Rebuilding Greensburg - Block by Block

LAST UPDATED: FEBRUARY 27, 2008

save button to your own computer by right clicking on the image above - please link to this post

FEBRUARY 27, 2008 UPDATE:

It's delivery time!  We have scheduled a date to deliver afghans to Greensburg on Saturday, March 8, 2008.  The details are as follows:

DATE:  Saturday, March 8, 2008
TIME:  5:30pm
LOCATION:  First Baptist Church of Greensburg
MAP:  If you are planning to attend please email me for info/directions
OTHER DETAILS:  The afghans will be delivered and presented at the beginning of a community event being held the evening of March 8th from 6-8pm.  They're hosting the Toney Brothers Quartet at First Baptist that evening.  I'll be setting up during the 5:00 hour and doing a very brief presentation prior to the concert.  I'm not finished counting but I believe we have close to 50 afghans to take with us to Greensburg!

OCTOBER 9, 2007 UPDATE:

The seaming party was a lot of fun!  To watch a YouTube video of project photos through the seaming event, click here!

Want to adopt an afghan packet to seam at home, your Local Yarn Shop, or knitting/crochet group??

We completed 11 afghans at the seaming party September 15th and two others were partially completed that day.  Since then we have continued sorting squares into afghan packets and are making them available for seaming by request!  The list of available packets is being continually updated and more packets are being added daily!  If you would like to request a packet but don't see one available on the list please leave a comment or send me an email and you'll be added to the list for the next available packet.  Here is a list of request guidelines:

1.  When requesting an afghan packet please tell what packet number you would like to adopt from this list.  Look for the ones that say AVAILABLE.  You can do this by leaving a comment on this post, leaving a comment on the table/chart page, or by sending me a private email at [email protected].  IMPORTANT:  If the packet you would like has already been requested, do you want to be placed on a waiting list?  I will respond to every request.

2.  You will need to pay the postage for the package via PayPal before I can ship it.  To estimate how much the postage will be please consult the USPS Domestic Postage calculation page.  My zip code is 67042.  You'll need to enter your zip code and the weight is 6lbs (small package size).  All packages will be sent PRIORITY MAIL.  This is because 12x12x8 Priority Mail boxes are the best size I could find for the packets and the boxes are FREE.  If we had to buy boxes just for cheaper postage it would end up costing the same anyway.  The farther you live from Kansas the more it will cost. It's about $15 to Maine, about $12 to California, and about $8 to Kansas City.  You will also be responsible for return postage.  When I receive your request and have a packet available for you I will send a PayPal invoice for the cost of shipping the packet to you.  **Requests for multiple packets by one person/entity will be shipped individually because it is less expensive to ship the smaller size boxes.**

3.  Afghans need to be completed ASAP and sent back out by November 1st.  That's a target mailing date of November 1st.  If it's Nov 2nd don't panic.  But do try to get the completed afghan sent out by Nov 1st if you can.

4.  Each packet includes 56 afghan squares (unless otherwise indicated) and coordinating yarn to whip stitch them together.  If you prefer to use a different method of joining the squares (like crochet) please let me know and I can include more seaming yarn.  If you would like to do a single crochet edge around the entire finished afghan please let me know and I can also include yarn for that.  I have received a lot of seaming yarn now.  :) 

**OLD NEWS - NOW OUTDATED**
IT'S TIME FOR THE SEAMING PARTY!!

Saturday, September 15, 2007
10:00am - 4:00pm

El Dorado First Baptist Church
315 West Central
El Dorado, KS  67042
Map to Church Building

REBUILDING GREENSBURG - BLOCK BY BLOCK
What:  8" garter stitch squares
Pattern:  knit from corner to corner on the bias (pattern specs below)
Fiber:  Worsted Weight - wool, superwash wool, wool blends
Color:  Any color - solid or variegated yarn
NEW INFO!  Mailing Deadline:  Inside U.S. August 10th;  Outside U.S. August 5th

Pattern Specs:  cast on 4 stitches, knit into the front and back of the first sitch of each row, knit in garter stitch (knit on every row) until one side measures 8", k2tog at the end of each row until 5 stitches remain, cast off.

