Share a Square

On a bright note, the Share A Square Program is doing very well. Yesterday, I got a contact from a woman in Oklahoma, not very far from me, who offered to grab her crochet hook and come help. I’m hoping I can meet her half-way and ask her to put together some of these afghans!

I also got a contact from a woman who has supplied me with enough crocheted squares to make several afghans. Since she is such a hard worker, I had asked if she wanted to help me put some afghans together. However she had to decline. She told me that she is undergoing chemotherapy! People, if she can crochet that much while she battles cancer, I can find time to crochet every night. My thanks and best wishes go to her. She is an inspiration.

And, in other good news, a local bistro called “banter” has agreed to host a Share A Square Day! We will get those 140 afghans together for the children at Camp Sanguinity cancer camp!

Here is that third one, which just got finished last night:

I’m headed to the post office to see what the mail has brought today, and I will post pictures on the update page this afternoon. At least that’s what I say I’m doing. Actually, I’m going to Jupiter House, a little coffee house on the square, here in Denton, that has a mocha that is just my size (and it might even be waiting on the counter!).

The mailbox was full today with squares from Gloria M. in PA (who has already sent one batch of squares; Liz S. in Framingham, MA; and from Margaret B. in Aurora, Il. The box full of squares that Margaret sent had crocheted squares from Barbara, Kitty, Carol, and Virginia. There wasn’t a note, but it looks like they are a part of a Senior Exercise Program. Thanks to ALL of you fine women for “exercising” your fingers for charity!

Look what we have done so far! We’ve collected 1321 since June 14th! I don’t think we will have a problem at all getting the squares we need. Getting them put together will be a little trickier….

This is the third afghan. I’ve been working on it on the porch while it’s cool and shady during this week of my vacation. The cool and the shade doesn’t last long here in North Texas.

Other people have been busily crocheting too, and I appreciate them! Click on the thumbnails if you would like a closer view.

Vickie A. in California made the lovely squares on the left; Camille S. in IL, and her cousin Donna N. in IL sent the others. Donna had found out about the program and has been supplying me with squares like crazy! Now, Camille is in on the act, and I think that between them they could make 140 afghans!

Stephanie S. in W.V. sent the squares on the left and Maizee in Columbia MO sent the ones on the right (and if y’all have a blog, please give me the url so I can link you here!)

So here is a press release for the next Share A Square Day, which will be right here in Denton, Texas. I got it delivered to the Denton Record Chronicle and am hoping it will be published:

Imagine a child with cancer snuggled for comfort in a soft afghan. Imagine that the afghan was made by the caring hands of forty-eight different volunteers from around the world. For 140 children at Camp Sanguinity, a summer camp for children with cancer associated with Cook Children’s Hospital, that dream will be a reality next summer.
On June 14th, local resident Shelly Kneupper Tucker posted a plea on the internet (at http://www.thiseclecticlife.com) asking that those who crochet or knit send a six inch square to be stitched in one of the granny afghans. Each square has a tag with the name of the person who made it and their location. More than 1300 squares have been received to date.
“I heard a young woman complaining that people in the world are so callous these days,” said Ms. Tucker. “I told her that she needs to look in my mailbox. Every day, there is a package full of love.”
Packages of brightly colored squares have been received from fourteen different states as well as from Saskatchewan, Canada and Taiwan. A woman in Spain asked for the instructions to be translated into Spanish. More squares are arriving daily.
The Colony Public Library opened its doors for a “Share A Square” Day on July 19th. More than 200 squares were donated, and “The Happy Hookers,” a local crochet group, helped piece together the first two afghans.
“More help is needed to make these come together,” said Ms. Tucker. “Once we receive the donated square, a black rim of crochet is put around it, then the afghan is laid out and stitched together. We tuck in all the ends and crochet a trim around the edge. For one person to do all that, it takes at least 10 hours. When it’s done, it looks like a stained glass window.”
Denton residents are being given the opportunity to help. Banter (219 W. Oak St) is hosting a “Share A Square Day” on Sunday, August 12th, from 12:30-5:30 p.m. Come enjoy free iced tea, and a 10 % discount on meals while you crochet a square, or help put the rim of crochet on squares that have been received.
For those unable to attend that day, drop off a six inch square beforehand at Alter Ego Vintage Store, at 809 North Locust, during the week of August 6th-11th. You will receive a 10% discount off of purchases at Alter Ego for one crocheted square. Bring two (or more) for a 25% discount.
Ms. Tucker said, “If ten people would give an hour of their time to put the crochet rim on these afghans, another afghan could be put together on August 12th. Just imagine how the children will feel when they receive these afghans, knowing that so many people care about them.”
For more information, e-mail Ms. Tucker shelly dot tucker at gmail dot com

