Update and Knit Stuff

I haven't posted much this week because it's been doctor week. Either I'm taking my elderly old Pop to the doctor, going for routine doctor appointments and tests myself, or recuperating from same. I'm fine, and so is Dad, it's just that time of year for all the annual checkups. Next month looks to have a Kids to Docs week in it, too.

Anyway, this is the time of year I start thinking about sending things out to charity so that they'll have them for the onset of cold weather. So, as I was boxing knit stuff up, I made sure to keep a list handy of what's been sent so far this year (hey, the tax man will cometh, and he will seeketh documentation!), and I figured I'd share. So here we go:

2006 DONATIONS – Knitted

Guideposts Knit for Kids – (Mailed to: GUIDEPOSTS KNIT FOR KIDS 39 Seminary Hill Road Carmel, NY 10512)
10 handmade sweaters, larger sizes

Children’s Village – (mailed to: Wakanyeja Tiospaye O'Tipi/ Children's Village, Inc. 100 Main Street Box 1034 Pine Ridge, SD 57770)
39 hats
2 pair mittens
2 scarves
2 afghans
1 sweater
1 small drawstring bag

Victim’s Assistance in Indian Country – (mailed to: Victims Assistance in Indian Country, 100 Main St., Hwy 18, Behind Fire Station, Pine Ridge, SD 57770)

15 hats
3 scarves
2 shawls
1 cotton purse
1 child hat/mitten set

(There's more, I simply haven't washed and boxed it up yet.)

As I look over this list, I think it makes me look like I do nothing else all day. I do, trust me. Thing is, when I knit, 80-90% of the time, it's for charity because I have long since saturated my family with knit goods, and as the kids grow, things get passed down until the youngest outgrows them, at which point, if they're still nice, off they go to someone in need.

It might seem excessive to knit afghans to give away -- I have all this yarn, see, and these twitchy fingers. . . and we have at least two afghans for each couch and easy chair and bed in the house. My in-laws, parents, and sister all already have afghans courtesy of my twitchy fingers. The womenfolk have shawls, my daughter and I each have a wardrobe of them, and I am NOT even going to discuss the truly appalling number of sweaters in closets.

But, I still knit. I multi-task, reading while I knit. I got one of those recipe book stands a few years ago, and since I don't need to watch my fingers for simpler things, I prop a book in it, sit down at the table, and read and knit at the same time. My husband has long since gotten used to my participating in conversations, watching TV, and even having arguments while knitting. I knit while I help the kids with their homework, and I knit as a break between household chores. The yarn rolls off the needles and into boxes posted, with hope and good wishes, to those in need.

I also hope that if you knit or crochet, or craft in any manner, that you'll give some consideration to the charities seeking donations of handmade goods. There are so many of them out there, so very many, and once we've made ourselves and our loved ones warm, maybe we can look outside our homes and families for the chance to do a little good.

I've had to be selective, based on my own preferences, in choosing charities. They're listed at the above right on this blog. Others that have recently crossed my radar, which I'm considering, include the Red Scarf Project, which makes scarves for orphaned children going off to college, the Dulaan project, and a Gingerbread man project. I haven't included the links because I really need to get going with today's appointments. Please do Google some of these, see if there's something you can give, even if you don't do crafty things, and find something that floats your boat.

It feels pretty good to lend a hand.