ADDED MAY 11, 2007:  Alternate pattern - cast on 2 stitches, *knit into the front and back of the first stitch, knit across.  Repeat from the * until piece measures 8" along one side.  *Knit across to last two stitches, k2tog.  Repeat from the * until 2 stitches remain.  Cast off.  This makes the caston and castoff corners a little pointier.

*the increase stitch that I am using is kfb (knit into the front and back of the first stitch) 

Designs or various stitch patterns or stockinette can be incorporated if you wish but the basic pattern is intended to simplify seaming for the various people who may be helping with seaming.  If we collect more squares than we need for one family we will continue assembling afghans to be given to other families.

If any one would like to include a note or postcard sending good wishes to the family who receives your afghan square we will keep those messages together with the square(s) you send.  We're looking forward to being able to get these afghans and messages to the families!

MAIL BLOCKS TO THIS ADDRESS:

Laura Spradlin
El Dorado First Baptist Church
315 West Central
El Dorado, KS  67042

Please email me at [email protected] if you have any questions at all.

* * * * * * *

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

I don't have any worsted wool but I have acrylic yarn - will that be okay?
If it's yarn that you would feel comfortable using in an afghan for yourself or your family it'll be perfect for this project.  The most important thing is that they're 8" squares.

What if my square is not exactly eight inches - is that okay?
Don't worry - send it anyway!  I have read many other afghan project organizers say that the squares they receive are all over the map in the size range.  This looks like it will be a big project y'all!!  That gives us the luxury to sort squares by size.  If your square is 7" or 7.5" or 8.5" or whatever, it will be sorted with other squares the same size so that when it's time to seam we won't have to worry about stretching or pulling ones into submission to conform with a larger or smaller square next to it.  Send what you have - we can use them all!

What needle size should I use?
Use a needle size that will give you a fairly dense fabric.  With worsted weight yarn that will probably be US 6, 7, or 8.  If your stitches are a little loose you could double the yarn or add something else as a carry-along to add a little bulk.  Two strands of sock yarn = worsted weight in most cases.  A sport or DK + one strand of sock yarn will work well too!

I don't knit but I do crochet.  Will you accept 8" crochet squares?
How could I possibly say no??  Please yes - if you only crochet and would like to send a square we will LOVE to receive your square(s)!  I have been contacted by several people who want to send crochet squares and it appears that we will probably have at least a few afghans made entirely of crochet squares!  Knit On! Crochet On!

Who will be seaming the squares into afghans? 
UPDATED JUNE 22, 2007:  Just like I can't make this many squares alone, I can't seam the afghans alone!!  We're having a Seaming Saturday on September 15, 2007 at El Dorado First Baptist Church.  If you're within reasonable driving distance from here please check your calendar - we would LOVE to have you attend our seaming party!!  The event will be held in the Christian Living Center at the church building from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm with lunch snacks and cookies coffee and tea available to everyone who attends.  We have to keep up your energy level for seaming!  We need at least 80 - 100 people to help with the seaming.  Please let me know if you are interested in attending and if you will be with a group or if you're LOOKING for another person to share the driving with!  We'll be so happy and grateful for everyone that's able to attend this event!! 

Please email me at [email protected] if you can attend so I can add you to the list or let me know if you need me to check the list for someone you can share a ride with in your area!

Here's a map to the church building:  El Dorado First Baptist Church, 315 W Central, El Dorado, KS  67042

How will you decide who gets the afghans when they're finished?
At this point I know that if the church plan works the way they hope, the family we adopt (as a church, not my husband and I adopting a Greensburg family!) will receive at least one afghan.  Possibly a few small ones too if they have children.  I also hope to give afghans to the famlies of those killed by the storms.  I will learn more from the church and through the internet about agencies that are organizing support for the families of Greensburg and will contact those places to make arrangements for how the afghans will be distributed.  One thing to remember is that we won't necessarily know who receives the afghans we make.  The families in Greensburg deserve privacy and anonymity if they wish.  Due to that fact we probably will not receive a list of family names, etc.  Those lists will be organized and kept by official agencies like the Red Cross and United Way.  The churches of Greensburg will also know what families will benefit the most from the things we can send.  I will try to let you know more about these families as information is available but I don't expect to know too much about them myself. 

