Lois, Sabrina and Vivienne

So the January knitting season is upon us!  I am starting to get packages already for the January 2013 shipment.  Here are 2 sets of socks from Sabrina Thompson of Knit Yours Knot Mine.  Sabrina has a zibbet site as well.  On Ravelry, I love her name:  Knitphomaniac!

And here are some photos from Vivenne Sishakly of St. Lazare(Muffy on Ravelry:  okay I am spotting a trend of cute Ravelry names - wish I'd thought more about mine:  Warm Hands sounds like it could be a little dirty...

Vivienne also sent in this beautiful baby set - V, I have kept all of the items wrapped up and together so that they will be considered "a set" for a new mother.  Many thanks.

And finally, Lois Manton of Montreal Quebec.  Lois has mitten fever and sent in a wopping 50 pairs of handknit mittens, all beautifully packaged.  I took a picture of a bunch here but I didn't want to take them out of their packaging, so after ooing and aaahing, I picked my favorite one...

....and here it is.   Lois, thank you so much and I hope that you keep sending in your stuff, because we love it!

Boxes on their way!

Okay, lots and lots to say this time, so here's a summary:

1. Vic Mitchell, the Mayor of Moosonee, and ED of the Friendship Centre came over for dinner.  I interviewed him and he is unbelievable.  First, he gave me a detail breakdown as to where our stuff goes.  Its quite amazing.  I'll be posting the interview as soon as I get time to transcribe it, but basically, he has a system to ensure that everything gets to the right place.  He first distributes through the maternal health programs, then goes through the schools, then through various other programs (Christmas baskets are used to provide blankets, hats and socks to families in need).  Finally Vic has arranged a deal through Air Creebec, where he ships the remaining items up James Bay to various communities for distribution.  Vic wants our help in setting up a children's library to serve Moosonee/Moose Factory.  I know there's a way, we just need to figure it out - any thoughts?

2.  We packed and packed!  Vic took boxes of boots and winter woolies up north, and yesterday, I brought fourteen (!) boxes to the post office to be sent up to him.  And there's still more!  The reality that these items actually go to Moosonee, Moose Factory plus five more communities means that there is a lot of need that gets met this way.  There are a few more boxes to ship, then we have to get the remaining boxes up to Hannah in Gjoa Haven and Kwedzo in Rankin Inlet through Ed Picco and the wonderful folks at First Air.

3. While we packed, we also did some last minute photographing.  You aren't seeing Carlene's fabulous blankets (she always brings bags and bags), but she took pictures on the Ravelry Group.  Below are also some pictures from Suzanne, Claudette, Janet, Ellen and Mary, as well as Rammy and Wendy.  Thank you, ladies for all of the time and energy and love you put into each of your hand-knits.

So this is Vic and me.  Vic brought a truck to Ottawa, and we filled it with lots and lots of boots, blankets, sweaters and hats.

This is the partially filled section of his car.  Vic was pretty happy to pick up the items now, as the Friendship Centre hosts a Halloween event which gets many many families from the community into the centre.  His plan was to use the party as a way to get hats, sweater, neckwarmers etc tried on and distributed, as all the kiddies would be there.  Great idea, eh?  Vic and I spent a night talking talking talking about why he does what he does, the community in general (80% living below the poverty line), and his hopes for the future.  Right now, the project that he'd like to do is to create a children's library, as there is no library in Moosonee, and he recognizes that unless kids read for entertainment, its very hard to improve literacy.  He's got some space in a Curling Lounge (they have no funding to maintain the ice, so the lounge is now unused).  So I'm putting the word out.  If anyone out there has an idea as to how we can get new (not used) children's books for Moosonee, then let me know - let's work together on this!  I'm visualizing a space that's warm, friendly and has a books for the older kids as well as a few toys for the younger sibs.  How can we make this happen?

Carlene, Amy and I met last Friday for a "packing party", and holy cow was there stuff.  These beautiful blankets came from Suzanne (suzanneknitter).  The colors are striking, and I always love Suzanne's stuff.

Amy took this picture and entitled it "Claudette's mitten mountain".  Claudette we absolutely love your mitts.  The colours are fabulous.  Below is a close-up of some hats doen by Claudette, as well as her labels, which I loved.  I don't know how you do it Claudette, but I'm glad you do it.

These blankets are by Claudette.  They were incredibly cozy (especially the on on the top right and bottom left).  I took this picture standing on a chair, so that I could get as close to the details as possible.  They kind of have a fluffy quality.  Claudette or Suzanne, what kind of yarn was used for these ones?

Janet (bus13knitter) and her sister Ellen and friend Mary (I hope I got that right), sent these items in via Carlene, from New Brunswick.  Janet, we wound up not opening this bag, because you used a vacuum packed one and we wanted to box it exactly like this to save some shipping costs.

Here are some mittens, hats made by the East-coast knitting posse mentioned above.

OK I took a closeup of this hat because it was adorable, and I made my daughter try it on.

The gorgeous icelandic sweater and blanket come from the same group and will be going to Rankin Inlet.

And finally adorable baby bears made by the East coast posse for the Rankin Inlet daycare.  They were so cuddly and cute - perfect for a newborn's tiny hand.

Oops, one more!  These blankets also came from Janet, Ellen and May.  Janet, we almost just forwarded your boxes up north because they were so tightly packaged, we were afraid that we'd never be able to get them back in again, but then decided against it and I'm glad we did.

Look!  Its a bag of carrots for the Rankin Inlet daycare, from Rammy!

