Shipping advice

I was talking with the friendly folks at UPS this week. If you are shipping to us from outside canada, please try and keep the shipments less than $20 value, and label them as gifts. This saves us the costs for duty and handling at the border. I was also in touch with our contact in Gjoa Haven, Nunavut, and they are excited a shipment is coming their way. Word travels fast in a small community like Gjoa. It's already dipping below freezing there, so warm things are needed! Thanks to all of you crocheters and knitters out there, Amy

We Made It!!

So Jeanine came knocking on my door with Jean-Claude and boxes, and bags.

She opened the box and SHAZAM!  13 blankets, all machine-washable for the Rankin Inlet Project.  Okay, so remember, there are 67 kids in daycare.  We had 44 in the last post, add in Jeanine's stuff and we get 57.

Jeanine calls this her kool-aid blanket.  She hand-dyed it and its sooo cute.

Trinny is admiring one of Jeanine's blankets.  We named it "fall colours".

Then we started open the additional bags she sent in.  Here are a series of Jeanine's hats.

And her mittens - my favorites are the light blue (azur? topaz?)

the socks are extra thick - great for long cold nights.  Right now we are talking about shipping these ones to Moosonee.

Jeanine made this sweaters for the Sheshatsuit campaign.  They asked for sweaters, and ms J delivers.

Awwwww duckies.  Can you not totally picture a baby loving this blanket?  It comes from Diane Suzak and is going to Rankin (okay so that is #58.  Will we make our blanket target?  Is the suspense killing you?).

Diane, thank you so much for the sweaters for the Sheshatsuit campaign!  Jeanine and I were talking about how this one is great for an older person, because its soft, and a cardie.

And even more sweaters from Diane.

My favorite from Diane.  I love the border on the bottom.

Frieda Pelletier from Chateauguay Quebec sent in these gems.

She also made the cutest labels for her socks.

And the mittens too.  Thank you so much Frieda and thank you for your sweet note!  

Still in suspense?  Okay so we also received an additional 4 blankets from the Royal Canadian Legion (thank you folks, please let me know if you are on ravelry so we can connect), and Fibre to the World, the fabulous group of AT and T knitters are sending 10 blankets directly to the community so that makes (drum roll please) 68 blankets.  Yay!  In addition (now I'm just bragging), we're expecting to get at least another 10 in from various shipments, plus Marie-Claude, plus Suzanne.  In my dream-world, we actually send extras to Rankin to accomodate the fact that new kiddies are arriving all the time.  PLUS we also send a critical mass of blankets for the program in Gjoa Haven.  I have no doubt now that we'll be able to do both!  Yay!

C'mon Carlene, it'll be fun to sew 2000 labels!

So here, Carlene arrives at my house at 6pm to drop off blankets.  I am very happy to say that we've got 40 machine washable boxed for the Rankin Inlet Daycares.  Now, our target is 67, so if anyone out there has some handwashable blankets ready, please fire them to us by September 30th, and we will be thrilled to include them in the shipment.

And here is Carlene's insane contribution of stuff.  The blankets almost block our windows, the pile is so high.  Also, I just start to say, "Carlene, how about you stay and we get a head start on the tag sewing for the hand wash stuff?". 

And here is a picture of my favorite Carlene creation.  I loooove the colours, and the blanket is huge. 

This contribution is from KaffeKaren for Rankin Inlet.

And these are from Jenny Two Hands - Carlene tells me that people like the circular blankets for strollers because nothing gets dragged on the ground. 

Jenny's hats and mittens

plus two great Jenny vests.

This one is from Bonnie Bélanger - very pretty beehive.

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The picture above and all the pix below are from the Purple Sock Posse in Coldwater (thank you ladies!)

And here we are at 9:30 still sewing labels (thank you Amy and Carlene for a great evening!).  So we've got one more night of packing to go, I think (Jeanine and Suzanne, get your needles ready, 'cause we'll be sewing up a storm).  This time around boxes are going to Labrador, Moosonee, Gjoa Haven and Rankin Inlet.  To all of the knitters and crochetters who have put so much time, energy and love into the items that we have received, thank you for making this a great Warm Hands season.

 

The Drachenwollians

Below are the photos of the stuff that those groovy cats from Drachenwolle have sent in.  Love all of your beautiful handknits!  The sock campaign was a huge success.  Here are pictures from the first box (I understand from sweet Esther that another box is coming).  I cannot believe how prolific you folks are and the yarn is just stunning.  I will also send the stuffies (the little bears, etc) to the community and I'm sure some little kiddies will be very happy with them.  Love the little "learn to knit" kit too!  Folks, your stuff is just lovely and Amy and I are totally touched by the generosity of the German gang.  Please know that you've made the lives of those in Canada a little more comfortable. 

Blankets, boots and more!

I picked these lovelies from Knit Knackers. At first, I couldn't figure out why the bag was so heavy (and didn't want to open it till I got home.) There are several great blankets - a colour scheme for every taste here, and 2 pairs of boots, ready to wear. Then, you can see the georgeous mittens, hats and child's sweater. These flowers have inspired my teenager to try embroidery. And my small helper really wanted to be in on the action. He quickly realized the sweater is more for a preschooler, and was content not to even try to put it on, so this was his way of modelling it.

Thanks, chococupcakegirl! Beautiful!

(and, my apologies for the delay posting these - I don't get near my laptop very often)