Thursday Thirteen #33 I’ve Been Working On A Chain Gang

Didja get it, huh? “Chain Gang?” It’s my “hook” to draw you in (I sound like Jay Leno begging for pity laughter).

Some of you may be aware that I have been working on a little charity project on my blog. It’s called Share A Square, and it’s about making crocheted granny afghans for 140 children at Camp Sanguinity next summer. These are children who are battling cancer, and we will give them each an afghan made with the loving handiwork of 48 different people. [Update: You can see all the posts about it at the new blog for Share A Square, created January 21st if you want to know more, but THE PROJECT IS FINISHED.] It was time for an update, and I decided to combine it with Thursday Thirteen, because I have at least thirteen things to tell you.

1:

If you have been working on crocheting squares for the project, please stop and send me what you have this week.
Send them to:
Shelly Tucker
P.O. Box 2241
Denton, TX 76202
2: When I first posted about this project, I was sooo naive! I thought that if I got 6720 afghan squares I could make 140 afghans. WRONG! I’ve received more than 8,000 squares since last June, and we still need just a few more! I need to have 48 different names on each afghan.

3:
These seven stacks each have 22 squares in them. I have two more stacks with close to 40 squares in them. Once they all have 48 squares, we have everything we need to make the 140 afghans.
4:

But, don’t let that stop you from contributing if you had your heart set on it!
The extra squares are being put to good use. We have sent an afghan to Tayten Court, aka “Mr. T,” in Canada, and he seemed delighted to get it. In the December Share A Square Update, you can see an afghan that was sent to Lilly, a little girl with leukemia in California. We will send out as many as we can to children who won’t be at Camp Sanguinity.
5: In fact, I’m working on this one now, for a little girl who is a friend of our volunteer Rebecca T., here in Denton.

6: If you know a child touched by cancer, you can contact me and I will put you on a waiting list for any afghans that we have that are extra. Keep in mind that friends and family of the Share A Square volunteers will be the first to receive the afghans, and we will send others as we can. I make no promises! Our first obligation is to the 140 children at Camp Sanguinity.
7: Look at what we have done! We are well ahead of schedule! I have 72 afghans here at the house that are finished. I haven’t taken pictures of all of them yet. This is what my “guest bed” looks like! That whole end of the house is sinking!

8: I’ve put so many pictures on this blog about Share A Square, that I have exceeded the allowed number of gigabytes (almost doubled it!). I have to spend today getting a new plan, and I’m not sure how to do it. If my blog disappears, you know I screwed up!
9:I’d really love to make a sub-domain for Share A Square, but don’t know how to do that. Unfortunately, the designer of my blog (Leanne) has four projects ahead of mine. I’m afraid that by the time she gets to me, Share A Square will be finished. If any of you know how to make a sub-domain on WordPress and want to walk me through it, I’d be forever grateful! Otherwise, I may need to move all of this Share A Square stuff to a Blogger template.
10: Though I still have about 50 names to add to the list, you can see how many generous people have dedicated time to the project on this post. If your name isn’t there, and should be, please tell me!
11: Thanks to the generosity of several of the volunteers, I have had postage money for sending out packages! I had no clue how expensive this could be. I’ll take donations if you want to send a check or money order, but keep in mind that it is not tax deductible! I haven’t got 501C3 status! These are going to folks who are putting together afghans or putting the rims on the squares so other volunteers can stitch them together.

12:If you want to put together an afghan or help rim, please contact me at
shelly {dot} tucker {at} gmail {dot} com
13: People, I spend an average of 5 hours a day working on Share A Square. I indeed do have a real job, too. I apologize, but I don’t get around to answering comments much or visiting any more. I barely have the energy to post on most days. I hope that is going to change soon, I really do. Until then, know that I do appreciate your visits and your encouragement. And, I will be back to see you when I get some breathing room.

Leave me a comment if you would like (whether you are playing Thursday Thirteen or not) and you will be magically linked. . Use your powers for good. And, come back and sit with me on the porch another day.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: The Share A Square project has ended, and the afghans were delivered on July 7th, 2008. ]

Related posts:

1. Thursday Thirteen Number 25. I Just Have to Share
2. Warm Your Heart
3. Manic Monday, In More Ways Than One
4. Manic Monday. Labor of Love
5. Share A Square Is Starting To Take Off

Tagged as: afghans, Camp Sanguinity, kids with cancer, Share A Square, Thursday Thirteen