I have an idea, and I need some people with big hearts to help me make it happen. I’m hoping that it’s you, whether you are a blogger or not. Some of you people dropping in from the Garden Web and other sites might be interested. You can help, too.
Last week, I was reading Phara’s blog, your mirror or mine. She posted a picture of a lovely quilt that was given to her son at cancer camp made by the hands of a volunteer. Over the years that he has gone to camps, he’s been given several quilts that comfort him in difficult times. I loved the idea of giving a quilt for such a charity, but I don’t quilt.
“Hey,” I thought. “I could crochet a granny afghan with all those bits of fancy yarns I have stuck in a drawer.”
Then, I got a package from my friend Teamouse at TeaTime Ramblings with knitted tea towels (I’ll show you the pictures later. Thank you Tea!). As I smoothed out the lovely knitted squares, a lightbulb went on in my brain. How cool would it be to give a sick child an afghan made by many different hands; ALL of them hands that cared about that child? Can you imagine the feeling of being loved that the child would have? Can you imagine the joy of giving that to a child? You don’t have to imagine. WE CAN.
[EDITOR'S NOTE:The Share A Square project has ended, and the afghans were delivered on July 7th, 2008. Although we will not continue that project, an exciting NEW endeavor, called the Good Medicine Project is in progress for summer camp 2009. We hope you will join us.]
I’ve contacted a cancer camp for kids that is in Fort Worth, Texas; it’s called Camp Sanguinity. Though they have already had the summer camp for this year, we can shoot for next summer. By then, perhaps I WE can have afghans made for all of the children at the camp (140 kids in 2003, but I don’t know how many now. I’m waiting on a call-back). It takes more than one of us to make this happen. Will you help?
Here’s my idea. I’ve found a granny afghan pattern that is very simple. It requires 24 small squares and 6 large squares, but it could work with just 48 small squares. If I can get people to send me the crocheted squares, then I’ll ask folks in my community to put them together; I’m not shy. With every square you send, attach a signed “best wishes” card (you can give an e-mail address to the child if you want). Each afghan will be put together with squares and good wishes from at least thirty different people.
[UPDATE: THE FIRST AFGHAN WILL BE PIECED TOGETHER ON JULY 19TH. SEND ONE SQUARE TODAY!]
You say you don’t know how to crochet? Help me find some people who can. Tell folks on your blog about it, and send them here. If people tell me they want to help, I’ll build a new page and a button for the sidebars [or you can volunteer to make a button for me!]. I will link every blogger who helps with this project.
You don’t have a blog and you can’t crochet? Find someone who can crochet, and give them some yarn. And, get a blog :lol:!
Does it matter what yarn you use? No. I used fancy schmancy yarn, because that’s what I had (and I thought kids might like it). You can go buy fancy yarn or use what you have. It’s the love you put into it that counts.
Does it matter what color? No. All of the squares will be rimmed in black, which will tie them together and make them look like a stained glass window.
How big should the squares be? The pattern calls for 6 “rounds” of crochet. Crochet 5 rounds and have the square measure 5 1/2 inches. 6 inches I’ll have volunteers crochet a round of black, so that every square on one quilt has the same black yarn. [I had to use a much smaller hook to get the gauge]
What do I do with them when I have them made? Contact me to tell me they are on the way (otherwise, I won’t remember to drive to the post office). Put a signed card with each square and put them in an envelope. If it’s a small envelope, send it to:
P.O. Box 2241
Denton, TX 76202
If you got ambitious, and it’s a large box (I can dream, can’t I?), tell me and I’ll give you my home address.
Is Shelly out of her mind? Probably. To make 140 afghans with all small squares, we will need 6720 squares! If you really help, my mail carrier is going to go postal!
NOW. Tell me, will you help? And, tell me: WHAT DO WE CALL THIS CAMPAIGN? Is it Crochet for Cancer Children? Someone give me something better.
[UPDATE: WHAT'S THE "DEADLINE?" The sooner the better! If I can get them before the end of August, I can get these afghans made!]