...and finally, Wendy Lindquist of Jersey City sent in these two hats.  Thanks Wendy!

Critters from Alex

Four baby owls to go to Rankin Inlet

My favorite from Alex - the snake was curled around everything.

And finally the last set is from Jeanine.  Thanks for dropping by, J and the chit-chat!

So Jeanine came over today, to drop off some amazing stuff.  She had her own stuff, but in addition, there was a package of toys that were dropped off at her place by Fiona and her 12 (!) year-old daughter Alex.  Alex, you've definitely got a talent.

So Carlene Came Over....

Carlene is here right now.  While she is madly crocheting (um, I think that she may actually build a whole blanket in one evening), I'm uploading pictures that we just took.

We got these adorable comfort dolls from JCL (Jackie Lambert of West Richmond, Washington).  Jackie, they will make it to Rankin Inlet, where the daycare kids will love them.

...and here are some more things that she made...

Carlene brought these sweaters from her friend Veronica (Veronica, the photo doesn't do them justice, but I am singing the Elvis Costello "Veronica" song to you right now, I hope that helps).

Carlene brought over this box.  It is huge and heavy, and filled with socks (72 of them) and other lovelies below!  The box came from Nandini Rajagopalan of Brooklyn.  

So here are some of the 72 socks...

And here are more of the 72 socks...

And yes, even more socks.  Nandini (ravename 20cffrog), thank you so much - looove the sizes.

Here are some crocheted sweaters that Nandini made - I put my favorite one on the top - you are going to make some little girls very happy!

and last but definitely not least, my sweet and gorgeous Carlene made these and the next pic.  She is my ravelry hero, and she can't see me typing right now but when she gets home she will read this and blush.

Love to all of you,

ab

Its rolling in now...

I got 3 packages in the mail this week, plus a giant garbage bag filled with stuff.  Carlene is coming over tonight so we can confab about the shipment, then off we go!

These hats and the vests below come from Bonnie Belanger (Panther on Ravelry) of Ottawa.  Thanks Bonnie, the hats and vests will be very appreciated!

These 9 hats came in an envelope simply labeled "Waterloo, Ontario".  I think these are a ravelry installment, but feel free to comment, and thank you!

Coldwater!  We love you and your hats!  This picture and the the three below represent all of the hats received from the Purple Sock.  I arranged them in a little game I like to call "find your hat".  Coldwater knitters, can you spot your hat?

And last but not least I got a giant garbage bag of stuff from Judy from Kingston (hats, mittens, socks, and vests).  Judy, I thought I'd have my daughter model samples of the mitties and slippers rather than undo your perfect packaging.  There must have been 50 pairs of the slippers which are just perfect.  My daughter's reaction: "So cozy.  Can we keep them?".  No we cannot, they have a long plane ride to go before they get on the next set of cold and appreciative tootsies.  Also, check out Judy's honeycomb mittens below - she knit at least 10 sets.  Again Judy thank you so much, I'm pretty sure you single-handedly contributed 100 items, and we're grateful!

xxx

Sara, Ann, Cathie, Tina and Barbara are planting trees

Nelson Henderson said 'The true meaning of life is to plant trees under whose shade you do not expect to sit.'  There's something that I love about that quote.  I got it mailed to me via the Happiness Project (they send me a morning quote each day which kind of sets my compass most days). 



Ahhhh September.  The month in which you are so grateful for every hot day because you can see them disappearing soon.  The month when asking "how was your summer?" is the greeting instead of "I cannot believe its so cold out here?  It was minus 30 this morning for (*&$ sake.  When is this freaking winter going to be over?  What's it going to go down to tonight?"

Or is that just the standard Ottawa greeting? 

In September, the letter-carrier and I also get to be girlfriends.  I see her a lot more, as she's dropping off your fabulous boxes.  And without further ado...

SO Sarah (aka camrosegirl), Ann (aka hockeyfleck) and Cathie of Camrose Alberta sent in a lovely box of items.  Above are 3 blankets by them.

And here are a bunch of itty-bitty socks.  Ladies, I can't tell you how much I appreciate you adding the labels.  You are saving the Warm Hands army lots of legwork (fingerwork?) on packing night.

And another blanket and hats by the same gang, with a pair of mitties thrown in for good luck.

This hat a mittens comes from Knits Yours, Knot Mine.  Her zibbet shop can be found here.  Sabrina, I love your stuff, and thank you so much for sending in the spinny hat and beautiful baby sweater.

Tina is from Greenfield Park, QC.Tina Martin, what is your rav name?    At any rate, we looove your hats.  The sizes are great, and you are a gifted pom-pom maker.  How come my pom-poms always turn our scraggly, and yours are a poofy work of art?

Barbara Dreher is our longest-distance knitter.  She lives in Takasuki City, Osaka, Japan.  Barbara, my boy (the one you knit the sens hat for) took this picture of your stuff.  He wanted it to be arty, so he grabbed a flower from our garden and threw it in there.

And Barbara also made these gorgeous two-ply hats.  They are larger sizes, which is always lovely for the older kids.  I can just see some kids in Moosonee and Gjoa Haven turned out in Barbara designs.

On a final note, we got an email from Vogue Knitting recently - looks like we're going to be featured in their Canada Gives column at Christmas time (Carlene, our VEEP communications will fill you in a bit more).  Did you ever think when we started this journey together, that we would be here?  Remember when the goal was 50 items to ship in total?  We've got more than that in this blog post alone. 

Thanks to all of you WarmHanders for planting those trees.

xxxooo ab