 8-and-a-half.)img_3934I don’t have anything insightful to say about these bears, I just think they look cute, all packed up together.

At least they look cuter than the “half” bear.img_3942 I’ve finished knitting her, but she still needs to be stuffed, sewn up and embroidered.  Right now she looks kind of like a crappy glove for someone with two fingers and no thumb.  But soon enough she’ll look as cute as her brothers and sisters.

Are you making any bears?  Join me!  I promise they’re fun!

Bears

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Well, after this week, I think it’s a good idea to do something nice for someone else.  I always feel a bit better when I have work to do, and when it’s  adorable work to help cheer up adorable kids, it’s even better.

So, this morning, I drank my tea and did the finishing touches on my two newest bears for the Mother Bear Project. (I had knit them up already- I’m not that fast!)

I love the color of this guy’s sweater- it’s even prettier in person.  A dark red heathered yarn, with shades of ruby and garnet.  Gorgeous.  It almost makes up for how cross-eyed he looks. (I’ll just pretend that the cross-eyed-ness gives him character.)img_3769And this guy is ready for summer, with his T-shirt and stripey shorts (and scarf, for some reason).  The shorts and T were because I was using up the last little bits of my yarn, but he actually ended up pretty cute.img_3774And, I found out that the MBP posts pictures of all the kids with their new bears, so you can go back and look for the bears you made with their new owners.  I found a couple of mine!  Super exciting.

Have you made a bear?  Join me!

Let’s Do This- Again!

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It’s two months until Christmas (sorry to keep mentioning it), and there’s something I want to do.   Let’s do another (very informal) Mother Bear drive!

Last year I made and sent a half-dozen bears for the Mother Bear Project.OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAIf you missed it or forgot, the Mother Bear Project collects hand-made (knit or crocheted) teddy bears and delivers them to children living in emerging nations whose lives have been affected by HIV/AIDS.  It’s a great foundation with a simple message that I think all knitters can understand: sending comfort and love through the gift of something handmade.

(Plus, the bears are crazy cute, easy to make, and a great way to use up leftover bits of yarn.)sizeI’ve made 7 more bears since last Christmas, and I’d like to make another 3 before I send them to Mother Bear HQ this Christmas (to make a round 10).

Will you join me on this bear-making adventure?  Will you pledge to make a bear (or 2 or 3)?  Even one bear can make a big difference in these kids’ lives and let them know someone is thinking about them.

How many bears will you make?

Hey Bear!

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OK, I changed my mind.  I’m not up to making the amazing, complex patterns I posted about on Wednesday.  I’m sorry, but… oof.  It turns out that I’m not up to making a giant lace shawl right now.  (And, when I went into my stash and looked around to see if I had anything appropriate for knitting up those patterns, and didn’t find anything.)

Instead of going to the yarn store and dropping a bunch of money on yarn I probably won’t use (as fun as that can be), I decided to try to use up more of my leftover worsted weight.

It’s time for more bears!

Remember the Mother Bear Project?  I made a big box of bears for them last Christmas.  They deliver hand-made teddy bears to children in developing nations whose lives have been affected by HIV/AIDS.  You really couldn’t ask for a better cause to support.  (Also the bears end up super cute.)

IMG_3080I worked on this red, lavender and blue guy at work, while the kids were at recess yesterday.  (Recognize the lavender yarn?)  I forgot how fast these little dudes knit up.  I’m almost to the leg split, and I probably did about 2 hours of half-hearted knitting on this guy.

I’m happy to be back on the bear train!  Have you made any bears for the Mother Bear Project?  Or, have you done any other knitting for charity?

 

Bears on the Move

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The day has come, and I’ll be honest, I have a little tear in  my eye.  It feels like I’ve been working on these bears forever, even if it is only a couple months.  I’ve watched them grow and get faces and become all fluffy and adorable, and now it’s time to send them off on their own.  It’s like a bear graduation.

I’ve ended up with seven bears, so not too shabby, if I say so myself.

