Such A Small Thing

Knitting or crocheting one square is such a small thing.  Two squares is twice as small.  :)

I mentioned a few posts ago how much I enjoy the correspondence that I receive with the afghan mail that comes.  Today was an especially nice day with regard to that correspondence.  Complete strangers are bonded by a similar interest - expressing that they have care and concern for others.

The correspondence that comes with afghan mail is either notes or letters to me, or notes to the families of Greensburg.  I have been thinking a lot about the notes for Greensburg families and what exactly to do with them.  There aren't really that many at this time - possibly not even one for each afghan.  So I thought I could make a smallish (maybe 10-15 sheets of paper) book to be presented with every afghan that includes the following:

• typed messages/sentiments (condensed to several messages per page) from every card/note that is sent for the Greensburg families including images from a few of the cards.  This is mostly because I would want every family or person that receives an afghan to read all of the messages that are sent!  They're all too awesome for everyone not to have a chance to see what they say.
• pages with signatures/notes from each person that helps with the seaming project, obviously photocopied - people couldn't sign 40-50 books or they wouldn't get any seaming done!
• page(s) with the first name and city of each person that sent squares.  Obviously I've been keeping an ongoing list on the blog as packages come in but I've also been keeping a database with this information so I can easily print a list.

The originals of all the above will be made into an album/binder and presented to the City of Greensburg (if they want it) to memorialize this project and the tornado that they'll never forget.  I would guess there are people there who are keeping track of newspaper articles, etc, regarding the tornado and keeping a historical record of the details surrounding the event.

As you might have noticed, I didn't do a blog post yesterday.  Sorry if anyone was disappointed.  We did get mail!  But guess what.  I didn't open it until today.  I'm trying hard not to let the afghan project take over my life (too late, really) so I did a few other things during the babies' nap, like fill bird feeders, put up my hummingbird feeders, and wash the inside and outside of my kitchen windows.  This is not something I have done yet at this house (I know, I'm a terrible person) and it's just incredible how much prettier the world is through clean windows.  :)

And you know what?!  There was NO afghan mail at the church today!!  So I guess I was given a little breather by the USPS.  And I opened yesterday's mail today. 

Today's correspondence included a card for the families of Greensburg that made me stop.  Made me freeze in place for a moment and ponder the greatness of the simple words she wrote.  Jan in Arlington, Virginia, sent a postcard with a Sunshine and Shadow quilt on the front (I think of it as Trip Around The World) and this note written on the back:

Such a small thing - a stranger stitching some squares to be joined by other strangers with squares made by other strangers.

I hope our collective efforts give you physical, emotional and spiritual warmth.  So many of us care what happens to you and yours.

We can't know exactly how you feel, the struggles you have gone through, the struggles still to go.

I hope as you enjoy this blanket, you feel the love and hopes that these strangers stitched together - all for you.

It's a hug from the knitters who can't be there in person and we hope it brings you comfort.

Jan - Arlington, Virginia

Jan's postcard to the families of Greensburg:

I could just cry reading that.  It's the sentiment that I think every single person knitting for, crocheting for, or reading about this project wants to convey to the families in Greensburg.  Jan - you said it so well.  Thank you so very much.

So today we're adding another 57 squares to the total, bringing us to a whopping 1602 squares received (OVER 1600!!!!!  WooHoo!) and 638 needed to reach the 40'ghan goal.  Wow it would be awesome to make more than 40 afghans.  New secret wish = 50.  But really I just don't see how I could "up" the goal again.  More than 40 is awesome no matter how many it might be!

For those of you who have offered to send yarn for seaming, I'll just say that I've contacted some people (just one company so far) in the yarn world and hopefully I'll soon have good news in the way of donated yarn for seaming.  Keep your fingers crossed for me, okay?  :)

Today's (er.... yesterday's) blocks came from the following people:

• Kate - South Natick, MA (2nd package from you Kate?!)
• Marry - St. Andrews, SCOTTLAND, UK (WooHoo! - lovely note and beautiful squares - thank you Marry!)
• Anonymous - SINGAPORE!  (2nd package from this anonymous person!  THANK YOU!)
• Jan - Arlington, VA
• Lori - Petoskey, MI (Lori, have you been reading Lynne's blog?  Hmm? Thank you for the sweet surprise!)
• Barb - Harrisburg, PA
• Jen - Austin, TX
• Maureen - Barrington, NH
• Debbie - Justin, TX
• Suzanne - Seattle, WA (4th... 5th.... how many have you sent now Suzanne!?  A bunch!!)
• Jean - Winona, MN
• JoAnn - Mount Pearl, NL, CANADA!!!  People - I spent two days completely stumped about the abbreviation "NL" in Canada.  I was trying SO HARD not to have to look at a map to find it!  And then I finally broke down - I got out the atlas.  Uhhh... where?  Huh?  What?  What the heck? I searched.... I looked.  There's no NL in Canada.  But wait... oh yes, there is.  Hanging out in the middle of the frigid sea where they surely use cats and yarn for insulating their homes.... is Newfoundland and Laborador!!!  Y'all, this lady lives on a teeny peninsula on a very smallish island on the east coast of Canada where it's nearly the arctic circle and makes Kelly in New Brunswick look like she has tropical weather!!  JoAnn sent a hilarious letter with her four sweetly knit little squares.  She states that she measured wrong (you're not the only one JoAnn!) so her squares came out very small - more like 6" square rather than the requested 8"!!  She suggested they could be made into CAT BLANKETS because surely there are homeless cats in the wee villiage of Greensburg, Kansas.  hehe  Have no fear JoAnn, your squares will be used and loved.  Possibly by cats and surely by their people.  :) 

