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Knit Your Square to Give Your Share - PART 4

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  • mioliere
    mioliere Posts: 6,838 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    edited 16 March 2012 at 3:54PM
    Hi Suki

    I should have responded to your post yesterday but, sadly, it was not a good day for me, family-wise. We DO knit for charity, and we really do welcome all newbies. I'm so sorry that it didn't come across that way. I think I need to do a regular update post on here so that it's easier for newbies to find out what we do.

    We started off a few years ago just making squares, and we found an organisation that would sew the squares together into blankets, then distribute them for us. We then found Loving Hands http://www.lovinghands.org.uk/ is a fantastic charity that collects all kinds of knitted, crocheted and sewn items, and sends them around the world to various charities. It's run by a hard-working tireless lady called Lou. She collects for overseas charities, premature babies here and abroad, charities for the elderly, for animals, and so on.

    Then there's Preemies UK http://sites.google.com/site/preemiesuk/ that collects for premature baby units.

    We have a Yahoo group http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/Wooligan/?v=1&t=search&ch=web&pub=groups&sec=group&slk=1 on which we post photos of all the things we make (for charity and personal projects, too).

    Here is a link to a post by one of us - Maytaurus who, sadly, has been unwell lately - in which she has listed loads of links to charities, free patterns and tutorials, and all sorts of other things which have really helped to keep us very busy on here http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=25685267&postcount=143

    Some of us have more time than others, due to various work and family commitments, but there is no pressure to make a certain number of things - just one little hat for a premature baby will make a difference to a life, so every single item counts.

    I really do hope you will join us. We love having newbies, and I promise you that you will receive the warmest of welcomes from everyone on here. I will send this post as a private message to you, too, just in case you don't come back to this thread. Please do join us.

    KathyXX
    KNIT YOUR SQUARE TOTALS:

    Squares: 11, Animal blankets: 2
  • Kinsey
    Kinsey Posts: 887 Forumite
    suki 1964 hello and welcome.
    Sorry not to have welcomed you yesterday, I think most people are having a difficult time just now, not counting the weather and Christmas. Please don't feel unwelcome and disappear, we really like to get to know some new people and of course the charities benefit as well.
  • sock-knitter
    sock-knitter Posts: 1,630 Forumite
    morning all,
    suki, welcome to the thread, we are really a friendly bunch who love to knit and chat, and support us, hope you join us and stay here
    kathy, you and your family are in my prayers again today, (((hugs)))
    shaz xxx
    loves to knit and crochet for others
  • mioliere
    mioliere Posts: 6,838 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    edited 29 January 2011 at 6:12AM
    WHAT WE DO!

    This lovely group began in 2007 based on the very simple idea of knitting or crocheting squares for charity. The original idea was to make a complete blanket which we could then give to an elderly person.

    A post was put on to http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/ asking if anyone was interested in contributing a square or two and the rest, as they say, is history. Our group has made in excess of 8,000 items which have been distributed to various charities and premature baby units throughout the UK and abroad.

    We soon found the wonderful Loving Hands Charity Knitters Group http://www.lovinghands.org.uk/ an ever-growing group of lovely people who knit, sew and crochet for charity. The group is run by Lou, a jewel in the crown who, despite serious setbacks in her own life, runs the group with an efficiency that defies belief. She distributes items all around the world, making a huge difference in the lives of those less fortunate than ourselves. A look at their website will illustrate just how hard everyone works, and you will find links to free patterns and lots of other great information.

    Preemies UK is another group that collects knitted and crocheted items to send to premature baby units in hospitals throughout the UK. On this website, too, you will find links to free patterns, and information about what the group does.

    One of our greatest contributers on this thread is Maytaurus – over the years, she has amassed a huge collection of links to free patterns, tutorials, and lots of other goodies, which means that we are never short of inspiration. She is always on the lookout for things to share with us. Sadly, she has not been in good health for the last few months, so she has not been able to post as often as she did. We all wish her the very best and hope that it will not be long before she is back here with us.

    We have a Yahoo group called the Wooligans. It’s choc-a-bloc with the most wonderful photos that we have posted of all the items we make, for charity, and for personal projects. Anyone wishing to join will just need to ‘apply’, following the instructions on the website, and, as soon as they are ‘approved’ they will be able to see all the photos, giving them a perfect illustration of what we do.

    Due to family and work commitments, we don’t all have a lot of time to spare, so there is never any pressure to make loads of things. If someone just has the time to make one little hat for a premature baby, it will make a huge difference to someone’s life. Every single item is important so, if you feel you don’t have the time, please remember that one hat will be just as welcome and valued as a hundred.

    It doesn’t matter where you live – I, Roamin in the Gloamin, and DPixie all live in France (sadly, not close enough to each other to form a knit and natter group!) and Chalky spends some of her year in Spain, and some in the UK. So whether you are in the UK, in Europe, or even further away, you are welcome here.

    We update our totals regularly. You will see from the posts already on the thread, that people keep their own running totals in their signatures and, when they do post their weekly (or monthly, whatever is convenient) totals, they highlight the items and numbers in red; this makes it easier for us to add to our update spreadsheet – a wonderful thing that Roamin in the Gloamin kindly devised for us.

    In time, I will probably ‘tweak’ this post but I just wanted to make it easier for newbies and lurkers to find out exactly what we do.

    Anyone who joins us is assured of the warmest welcome from us all and, if you have any questions, please feel free to ask – we are a friendly bunch and will do our best to answer!

    Do please join us!

    KathyXX
    KNIT YOUR SQUARE TOTALS:

    Squares: 11, Animal blankets: 2
  • mioliere
    mioliere Posts: 6,838 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Hi everyone

    My previous post is for newbies and lurkers so that they can see what we do without having to trawl through this complete thread (and the previous three!). If anyone can think of anything I can add, please let me know. Over time, I will 'tweak' it to make it more comprehensive.

    I will try just posting a link to it once a day, to save space on the page, and once a month I will post the whole thing, with the title in bold red so that it catches the eye!

    Please, please, if there is anything you think I have missed out, let me know!

    KathyXX
    KNIT YOUR SQUARE TOTALS:

    Squares: 11, Animal blankets: 2
  • suki1964
    suki1964 Posts: 14,313 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    mioliere wrote: »
    Hi Suki

    I should have responded to your post yesterday but, sadly, it was not a good day for me, family-wise. We DO knit for charity, and we really do welcome all newbies. I'm so sorry that it didn't come across that way. I think I need to do a regular update post on here so that it's easier for newbies to find out what we do.

    We started off a few years ago just making squares, and we found an organisation that would sew the squares together into blankets, then distribute them for us. We then found Loving Hands http://www.lovinghands.org.uk/which is a fantastic charity that collects all kinds of knitted, crocheted and sewn items, and sends them around the world to various charities. It's run by a hard-working tireless lady called Lou. She collects for overseas charities, premature babies here and abroad, charities for the elderly, for animals, and so on.

    Then there's Preemies UK http://sites.google.com/site/preemiesuk/ that collects for premature baby units.

    We have a Yahoo group http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/Wooligan/?v=1&t=search&ch=web&pub=groups&sec=group&slk=1 on which we post photos of all the things we make (for charity and personal projects, too).

    Here is a link to a post by one of us - Maytaurus who, sadly, has been unwell lately - in which she has listed loads of links to charities, free patterns and tutorials, and all sorts of other things which have really helped to keep us very busy on here http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=25685267&postcount=143

    Some of us have more time than others, due to various work and family commitments, but there is no pressure to make a certain number of things - just one little hat for a premature baby will make a difference to a life, so every single item counts.

    I really do hope you will join us. We love having newbies, and I promise you that you will receive the warmest of welcomes from everyone on here. I will send this post as a private message to you, too, just in case you don't come back to this thread. Please do join us.

    KathyXX


    Thankyou

    And that is exactly what i was looking here for.

    Like a lot Im snowed in and am just wasting time online. Im not a brilliant knitter, in fact Ive never knitted anything other then a long thing I passed off as a scarf many moons ago but I can crochet a wee bit - although havent in 30 years

    So I saw this thread, thought there was info here about squares ( I dont think I could tackle anything more) and there was nothing - no links nothing. That is why i asked

    And then I got ignored when a link would have sufficed

    Thankyou for the welcome and for the links. I will study them and find a small pattern that I could perhaps follow. I just have spare time in the evenings when watching the tv and Im sure I could if I tried really hard make a go at knitting something
  • suki1964
    suki1964 Posts: 14,313 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    chalky_75 wrote: »
    Was a Christmas Troll attracted to us yesterday! Actually if she is that intolerant I don't think she would fit in here!
    It must have been very apparent that there was great sadness yesterday.
    One look at our signatures would have shown what wonderful things we all do for charity.
    How sad to have that approach in a new situation.
    Love to one and all.

    I take it that was aimed at me?

    I take it you never took it upon yourself to read any of my posting history and see that Im very active in helping and advising on areas i have some experience off?

    Do you assume that anyone who comes onto a thread who isn't part of the "crowd" a troll because she dare asks what the thread is about?????

    Can I point out on no level did I "attack" anyone. I asked what the thread was about because from the title I assumed it was about knitting for charity and then when I started reading the thread from page one I could find no information or no links - I am not a mind reader

    You were the first person to have posted to this thread after my question, in fact you posted twice. You could have taken one minute to have sent a link to where to start. You chose not to

    Thankfully some of the other regular posters here have realised that I am actually looking to help and have explained where to start and I shall go read up and see what I can do
  • suki1964
    suki1964 Posts: 14,313 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    morning all,
    suki, welcome to the thread, we are really a friendly bunch who love to knit and chat, and support us, hope you join us and stay here
    kathy, you and your family are in my prayers again today, (((hugs)))
    shaz xxx


    Thankyou for the welcome

    As I have said, I dont think I can knit, although I can crochet a wee bit. I was just going snow crazy and wanted something to do that I could pick up and put down and not get too stressed over. Im going to look at the links given me and hopefully make a start somewhere, The reason i wanted to do a charity thing was to make me do it and not give up
  • mioliere
    mioliere Posts: 6,838 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Hi Suki

    I should have added to my post that it doesn't matter whether or not you think you are a good knitter or crocheter. Loving Hands collect squares and scarves for their various charities, so feel free to make as many as you like. Like most knitters, though, you are probably better than you think you are! I agree that it's the ideal thing to do if you are snowbound. If you look at Maytaurus's links, there are plenty of patterns for squares, but plain ones are just as welcome. She also has links to some brilliant tutorials for both knitting and crochet.

    KathyXX
    KNIT YOUR SQUARE TOTALS:

    Squares: 11, Animal blankets: 2
  • suki1964
    suki1964 Posts: 14,313 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Kinsey wrote: »
    suki 1964 hello and welcome.
    Sorry not to have welcomed you yesterday, I think most people are having a difficult time just now, not counting the weather and Christmas. Please don't feel unwelcome and disappear, we really like to get to know some new people and of course the charities benefit as well.


    Thank-you for the welcome

    Yes the weather has me stir crazy. Ive been snowed in myself although it looks like a thaw is beginning at last. As for Christmas, that's happening if Im prepared or not so Im not stressing over it.
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