How many afghans are you making?
Watch the sidebar on my blog to keep up with the number of squares received and what our goals are.

What is the mailing deadline?
At this moment there is not a firm deadline.  I'm anticipating that it will probably be around August 1st but we'll never turn a square away and all squares that are received will be made into afghans for the families of Greensburg.  If your squares are ready please don't wait for the deadline!  We want to begin seaming afghans as soon as we can!  ADDED JUNE 22, 2007:  Please knit as many squares as you would like until August 1st.  Finish up what's on your needles at that time and get them in the mail by August 10th if you're in the US and August 5th if you're outside the US.  Let me know if you have any questions!

Do you have any color preferences?
There is no color preference. Get wild!  Use something that's not *you* and can't bear to look at in your stash!  It will be BEAUTIFUL paired with the other squares.  Feel free to use yarn scraps and make a stripey square with various colors.  It's a simple pattern and I'm encouraging everyone to get as crazy as they want with their colors!

Should I weave in my yarn tails on the squares?
Definitely YES please!  That way the squares will be ready for seaming when they arrive!  :)

ADDED JUNE 22, 2007

My squares aren't "square" - what am I doing wrong? 
Don't worry - my squares aren't "square" either when I first finish them!  My theory has always been that gravity isn't kind to anyone and always seems to stretch out the second half of my squares.  I repeat - DO NOT WORRY!  After August 15th gets here I will be washing every single square and shaping them into actual squares before sorting them into afghan packets for seaming.  Gravity has the same effect on all bias garter stitch squares.  Plus blocking covers a multitude of sins - I promise to take pictures to prove it in August.  :)

I just learned about the project - is it too late to start knitting squares? 
No!  It's not too late!  Please knit as many squares as you would like until August 1st and get them in the mail by August 10th if you're inside the US, or August 5th if you're outside the US.  We hope to collect MORE than our goal of 2240 squares (40 afghans!) so if you wish to knit or crochet squares please do so!

* * * * * * *

By now everyone has heard of the devastation that struck Greensburg, Kansas, USA on Friday, May 4, 2007.  It was a town of 1400 people.  Every church building was destroyed.  Every business on main street was demolished.  Every house was left shattered shredded and splintered.  I know that despite their hopeful outlook at the moment, many of the people and families will eventually feel shattered shredded and splintered because the road to recovery from a total loss like that is long and difficult.

I live in a rural Kansas town a few hours from Greensburg.  It was amazing to realize how many people here have family and friends in Greensburg that lost every last posession and they all lost members of their closeknit community to this horrible storm.

Sunday morning following the tornado our pastor told us that they had a signup sheet ready for volunteers and by the end of the day the signup sheet was full and there was a plan in place to adopt a family to help clean up their property then rebuild their home from the ground up.  We will know in about a week what family we are adopting and what their specific needs are - whether they have children, etc.

I can't go to Greensburg and help them clean up or build a house.  But I can do something that many knitters have done - I'm going to knit squares and assemble an afghan for the family.  I hope that you will help.

My button photo was used with permission from the photographer.  Her original photo and tribute to the families of Greensburg, Kansas can be seen here on flickr.

Comments

[Tracy]

I'm sending you an email now!

[Anne]

Nice. Very very nice. I will try to get a square worked on for you - mostly will depend on the mailing deadline. Good for you for organizing this. They will need all the help they can get.

[Carole]

I think the button is really great, Laura. Did I win yet?

[susan aka cussin' granny]

a great and wonderful thing you do.

did i win yet? ;0)

[Lisa]

I too will try to get a square made. It's good of you to do this!

Also, I am looking forward to your granny squares tutorial. I'm having a little bit of a problem with Row 4 where you chain 5 and then slip stitch into the 5th chain from the hook. It doesn't always look very neat to me.

[Kathy]

I'm happy to knit a square or two.

