Like a Well-Oiled Pizza Eating Machine

SO!

This was packing and shipping weekend.  Thanks to you we will be shipping about 300 pounds this time - the reason the amount seems lower than in the past, is that we now ship at least 4 times per year, instead of just in January and September - we have more connections with communities and shippers now, so we work at getting your gorgeous stuff out the door as soon as possible.

Here is a picture of packed boxes - you're not even seeing the mountains behind the walls.  Basically, we sent 3 boxes, about 200 pounds, to Iqualuit via the lovely doctors.

We created 2 more boxes for another doctor to take with her to Iqualuit - Rhoda will then drive down from Igloolik to pick up the boxes and take them back with her.

We also created a smaller "test box" filled with your stuff to go via Canada North Cargo directly to Igloolik.  If that works, then we'll use it for the January shipment, or earlier if there is enough stuff.

Cape Dorset only needs to be ready the first week in October, so I'm just hoping that new stuff comes in because once again the cupboards are bare - that is a great position to be in, because it means that we are meeting a huge demand, and that your inventory is cycling through my place very quickly!

Here is a picture of the cake we ate as our reward.

Here is a picture of Suzanne, Claire, Carlene and I eating cake and laughing planning the next shipment.

Of course there were many things photographed as well - some came in at the last minute (yay!) some came in via Suzanne and Carlene.

Just a quick note about Yard Forward, folks:  they also collect for the snowsuit fund, so if you drop off there, would you mind please attaching a bit sheet of paper stapled to the bag that says "Warm Hands Network"?  Otherwise it just goes into their general pile which is what I suspect may have happened with a couple of items.

Another note:  we got a message back from Rhoda in Igloolik - it sounds like the orphans (real and metaphorical) in her community are short on warm winter clothing - I am trying to get some information so that I can post, and we can figure out what to do specifically for these kids.  As soon as I find out, I will be sure to post on it.  They sound like great little guys, who are having a hard time.  I feel a special project coming on.

So here is the stuff:

These mittens and socks were contributed by Constant Mac (Marlene).  I have to say that the top mittens make me feel very Canadian. 

These are also from Marlene, but the Balakava's are from Aunt Betty - thanks to both Marlene and Aunt Betty (and Marlene, thanks for the donation, it will help defray the cost of shipping this year!).

Hats hats hats.  The colours are magnificent - bright and cheerful  They come from Ailie Penny (penny on rav) of Burlington.  Ailie I don't remember seeing your name before - if you're a newbie, welcome and thank you - your stuff is perfect!).

And this is Trinity who was being a giant pain in the rear-end throughout the photog session.  The packers told me she is getting fat.  I would agree that she is a slightly big-boned cheese-lover.  But then, so am I.

These slippers and the hat come from Tracy/lingfing.  Thank you - your items have gone to Iqualuit.

Mary Liechty of Goshen, Tennessee sent these sweaters and the hat in.  Mary, you win: we've never received anything from Tennessee before.

Of course the lovely Nandini of Brooklyn sent us 28 (yes 28!) vests - Nandini they are great and will keep some kids and elders very warm.

Carlene and I rolled the vests here and below for display purposes - also check out Jody the bear who is going to make a little one very happy.

These squares were all donated from the Ravelry group + Claire (see picture above) then assembled by sweet Carlene.  Yay, team effort!

This blanket is the "Claire blanket" made with her beautiful contributions.  Claire, next time you come over, bring the bagpipes.

This "big square" afghan comes from Carlene.  Thanks always to my partner in crime.

Claudette is so prolific, even though she is having trouble knitting due to hand/arm pain.   Claudette, I can't begin to tell you how much we appreciate and love your stuff.  Thank you thank you thank you!  The pictures below are all from sweet Claudette.  Your contributions are dear, along with the tiny tag you attach to each one.

I don't know how to tell you all how much you have enriched not only my life but the life of some forgotten kids.  From the bottom of my heart, Warmhanders, thank you for helping the invisible kids of Canada.

Mwah!

Anita

Cape Dorset and You

Did everyone have a great summer?  Ottawa was cold then warm then rainy then hot then rainy but September is turning out to be mighty fine.

Spent my morning taking photos of all of the boxes and packages that knitters sent in last month.  Beautiful thick stuff - the irony of handling super warm woolies in 35 degree weather is not lost on me.

Here's the thing though:  today its 4 degrees in Cape Dorset.  And in 2 weeks, the high will be 0.  Why am I talking about the weather in Cape Dorset?  Because some of your lovely stuff is going to wind up there in October!  One of the ENT's is going up in October and we're going to be sending a box of your warm wonders with him - Carlene and company will be coming over to box - we've got 210 pounds to Iqualuit as well, and this time, I plan on stuffing it to the max.

The doctor boxes are flying up this Monday, and after that, we'll take a look at our remaining treasures and budget/plan for the rest of the fall, over pizza and white wine - its all good!

Lois Manton of Manton's Mittens sent us 50 (!) pairs of mittens.  My photo does not do them justice at all but I love them all.  My favourites are the little yellow ones.

Jackie Lambert of West Rockland, Washington sent us in these socks, hat and a pair of mittens.  Jackie's been with us forever - can't remember a shipment without her stuff in it.

Same goes for Karen Zorn of Bradenbury, SK.  These cute sweaters are lovely, but the one that is sheer adorability is the onesie, below - check it out...

Then Karen did some socks and mittens to keep it interesting...

And I can totally visualize this on a 2 year old boy - its a "big boy sweater".

The Purple Sock in Coldwater, ON, do some knit-alongs, and we are the lucky recipients - here are some hats that they contributed, along with the swather below - check out the colours.

Peggy Wallace (DoctorPeg on Ravelry sent us so much stuff!  The hats are super cute and the neck-warmers are truly appreciated...

Along with this cute shawl with tons of glitter though you aren't getting a lot of the glitter in this pic.  Trust me, its cute, and I do love me some glitter - always appropriate!

Margaret Bradford of Ottawa dropped off some stuff at my place last week - Margaret, it was lovely to meet you in person!

Thought this hat colour combo was super-cute so I did a closeup...

…and finally a closeup of Margaret's stripy blanket - thanks Margaret, I love it!

Jeanine we will miss you this Friday - but thank you so much for dropping off the pile of stuff - its beautiful!

Close up of Jeanine (DouceAubergine)'s socks for the hunters.

and finally some beautiful christmas blankets.  Thanks Jeanine, as usual, you are wonderful!

Hoot

July in Ottawa is the best - the weather is sometimes sweet, sometimes sweaty but nobody cares because we all try to be on the water at every opportunity.   Sometimes I forget that the doctors are going back up north in September and it will already be cold in Iqualuit.  

Knitters, if you've got items that your interested in having go north for September, I'd be very happy and grateful to get them before September 10th.  We've got other places to get them as well, but its always nice to get a stack up with the physicians.

Today, I was kayaking and saw 2 gorgeous loons.  Then I came home and saw 2 rose owls:

Sabrina (Knitphomaniac on Rav) - thanks for thinking of us!

These hats came from Wendy Genge...

She's from Smoke Lake, Alberta.

But before that, she lived in Cochrane Ontario and worked the Polar Bear Express to Moosonee in the late 60's.

And these shawls are from her too - thanks, Wendy!

I love these 3 socks - they come from Lynn - her blog mindingmyownstitches.blogspot.ca is great - I love checking out what she's reading, and the backstory behind her sock creations.

And this beautiful blanket is also from Lynn.  Thanks Lynn - as usual your stuff is beauteous.

And finally this beautiful sweater, hat and mitten set from Peggy L (sorry Peggy, I couldn't read your last name) of Nampa Indiana.  Peggy, thank you so much for taking the time to send us these beautiful items.  Welcome!.

Gone, Baby, Gone

So your stuff went out with the lovely doctors this week.  Right now, it has landed in Iqualuit, boxes have been opened and distribution has started.  The weather is relatively warm (a balmy 7 degrees) and daylight has started to stretch out (sunrise is a little after 2am and sunset a little after 11pm).  I have a friend who lived in Iqualuit for awhile and she told me that as a southerner, the long days really messed her up - "its daylight, let's stay up!  Wait, its still daylight!".

Thank you to all of you who dropped off items in preparation for the June shipment - its hard to think of knitting as the weather turns to summer but it was just terrific.

Here are some boxes I opened up late:

Jeannette (DouceAubergine) sent a bag of lovely quilts.

Here is another one made by Jeannette.  I took a close-up of my favourite square (top left).

And of course, her beautiful socks and mittens which she makes for kids of all ages.

Jackie Lambert, you are prolific and wonderful.  Jackie of West Richland, Washington has produced so much over the past years - there is always something in the shipment from her.  Thank you again!

All this to say the cupboards are bare and my mind turns to September - I will let everyone know when we are doing "packing night" so we can hopefully chit-chat and ooh and ahh over the stuff together.

Love you knitters and crochetters - you make life sweet.

Sweetness

That's the only way to describe it, when you open up 4 boxes and inside are lovely knitted things but also 4 of the sweetest notes you'd ever want to read.  Ladies I feel I know you all personally, and your notes just speak to me!  I also love all of the little labels on the stuff - I do believe that the labels with your names and locations touch both the grown-ups and the kids that much more.  So great for them to read that there is someone in Vancouver, or Washington or Montreal or Toronto who is thinking of them.

Roll tape!

Jackie Lambert (rag tag icl) can be counted upon to send us at least one box for each shipment -  Jackie I loved the notes, and took a picture of one of them below. 

These lovely neck and head-warmers came from Melanie Achen (mwachen on rav) from Burnaby BC.  Rockin' the purple.

Peggy Wallace of Oakville (drpeg on revelry) made the hats above, and also the socks, mittens, neck warmers etc below.  

I took a closeup of drpeg's fasteners because they looked so northern to me!

And this I love - Kara Mcalyle(aka kalyle) made this blanket that is a revelry squares community effort.  Thanks very much to square-creators: penny (Burlington), Andrea "aclark4" (Ottawa), Plentimawfish (Waterloo), Marlene "constantmac" Ottawa and Betsy "yarn habit (NY).  The note attached gives all of the names and says "This blanket was pieced together during the winter olympics, with contributions from many stitchers.  We hope you enjoy it."
See why I captioned this post "Sweetness"?  

The mittens come from Elaine, Kara's mom, rag "cheatelaineboothe".  Thanks, Elaine!

And finally more stuff from Kara - love the baby booties, Kalyle!

So I've got an email out to the doctors to let them know that we are ready when they are ready.  It may be a balmy 25 degrees here but in Pond Inlet, its 5 degrees, and in Arctic Bay its -5.  Your stuff is appreciated year-round.  Thanks again to everyone for contributing!

Off to Igloolik

So, as I mentioned, I'm off to First Air to send boxes to Igloolik.  We will have 5 boxes filled with your cozies for the community.  Rhoda, our community contact, said she can get the items distributed very quickly - there is such a shortfall of clothing.  Interestingly though, they are interested in items that fit into their own more traditional animal skin clothing - kind of using it as a liner.

I got a couple of boxes in the mail this week, and I'm squeeeezing them into the shipment as well - I want to send absolutely everything we can - let's make our cupboards bare!

So here's what I got this week:

The elephant above, the monkeys and the hats/mittens are from Sabrina Thomspson of Miss ON (otherwise known as knitphomatic on Rav).  Sabrina, thank you very much - your toys will be appreciated in Igloolik!

So when I sent out an "I'm not sure if I have enough" message, of course, Jeanine (douceaubergine) anted up immediately:  Jeanine, the socks and mittens will be very appreciated as I understand the last sets are currently linking kamiks and mittens.  See Jeanine's mittens below:

And finally, we LOVE Barbara Dreher of Takatsuki City, Japan.  Yes, you did read that right:  Barbara sends us stuff for each shipment - she's a Canadian living in Japan to be closer to her grand-babies.  Thanks, Barbara!

And above is a lap blanket/baby blanket from Barbara.  Your timing could not have been better!