[UPDATE 2: Use a small card (such as comes with a gift bag) or a piece of cardboard and tie it to the center of each square. That way it won't get lost in the shuffle!]
Jessica the Rock Chick at Life is RANTastic has already jumped forward to start the publicity with Hip To Be Square
Teamouse at Tea Time Ramblings is on the ball! She created a button, and a banner to use for this campaign. You may use them on your site to link back to the contest! Thanks Sweet Tea! She also posted publicity called Love To Share? Share a Square. Afghans for Kids with Cancer Her first attempt called for Happy Hookers! But she chickened out and changed the title.
Comedy Plus has posted to help spread the word, but I can’t link to that specific post, so I’ll just give you her url.
Life in Westcliffe has added instructions to her site for adding the button to Blogger. Check out her post A Heart the size of Texas
Tumbled Words has a post titled Charity begins in your heart, then moves.
You Can’t Reason With Crazy posted a button to help spread the word.
Running On Empty posted A Quilt of Many Colors
Crocheting for A Cause was posted by my buddy Jen at J’s Thoughts And Musings.
Inside Mo’s Mind wrote Hookers Wanted! That ought to get Mo some Google traffic!
Scott, at Trials and Tribulations is spreading the word, too!
Life as I see it has posted How Square Can You Go?
Running on Empty wrote A Quilt of Many Colors.
Hamelife mentioned the contest, too.
Phara, at Your Mirror or Mine, was the inspiration for this project. She posted Share A Square.
Yellow Rose’s Garden added a post about the project.
My Brown House added a button to her site.
Teebopop added a button to her site.
Imaginif posted Hang Child Cancer on the Hook
Schmutzie’s Milkmoney or Not, Here I Come has posted with a selection of images you may prefer to use on your site. I’ll have them posted on this site as well this week. Thank you, Schmutzie!
Mixed with sugar added a button that Schmutzie made!
THANK YOU ALL FOR THE HELP!
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Okay! I am up with a button for the project, linking here, on my sidebar and also a little bit about it in my post today.
Can you add me to the blogroll? I have an image, but I am not sure if it’s what you need.
It’s here: http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t174/aeinoyou/jenninhollandtext.jpg
Thanks! Looking forward to seeing the project come together.
Thank you, Jenn. It’s beginning to get there! I have you linked~skt
Hey Shelly,
I think this is the greatest idea for crocheted afghans. I have crocheted since I was 8 years old. I’m now 53 and granny square afghans are my favorite thing to crochet. I have lots of leftover yarn that I have been meaning to do something with. I believe this is it! I am going to start today!
Connie Killian
Gladewater, Texas
I love it, Connie! Can’t wait to see them. I’m 53, too, but don’t tell anybody:lol:~skt
I posted this on my blog today. I can’t crochet at all, but if I get one person’s attention, then I feel like I have helped at least a little!
Rebecca
If you tell one person, and they tell one person, and they….Yes! Thank you for your help. I’ve added you to the blogroll~skt
Shelly!! Donna, who does the The Yarn Yoga group at the local Ben Franklin craft store I emailed, replied. She said several of the ladies jumped at the chance to make some! I’m so excited. I am just excited. I know it is silly, but I have tears in my eyes – I didn’t think they would reply. How dumb was that! I wonder how late I could overnight them and they would get there for your July 19th – I think I need to call the post office – and thank Donna for sharing it with her group!
Well, give me her e-mail to tell me how to thank her! Thank YOU, Marcia for going to that trouble. You know how much I appreciate you~skt
Hi Shelly
You are very beautiful to be doing such a thing. I hope you get so many squares that you will cry a river.
HUG and KISS and ADMIRATION
badthing
YOU are doing some wonderful things at YOUR house, too. Thanks for the kind words.~skt
Dearest Shelly
I forgot to mention that I am placing a link to your site on my own.