Contributors to the 1st Afghan
1.Effie F.,TX
2. Priscilla M.,CT
3.Janet B.,ID
4.Michelle H.,Washington, DC
5.Laura,KS
6.Meg,CA
7.Laura, NH
8.Dawn, WA
9.Marcia, WA
10.J., TX
11.Margie, WA
12.Margaret, WA
13.Casey, NM
14.Barbara, FL
15.Janet, CO
16. Sandee, CA
17.Young Knitter, WA
18.Vickie, CA
19.Jina, WA
20.Shelly, TX
21. Mitchowl, ID
22. Holly,
23. Donna, WA
24. Rose, NH
25. Connie K., TX
26.Melissa, Saskatchewan,Canada
27.Paula, NC
28. Terri, TX
29. Christine, WY
30.Doris, TX
31. Julie, MI
32. Kiedrowskis, WA
33.Donna N., IL
34. Talina, AZ
35. Tracy Federal Credit Union, CA
36.Sherry, GA
37.Camille, IL
38.Gloria, PA
39.Entertaining Angels, Taiwan
40.Carol, HI
41.Sharon D., KS
42.anice, NH
43.Terry M., WA
44.Irma, TX
45. Elaine, TX
46. Kate, TX
47.Connie C., TX
48. Verna, TX

Contributors to the 2nd Afghan
1.Ranah, TX
2.Donna, WA
3. Pat, TX
4. Chris, TX
5.Terri, WA
6.Teresa, TX
7.Paula, NC
8.Entertaining Angels, Taiwan
9.Priscilla, CT
10. J, TX
11. Helen, TX
12. Katy, TX
13.Tara, NM
14.Christine, WY
15. Julie, MI
16. Barbara, FL
17. Wanda, TX
18.Michelle, Washington, D.C.
19. Meg, CA
20. Claudie, TX
21. Cindy, TX
22. Mitchowl, ID
23. Melissa, Saskatchewan, Canada
24. Janice, NH
25. Margaret, WA
26. JW, TX
27. Connie, K, TX
28. Sherry, GA
29.Rose, NH
30. Joseph, TX
31. Shelly, TX
32. Vicki, CA
33. Janet B., ID
34. Nancy, TX
35. Talina, AZ
36. Margie, WA
37. Carol, HI
38. Kiedrowskis, WA
39. Marcia, WA
40. Terri, TX
41. Janet, CO
42. Laura, NH
43. Young Knitter,WA,
44. Jina, WA
45. Donna, TX
46. Vonnie, TX
47. Irma, TX
48. Donna N., IL

Pardon that there aren’t any links on that list. I’m trying to get back to this:

Y’all may have noticed that I’ve been a little bit quiet since the 1st Share A Square Day. We were pretty successful for not having done it before, but I know a little more about what to do next time.

I’ve been quiet, because I’ve been a bit overwhelmed. Today a couple of friends made me answer some questions in a rant, and so now that I’m ranting I’ll just tell you the whole news about what is happening. There is good news and bad news.