[Pat K]

Must post comment. Must post comment. Prizes at stake. Must post comment. Then must go wind yarn to knit squares.

[Marisol]

Thanks for posting the details. I will send you two.

[Gwen]

Count on me for at least one square.

[Susie]

I'm in! Thanks for doing this!

[Lana]

It's wonderful of you to do this. I come from a small town too, so it's really a great feeling to be a part of a community effort to help as we can:~D

[Heather Joins The Round]

I had the great pleasure to visit Greensburg several years ago and was very sorry to hear about the detestation there. I will cast on my garter square today.

[Kim]

I am also from a small town in Kansas. I know those tornadoes and how scary and devastating they are. Please count on me for a square or 2.

[Annette Derksen]

Hi I will make a couple of squares also but don't know how long it will take to get to you. Live in Manitoba, Canada
Such a tradety and affects many of us.

Hugs and blessings for your day.
Annette

[jules]

I will definitely knit at least one square! And possibly more, because garter-stitch-on-the-bias is my favorite afghan square. Thanks for doing this!

[April]

Thank you so much for organizing this. I have a million and one odd balls of worsted weight. Now I know how I'm going to spend my weekend. :)

[Jeri]

I'm knitting a block for you too. I will pass this info on to my Sisters Of the Wool and probably get several more squares.

[Karla (threadbndr)]

Fellow Kansas here - casting on.

[Pat]

Thank you so much for this - fellow Kansan and headed to Greensburg (Haviland)tomorrow to help process SBA business disaster loans. These people are wonderful folks who have lost everything. You are so thoughtful! Blessings on all who are knitting for this - and I will as well!

[firefly]

I'll inclide a link to your project on the new Gracious Parcels blog. Hope that is helpful.

Best wishes,
firefly

[Jane George]

Hi, I think this is such a wonderful thing you are organizing. I will start on squares today. Will it be ok for me to copy and paste your post and email it to the groups I belong to, in case they have not seen your blog? One of the stories I saw on tv showed a woman standing in front of the sign for her shop "Stitch and Frame", it was destroyed. I felt a connection, as I was away at a cross stitch weekend, and tried to think of how I could do something for her and the town. Thank you for this effort.

[Densie]

I'm casting on when I get home from work today.
I lived in Kansas for eight years (most of those in Olathe), but my daughter was born in Topeka.
You can count on me for two squares - one from me, and one from my Kansas baby.
I know first hand the devastation that tornadoes bring. Blessings are headed towards Greensburg from southern Indiana.

[Sue]

I would be honored to send a square. Please count me in, too. Thanks for your part in showing grace and love in action.

[Jill]

I'll start knitting tonight and add your link to my blog.
Good luck and THANK YOU for taking the time to get all of us involved in a worthy cause!

[Julie]

After reading Jane's post on the Aran knitlist, I knit my first half-square last night, during "Robin Williams, Live on Broadway!" Eight-inch-squares-on-the-bias is perfect movie knitting, and as th'Mr and I are Netflix junkies I should be able to knit several Wool-Ease squares before the deadline. I'll mention it at my Friday night knit-together and hopefully you'll get more participants from this small town in Kentucky.
Hugs,

[Katt]

This is a great idea.
I live in the Salina area, and I'll see to it that I get some mailed out.
=D

[Amy]

This is such an amazing cause. I just graduated college, so this event, even though I went to LSU, still impacted me as a student. I will definitely make one!!

[Dana from Love's Many Cloths]

Hello Laura, my Love's Many Cloths gals are on it! I have also contacted my two local papers to get some more community help for the cause from Winona, MN. My dad lives in Kansas City MO...I passed on the news to him there too.

[LisaDP]

Laura,
I'm part of a small knitting/crocheting group just getting started, and we are going to start with squares. Question: if we end up with enough squares, would you rather receive an afghan already put together? (no promises - I don't know how many people will be involved) If so, how big are you thinking for the final project?

[Sharon]

I would like to knit a couple of squares as I have ancestors from Kansas and I feel to connected to Kansas.

I question the use of worsted wool. Is that machine washable? I will be using acrylic and will send a couple of squares.

A friend and I are knitting 7" squares for a local church that builds Habitat for Humanity houses but I will be happy to do a few squares for your project.

[Karen M.]

I am knitting squares.... or trying to. I thought I needed to increase at the beginning and end of each row... so my first square is wonky, but I will do some correctly and they will be on their way soon :-)

[Dawn Castro]

I can crochet a square or two!! anything to help out!1 count me in!!

[Ray (Knitterman)]

Marvelous to know you are doing this; and good chatting with you on Monday. I posted the information on my Web site www.knitivity.com to allow others to participate. Some of my customers are knitting socks and we'll be forwarding them to you for distribution among those who need them, and I am pleased to extend to your readers a way to get superwash wool yarns for their squares.

Ray Whiting
Knitivity

[Michelle]

Hi Laura...I am a member of the Loves Many Cloths group and we are delighted to be able to help you out with this project! I have 5 squares completed and have a 6th one on my needles right now with many more to come. I have also joined your flickr group and look forward to seeing and hearing about how this project is progressing.
Thank you for taking this project on and for the kindness and thoughtfulness you and everyone is showing towards this very worthy cause.

[Michelle]

Hi Laura...I am a member of the Loves Many Cloths group and we are delighted to be able to help you out with this project! I have 5 squares completed and have a 6th one on my needles right now with many more to come. I have also joined your flickr group and look forward to seeing and hearing about how this project is progressing.
Thank you for taking this project on and for the kindness and thoughtfulness you and everyone is showing towards this very worthy cause.

Michelle in MI

[Shelby]

I live a couple hours from El Dorado and would love to help seam up. Will you be posting dates/times/locations?

[Elizabeth Gloor]

I am making 4 squares right now and hope to send 6 squares soon. Hope the afghans turn out to be beautiful.

[Debra]

I would love to help with this project. I only live in KC and can easily come to help seam squares, too. First packet will be in the mail to you on Monday!!

[Gerene]

Just sent some email. I am already working on 2-color 6" squares, but as soon as I finish the one I am working on now, squares for you are the next thing on those needles! So look out, you'll probably get more than a couple out of me.

[goodie2needles]

Count me in!

[MargotK]

I have begun my 4th 8 inch square. Am enjoying the work. To make seaming easier for the ladies I slip the 1st stitch of every row, kf&b in the second stitch, knit the row to the last stitch, then knit in the back of that stitch. I do the same for every row until the decreases, then I decrease before the last stitch in the row. This is easy to do. It prepares the way for a very easy join.I think you will have a lot of blankets to moin.

[Leslie]

We've posted a notice of your wonderful project on the Fiber Femmes blog. Many thanks for your hard work, and I can see you're getting a terrific response! Fiber people are fantastic!

[Wendy Basil]

Hello Laura,
You have already seen some of my squares on "flickr" (great idea) I have 8 squares done and hope to complete at least 2 more, that I will be mailing to you on Monday, 5-21-07.
I am trying to get some of my friends and family to also join in, if so I will send theirs as I get them.
This is such a wonderful venture of the heart and I am glad to be a part of it.

[Lisa]

Thanks for doing this. I'm starting today!

[Julie]

A woman at my Friday night knit-together works with Doves (local women's shelter) and says she has several of the residents knitting. I suggested your cause and gave her the two squares I'd completed, to take along as samples (I expect to get those back next Friday). In the meanwhile I've finished another and am on the downhill side of a fourth. Expect a package from Morehead Kentucky toward the end of the month!

[Kelsey]

Hey, I'll be knitting you a square or four too! I hate to be getting into this so late, but I can't wait to get busy!

[Cheryl]

What a nice idea! I grew up half an hour from Greensburg, and know at least one of my childhood friends was affected by the tornado.

[Lisa from Mass.]

awesome any Yay!
A real stash buster project for a worthy cause.
My square is started. For the next one, I'll try goodie2needles suggestion of slipping the first stitch.

You go girl!

[MargotK]

Hi Laura, You are amassing squares quickly now. Looks like you might be able to put one blanket together already. A great charity idea just draws people in. Congratualtions on inspiring so many crafters. I noted this morning that my group of squares have been received. I'll keep touching base, and who knows, I may send more....after sewing a Hello Kitty quilt for my grandchild who will be five years old the end of May.

[Kelsey]

I've gotten two and a half squares done since yesterday. I was wondering if homespun worsted weight was allowed if the square is still knit up to the right dimensions? (Assuming I don't die it a ghastly color of course. ) Anyway, good luck everyone!

[Deb]

I'm at home recovering from breast cancer and can't think of a more worthy way to spend my time. Count me in! My heart and prayers go out to those who've lost so much and yet stand so brave in the face of such devistation.

[Dot]

four more squares are heading your way. The little hearts are my way of saying my heart goes out to the people of Greensburg.

[MargotK]

Well Laura,
I am pleased to let you know the Hello Kitty quilt is done and has been delightedly received. So I have gone on to make 7 more square to send on to you. They will go in the mail tomorrow, before my husband goes in for heart catherization on Friday. Know your prayers will be with us. Thanks so very much. Will be looking forward to seeing photos of completed quilts from the great looking squares seen on Flicker.

[Joanne Deneen]

I'm sending 8 more squares . Beautiful day in Michigan. I hope your weather is calm and peaceful.

[Denise Leiden]

I feel so blessed to be a part of something wonderful. My mom (who is 91) and I will make a square. Is there a deadline date?

Thanks,

Denise

[Wanda]

I found out about the project via a few blogs and I plan to send some squares your way. Thanks for doing this.

[Wanda]

I found out about the project via a few blogs and I plan to send some squares your way. Thanks for doing this.

[Wanda]

I found out about the project via a few blogs and I plan to send some squares your way. Thanks for doing this.

[Wanda]

Sorry for the multiple comments, I kept getting an error that the spam code was incorrect.

[Jean]

I would be very happy to knit as many square as I can to send. When we saw the pictures of the devastation, my husband and I were helpless to do much more than pray. Now I can do something else and know that what I'm doing will help, even if in a small way. I also have posted a link to your blog on both of my blog sites so that other knitters will have the opportunity to help. Knowing the community of knitters I am sure you will have many many squares to seam together. God Bless...

[woolcat]

I'll get knitting some of those for you. Thank you so much for organising this!

[Lizzie]

Wonderful idea! I'm knitting up some oddball Noro Silk Garden right now!

[Karla (threadbndr)]

Pictures of the next two squares in the blog. These will go in the mail tomorrow.

[Dianne]

I'm in..have already completed 2 and plan to do more..it's a great time to do this knitting as I sit with my Mother recuperating from a fall..also..my maiden name is Spradlin..how ironic..I'm in Va.

[Nikki]

Two are being mailed off to you tomorrow! I hope to get more done by the deadline but at least these will be in! I wish I was closer to help with the seaming but I, too, am in VA!

[Sonya]

I am putting two squares in the mail today. I hope to get a few
more done for your this month.

[Kelley]

so far i have made nine squares. i'm hoping to make more before the deadline. i know i'll have ATLEAST one more finished. i want to make as many as i possibly can. this was a wonderful idea!!

[Susana]

Great idea! I remember all the good people that helped us here in Miami after Hurricane Andrew in 1992. It is nice to return the favor! Expect my shipment soon.

[Tina (aka goodie2needles)]

Hi!

Sent my squares off last week and they should reach you soon, if they haven't already. I'm so excited the goal for squares has been exceeded. Thank you so much for organizing this wonderful opportunity to give!

[Anita]

HI! I am a Greensburg resident, and I just wanted to tell you that I am so overwhelmed at the generosity of people! Thank you so much for what you are doing!

[Judy Sumray]

Dear Mother in Kansas

I am an 84 year old grandmother in London, England, and am knitting bias squares for some charities here. Or, rather, was trying to knit bias squares and going around the bend because one corner was elongating. I found your website and, bless you, you have saved me, and my friend, from intense frustration with your perfect instructions.

Best wishes.

Judy

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