Thank you! And, I’ve added you to the SASS Blogroll. I appreciate your help!~skt
What a beautiful project. Sadly, I don’t crochet or knit but I am going to find as many ways to help with this as I can. I will post on my blog in the coming week. I have some other ideas too … I hope you get every square you need and then some!
Thank you, Polliwog. I will appreciate any help I can get. We have a long way to go yet.:wink:~skt
I hope you received the squares and that they were the right gauge. This is such an awesome project. I’m making more.
Cheers.
Thank you Shelly and I’m very happy to see the response that you are receiving here with this project. Take care…
I am going to post your link on my blog with the button, and hopefully I can get a few squares sent out to you as well.
Very good cause.
Thank you! That would be absolutely wonderful. We need all the help we can get! Thanks for dropping by.~skt
I am so glad you are doing this. What a wonderful gift of love for these children. I am on board and already have 20 squares ready at this point and am crocheting everytime i sit down to get a lot of them done. I realize if everyone will do a little, it will get done in no time. I printed out your story and the instructions and gave them to the ladies at my church and to another friend who is giving it to her church ladies. Hopefully, I will have a lot to send to you soon. God bless …. Tina
Thank you, Tina. I look forward to getting the squares!~skt
Just an update…I have 3 squares done. I’ll have them in my blog with something written about this charity since I have no idea on how to add buttons. Hope that much will help.
It will help! I adjusted your URL so that it goes to your page on this comment. Thank you so much. Congratulations on your new venture into blogging. I see you just got started. I’ll tell you how to add a button if you wish, but a post would be just dandy. I appreciate you!~skt
Do you know of any other charities? Does this one include others? Also if you click on my name now it should take you to my blog, lol. I mess it up. sry.
No, Patti, this is a just a grass roots effort. But, I think the folks at Etsy.com have a forum for crafters, and may list some other charitable things. You have a big heart!~skt
I’m quick & I’m good…Are you interested?
Bright Blessings Marleen
I finally got to the post office this morning. Do you know it’s pretty good to be there at 7:30 am, not that many people up and about. The squares should be there in five days to your house.
Hope you are enjoying your time with your son.
Hi: Had a yard sale today and me and my friend Mryna works on some more granny squares while we were in between people and got 4 more made. Again, I really like your site. See ya and will mail the ones I have next week.
Tina
What a great idea, it’s really difficult when you have someone sick by your side. All my family is dealing with that problem right now and I’d love to help you. I know how to crochet and will try to make as many squares as possible. And I’ll talk about your campain at my blog and ask people to visit yours and contribute. This is a beautiful idea and it isn’t difficult to help others who really need us.
Thanks for your great work
Hi Shelly!
I finally got around to posting about this on my blog. Here is the link:
http://www.polliwogspond.com/2007/07/14/saturday-stuff-6/
And here is a link to my 125×125 icon for the blogroll:
http://www.polliwogspond.com/images/pollifrog.png
I’m going to try and find other ways to promote and help out with this. But this is a start. I hope you get deluged with squares!
I just put your blog site on another site I was on because she is doing another daisy pattern for charity also. Her site is http://krochetkrystal.blogspot.com/2006/09/daisy-flower-crochet-charity-square.html
Hope you have time to go take a look.
This is a SUPER IDEA! I’m in. I’ve started making squares, and I’ve asked family and friends to help out, too!
I’ll go to Janet’s site, and get the instructions for adding the button to my blog.
I have five squares finished, but I’m going to re-do two of them. It’s been so long since I crocheted that I need to work on tension, but I’ll get it.
Congratulations for organizing such a loving project, and giving us the opportunity to play, too!
Hi Shelly. I found out about this project over at Rick Cockrum’s Shards of Consciousness and, while I’m willing to make a bunch of squares I also have another idea. Did you consider people making one BIG square? Same design, but no small squares to sew together. I never cared for the sewing-together part
Let me know, ok? I’ll also post about it, most likely at Thoughts & Philosophies.
Hi Carolyn,
Thanks for your interest in the project and your willingness to support it! I thought about the big squares, but my goal is to have as many “hands” on an afghan as possible. I want a child to hold it and know that at least 40 people care enough about his well-being to participate. Yes, large squares would be easier for sure. I’ll resort to it if I have to do so. At this point, we are only a month into the project and have already received over 600 squares. A lot of people are telling me that more are on the way. So, I’m not panicked yet!
I’ll link you on the blogroll. You can check the updates link on my sidebar to find out what’s new. I appreciate you!~skt
I have the “Share a Square” button on my blog, and I posted tonight to help spread the word. I think a few of my friends have been busy crocheting squares. I have seven done with variegated yarn, and I hope to do a few more with the traditional change of color each row.
I’ve had two people ask if you would take completed afghans that they want to give away. Any thoughts on this?
Is this an ongoing thing? I can definitely make some squares.
It’s going to be going on until we get 140 afghans for next June. I would love some squares! I’m in need as fast as I can get them, because I’ve found some angels ready to put them together!
Thank you so much!
I have spread the word in my blog, and I am also making some squares for the Afghan.
Thanks for your devotion to those children!
Big {{{HUGS}}} for you and all the volunteers that are going to put all those squares together!
Hi Shelley,
I think more regular updates on the blog and more images of the squares recieved will generate more interest – at least online.
I know I go back to your blog and check it each day and oftentimes feel a bit disappointed there aren’t more images and updates.
I understand you’re busy, but part of the fun for me as a contributor is to see what others send you. Perhaps others feel the same way?
Laura Spradlin of “Rebuilding Greensburg block by block” at Sugar Bunny Boulevard has been awesome in her updates for her project, and I am really enjoying seeing everything she recieves on a regular basis.
Also, I’ve noticed your blog loads really slowly on my computer. Perhaps people don’t have the patience to wait?
Ok, Sweetness. Count me in! I’ve got you linked over at my place and now I just need to go find my hook! I’m not the greatest crocheter – but, hey? I CAN hook a mean granny square!
(((((( Hugs! )))))))
the B
Hey Shelly, I really appreciate all you are doing and I don’t expect anymore out of you than we are getting…you are a busy soul. Not much you can do about page loading speed, since that is determined by the person’s computer not anything you can do! I love all the pictures on the update page, you are awesome!!!
Vixen. I didn’t mean to be negative toward Shelley, more constructive in my criticism. So if I came across any other way, I’m sorry. I think she’s doing a great job to, otherwise I wouldn’t be sending stuff for her.
Now, as for the download speed I have 8 mb broadband, so I don’t think the problem is on my end,but who knows. hers is the only page that is so slow to downlaod and the fact that ther are a whole lot of images, graphics and other fancy stuff may be part of the reason. Or perhaps her domain host have slow servers. I was just pointing it out to her if she hadn’t noticed.
I can’t wait to get involved in this project! Personally I was a major flop at crocheting many years ago, but my mom and sister are old pro’s so I plan on enlisting them. I may even borrow a hook and give it a second chance as well. What a GREAT cause!
Thanks Sarah! Glad to see that Damien dragged you into blogging. How in the world you find time, I can’t imagine! I’ll be delighted for some squares from you and your family! It’s pretty wonderful to see all of the squares coming together.
I have posted a photo of my squares in my blog, for those interested to see…
I also added the links to the crochet patterns I used, if you need some ideas… and also my notes for a short row knitted square.
I am sooo slow, and I apologize, Isabelle. I have linked to this post on the update page (with the other instructions). Thank you so much for adding those. Your squares are beeeyoutiful and I can’t wait to get them in my hot little hands. Some folks are so bored with granny squares, that I know they are going to thank you for the chance to have some variety! I appreciate you!~skt
I have tons of friends who crochet, so I’mma post this up in my blog as well.
What a great idea!! 
I hope that my squares will help with your wonderful cause. God bless you and help you to accomplish your goal!
Thanks, Cindy. We will, with the help of people like you! I appreciate you!~skt
Hi, Shellee! My squares for the project are on their way to you; the ten of them. I posted them Saturday morning, Priority Mail, so you should get them by Tuesday or Wednesaday hopefully.
PS: I couldn’t find the link… Silly me!
OK. I found it!
Thank you!
Putting a spot on my blog for you, girl! You must have a heart of Gold, but it is “Hip to be Square.” LOL
Thank you, Kelly! I’ll look forward to getting those squares. Remember that just one square goes in each afghan (you might want to send small bunches, so I have them to work into afghans as we go along). I appreciate your big heart, too!~skt
I’ve passed this on to fellow crafters. I can knit, but may have to teach myself to crochet. I hope you don’t mind, but I also sent the info on to a children’s cancer camp with which I’m affiliated. It’s a great idea and a great cause. I’m of the firm belief every kid should have a quilt and a Tonka truck!!!
Hi Shelly, Just letting you know I have about 6 more squares done and ready to ship as soon as I make the tags. How many more would you like? ha ha ha
I have sent the squares to you Saturday. Did you get them?
I haven’t been to the mailbox today, Isabelle—and I may have been too early yesterday. The post office says they will have mail up by 10:00, but they lie sometimes. I’ll e-mail you when I get them. I appreciate you.~skt
I have a package of about 20-25 squares that will mailed out this week. I am grateful to be able to participate in this. My younger sister was diagnosed with cancer when she was 3, she is 23 now and doing great. Our family went through some hard times while she was going through treatment, but there is nothing more humbling than walking into the hospital (Children’s in Atlant) and seeing those kids and their spark for life despite what they are undergoing. My sister attended Camp Sunshine here in Georgia from the time she was 7 until she turned 18. I told her about the Share a Square and her face just lit up. She thought that this was a great project. So from a person whose family has been affected by cancer, Just a big Thank You to everyone that has participated in this project. I am still working on more squares and will get them mailed out soon.
Thank you,
Jennifer in Georgia
Hi, This is a wonderful Idea. I myself am a cancer survivor…28 years and not counting. My mother is also a survivor…9 years. Praise the Lord for your efforts. I have posted a link on my site and will be starting my first squares tonight. I love to crochet and have oodles of yarn.
Happy to help. Some of the groups I’ve knitted and crocheted with have gone by by. Some of the causes have changed courses, and sometimes I just like to find new causes that call out to me. Having a 16 year old niece fight cancer her senior year in high school, spending a full year in the hospital, having tons of surgery and chemo; this cause calls out to me.
I’m not techy, and don’t know how to make a button; but would be happy to add one to my blog (provided I can figure out how to and you can provide me with one).
I’m happy to spread the word to folks I know who knit and crochet, happy to blog about it and spread the word that way too.
I do like to know where donated items are going, (been burned a time or two and so exercise some caution). Found my way here to your blog from Little Knitter’s blog (Lil Knit of this and that).
Please swing by my page, welcome mats always out; and I’ll be pouring wine around 5. Is there a link you could for the camp, that would help get me started spreading the word.
Please contact me with your home address, as I have squares left over from another project I think might work. Will dig them out and measure. You’re wanting them the traditional 6 inche square, right?
Do you also accept finished ghans for this project. I’ve made some for Squares 4 Survivors (Katrina), Camp Victory (also for sick children), and several Foster Care groups. You can check out my work with a look through my blog if you like. What size would you like the finished ghans to be?
Wow, was wordy here, but have many questions.
What a worthwhile cause
Sandy
Hi there,
This is some pretty cool thing you got going here. Gonna check out the remaining site pages to see if there are any updates.
Cheers!
Meg, thank you vary much. I’m 13 and have a brain tumor. I got one of your squares and it really meant a lot to me. It’s nice to know that someone cares.
thank you!
Ed DuBay
Checking back, never heard from you to know where to send squares, if you’re still needing or wanting them and to verify the size?
Is this an on going project, or was it an idea? I don’t see recent posts, so am not sure.
Sandy
Sandys last blog post..M = Military
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