Guess what y'all!?  I've been knitting.  Yep, knitting.  For the Spun Stitches knitalong.  I haven't put up a button or a link.  I haven't posted on their blog!  But I've been doing it because I was so inspired - by.... yes, their lovely buttons which I have not put in the sidebar yet.  Can you believe it?  Anyway, here's proof.

   

I can hardly believe it but I have knit all the yarn but the last two skeins in the photo above.  Those two were spun and the first skein plied when I was at Estes Park so that's pretty special to me.  When I look at this lumpy blob in my lap I wonder what I was thinking when I spun the yarn so crazy.  This was a great look with the Argosy scarf... but this shawl?  The jury is still out but I'm really thinking it's perfect for its intended purpose.  The next time you see this shawl it'll be finished and hopefully blocked.  I'll tell you then why I had to make it and who it's for.  :)

Last but not least, did you know that today is Dale's birthday?  Dale is the husband of one of my favorite blogging friends, Carole.  A lot of you know (of) them.  I enjoy getting to know the families of my blog friends (husbands, children, pets, gardens, communities) so it's very nice that Carole shares a lot of her time with Dale and tells us all about it.  When the girls saw the video of Dale singing on Carole's blog they wanted to wish him a Happy Birthday too!

Everybody have a great rest of your week and I'll be back with another afghan update!  I might take Wednesday off for an administrative maintenance day for the afghan project.  I have some emails to write (to "people in the yarn world") and also need to get current with the data entry.  Maybe I'll have the map updated too!  Yay! (don't worry - you haven't even seen the map yet - I've never been current with it yet!)  Have a Happy Week!  :)

Comments

[Dana]

Hey Laura...have a great day off! I just got home from Missouri yesterday from KC visiting my dad. The kids are home now..and all is good, but very HOT!!!! Hoping for some rain tonight to cool things down..

Take care :)

[Carole]

Oh, Laura. That is so precious! Dale is going to love this and I'll show him just as soon as he gets his lazy ass out of bed. Heh.
The connections we make through these here internets are amazing. Thanks for the video!

[margene]

I missed you! I knew you must have been busy, but I started to worry a little bit. So, here I am checking on your first thing today. What a sweet video of your little grrls and I love the idea of making a book of the notes that come with the squares. I've got to get more knit up for you. I have yarn sitting out but can't seem to find my head the last few days.

XOXO

[becky c.]

Wow! That shawl is cool - can't wait to see it done.

[Kelly]

*puts hands on hips* Well I for one missed your blog post yesterday lady.... but I suppose I can forgive ya in order for you to have clean windows :)
Emeline is quite the little dancer and Lila's "bye" is soooo cute :)
Great to see so many squares coming in!!!
You are cruising on that shawl girl, it will be done in no time!

[Amanda]

Of course we missed your blog post yesterday! I love hearing about your life and your beautiful family. I know that the square project is taking up a lot of your life, but it's good to see that you're knitting again. :-)

[Marisol]

Wow you are one busy lady! I still need to send you a second package with my two measly squares... Oh and I'm glad you posted about the needed seeming yarn... I will look around I am sure I have some I could send from my stash for this.

[Lori on Little Traverse Bay]

I had not seen Lynne's blog, so the treats were a "happy coincidence!" You pulled together a GREAT Northern Michigan vacation swap package. It said "Summer in Michigan" all the way, especially the yarn, which captured our sandy beaches and blue skies and water.

[Wool Winder]

The shawl is really coming along quickly. I happen to like all colors and fibers spun together.

[joni]

The note you quoted brought tears to my eyes. I had this moment of remembering...May 5th, early morning phone call from my sister..."I wanted to talk to you before you turn on the TV, or read the news on the Internet." WHY? "Well, Greensburg got hit by a tornado last night, sis." WHAT?!?! "It was hit hard. Right now, they're saying at least 75% of the town." (Of course, the % went up as the day went on.)

Yes, the people of Greensburg need those hugs.

Thanks again to all of you who are contributing to the afghans. I know the people there are going to be truly thankful.

The booklet idea is wonderful, too! You are really outdoing yourself!

[Jill]

Hey Laura

I posted you a package a few days ago, but forgot to write down my email&blog info. You'll have my email with this comment. Here's the blog: monkey-butter22.livejournal.com

[Criquette]

Okay Laura, I couldn't possibly say no - the contest is extended through August 16. The new announcement will be posted on my blog tomorrow. You go girl! I think you'll get enough for 50 blankets.