I’ve got yellow ones,OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAand brown ones,OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAand one with a dress.OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAA green one,OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAand even a naked one!  (Except for a strategically-placed scarf.  Oh my!)OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThey’re all nestled together in their box, and are ready to fly to Mother Bear Headquarters in Minnesota.OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAGoodbye bears!  I had fun making you!  Good luck on your adventures!

Did you make any bears, too?  Have you sent them off already?

You can still make your own, just visit the Mother Bear Project for more information!

Mama Bear Update: Finishing

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We’re in the home stretch, folks! I wanted to send the bears out by Christmas, and I think I’ll make it.  I’ve knit up seven bears in the last couple months, and they’ve all got faces.  Now all I need to do is give them a little stuffing and make them lovely and chubby.  Time to break out the poly-fill.

I started by fluffing up some poly-fill and adding it by small hand-fulls to my completed bear, massaging it as I went to avoid lumps.  (He looks like a little zombie potato right now.  Braaaains…. braaaaains…)

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Then, using the long tail left over from the cast on, I whip-stitched this guy’s head closed.

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And made ears by sewing a little diagonal running stitch seam at the base of each ear.  (They turned out a little pointy, so maybe this is a teddy-cat, not a teddy-bear.)

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Then, to make a neck and get rid of the whole potato-head thing he’s got going on, I carefully ran my needle through around his neck, starting and ending at the back of his head.

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I tied the ends together tightly, and wove in the ends.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThis formed a a nice, round, non-potato head.  Adorable!

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Then I wove in the ends on his little scarf and wrapped it around his neck, adding a little stitch to hold the knot in place.OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERADone!  And, adorable!

Thinking about joining the Mother Bear party?  It’s not too late!  Get your pattern here!

Teddy Bear Picnic

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Or at least a Teddy Bear Coffee Date.

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One of my good friends, Kate, has started knitting a bear, too!  (Hi Kate!)  And so has my mom- it’s super cute!  (Hi Mom!)

Mom lives in the Great White Tundra that is the Midwest, so I can’t meet up with her, but Kate lives just a couple miles down  from my place.  That means we can meet up, visit different coffee shops in the area every week or so and get our knit on!

Kate’s a new mom, so I’m pretty sure she’s excited to get out of the house and dust off her needles, and I’m loving having a knitting buddy!  There’s something lovely about having someone to chat with while your needles click away.  (And, if you’re awkward like me, it’s nice having a friend with you so you’re not that weirdo knitting alone in public.  Double win!)

So, grab your friends!  See if they want to pull their needles out of storage, or lend them a set of your own and get knitting!  It’s possibly the best way to spend an afternoon!

What’s that?! You still haven’t picked up your Mother Bear pattern?  What are you doing!  Get it here!

How are you doing on your bears?  I’ve just started knitting Bear number 7!

Mama Bear Check-In #2

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I’m back and my bear pack (have we decided on what a group of bears is called?  Pack doesn’t seem right) has grown bigger!

My newest bear is an adorable little blue teddy with a little black dress on!OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERATo be honest, I decided on this color scheme when I looked in the bottom of my bag and found that I had nearly-full skeins of both blue and black, and thought “How can I use up these colors quickly?”  But, in the end, I kind of like her goth-chick vibe.  She just needs a red scarf and an anarchy symbol embroidered on her chest.  But that might be slightly inappropriate for this kind of project.

Have any of you made skirts or dresses for your bears yet?  This is my first beskirtted bear (beskirtted is a word because I say it is), and I’m not sure how much I liked making the skirt part.

Don’t get me wrong, I like the finished product- the little, slightly ruffly skirt is adorable.  But, the skirt felt like it took forever to knit up, and used up quite a bit of yarn, and if you’re using up odd bits and bobs of leftover yarn, I could see a skirt being fairly impractical.

Of course, we knitters aren’t known for being 100% practical.  I’ll probably do more beskirtted bears, maybe just not right away.

If you haven’t started making Mother Bears, take a minute to look at the project website, and consider giving it a go!

Have you done any skirts on your bears?  How did they go?  What’s your bear total so far?