The Dallas Morning New reporter came to take pictures and write a story. I got carried away wanting an impressive picture so that maybe local folks would get behind the project, so I dumped the squares into a huge pile for her. Before she came, these had been meticulously sorted into organized piles so that they could easily be chosen for the afghans. After she left, I had a jumble on my hands. It was a mistake I won’t make again.

I’ve spent the last days organizing, and have everything back into piles sorted by who made them.

I’ve also had to deal with another little glitch. The lovely folks from The Colony donated a couple of hundred squares. I love it that they were so generous, but most of the squares didn’t have name tags on them. So, for two days, my husband and I have been trying to make tags to put on the squares (if there is no name, the child who receives the afghan won’t know that a different person made that square). This has been pretty time consuming and it isn’t over.

I’m still facing this box full of squares and two more sacks.

On top of all that, in some of the donated yarn, I found a fistful of moths lurking. I’m packing everything in cedar balls, and checking it constantly. Fortunately, that’s all the bad news.

Ready for some good news?

I’ve gotten lovely squares from Sharon at Hildeguard’s Lair
and Tina at Tina’s Treasured Thoughts. Thank you, ladies!

I’ve put together a second afghan:

I’m sorry, I couldn’t get far enough away from it to show all the squares. I’ll post a list of the names of the people whose squares are on the first two afghans later this week. As you read this, I’m working on piecing two more afghans. And, I also have several volunteers willing to help me with that task. It takes about 10-11 more hours of work once the squares get here for one person to put together an afghan (some squares need an extra row because they are small and some need a row taken off; rim the squares in black; lay them out and crochet them together; tuck in all the ends; put a row of shell stitch around the edge). I’m asking a lot from these people, and they are willing and ready to do it. I’d like to get these in their hands before they get busy doing something else.

Then comes another “good news/bad news.” We now have gathered 1207 squares in less than two months! I have 49 piles of squares (from different contributors). However, most of the contributions have come from twelve different people and I need more. I can only put together one more afghan until I get some squares with different names!!

Thanks to everyone who is contributing to this project. You have hearts of gold.

Before I went to The Colony for the First Share A Square Day, I ran by the post office and got beautiful squares from Carol O. in Honolulu, Hawaii to add to the mix. I slapped them into afghan piles so fast that I didn’t get pictures. Trust me, they are wonderful.

Well, I didn’t take as many pictures as I would have liked, because I was crocheting. Also, several of the folks didn’t want their faces shown. But, I got pictures of their hands busily working at the [tag]The Colony Public Library[/tag]. Our crowd was small, but hard working. Joan Sveinsson, the Library Director, and her staff were so supportive of this project, that it amazes me. In fact, we have already tentatively scheduled a date in September to do this again. I can’t thank them enough for supporting this project.

I’m all tied up in yarn this morning, but before I go back to it I thought I’d show you some pictures that I did take. That young lady you see is Katie P. She’s 12 years old, and her hands pieced together the very first afghan. Well done, Katie. I bet your Mom is proud of the hard work you do. Donna B. is holding the afghan she donated to the cause. Thank you, Donna. All my thanks to the Happy Hookers and their hard work. These ladies gather together solely to work for charitable causes such as ours. I appreciate their big hearts and their hard working hands.

The newspaper reporter did come out to visit, and I’ll link you to the article when it comes out. For now, I’m trying to get things out of my car and stacked in the spare bedroom. I told you I wasn’t going to do much writing for a few days! Dang. I’m still boring!

I wasn’t even going to write again until Sunday, because lately I’ve become a one-note wonder. I thought I’d take a break and catch my breath, so I could write about things that would interest all my readers. I felt a little like my friend SusieJ felt a few days ago and I thought powering down would be good.

But y’all know I can’t shut up, and I didn’t want to miss out on Thursday Thirteen. Especially not on the very first Share A Square Day. I’m a little superstitious, whether I want to admit it or not. I also noticed that my friend Yellow Rose takes every opportunity to tell folks about the project (and she crochets like crazy, too!), so I was feeling guilty. This one is a departure from my usual Thursday Thirteen. I just can’t be funny today, because: