January 11, 2006
Dulaan!
Woot! I feel all sorts of fresh, new-year Dulaan vibes bubbling up around me! They tickle like little nibbling fish! Hee-hee!
First, coinkidental to the fact that I planned on talking about Dulaan today anyway, Minnie asked what the deadline for Dulaan is. Although TMK was kind enough to answer prontissimo in order to relieve Minnie’s aching brain, just to remind everyone, the deadline for all items to be received in the F.I.R.E. office in Arizona is July 1, 2006. That’s only 170 days, people!! One. Hundred. And. Seventy. One hundred days, followed by a measly seventy more.
Next, I heard from Meredith, the Executive Director at F.I.R.E., and she is working on getting some photographs of their 2005 Mongolia trip ready for us. I know, I know, MaryB; you’ll believe it when you see it, but I have my fingers crossed!
Meredith also tells me that F.I.R.E. is now trying to provide clothing and services both to Pakistan as well as to Mongolia, so some of the knitted items may be going to Pakistan. I don’t know if they will be sent specifically to the earthquake-ravaged area but, personally, I’m excited to know that by sending our items to one location, we can help two countries that are both recovering from natural disasters—the earthquake in Pakistan and the severe zud winters in Mongolia— and yet which, in a good year, still have extremely cold winters. Meredith said she will send me more details about the Pakistan plan.
In an attempt to catch up on my own personal Dulaan knitting, with—get this—only the buttons to attach to the two baby sweaters, I did a sharp and sudden 180 and started knitting Dulaan hats instead. Sheesh. Apparently I have lost complete control of my vertical and my horizontal. Anyhoo, between Monday and yesterday I churned out two modified Cloud Hats, using 48 stitches instead of the 60 or 66 called for in the pattern, very girly pastel variegated worsted wool, and flerfy pink mohair. They turned out saccharinely cute and perky, but some little dark-haired and dark-eyed girl will love them.
Lastly, and maybe most importantly, I have our current count of items received:
492!!!!
You are all awesome. Awe. Some.
You can add another 12 things from me with hopefully a lot more to come :)
Dulaan rules!
Posted by: Robbyn on January 11, 2006 12:13 PMWoot! You can add.....hold on, lemme count (not all these are handknits, but some nice lightweight woolen turtlenecks, etc., I found)....okay, I'm back.....15! But I guess you can't officially count them until they're in their hot little hands out there in Arizona. But anyway, just thought I'd throw it out there. Go Dulaan!
Posted by: Norma on January 11, 2006 12:24 PMGreat news about Dulaan! I am a skeptic, yes, and I will be looking for those pictures. I NEED those pictures. I haven't been able to get myself fired up about Dulaan so far, and I must have some pictoral enthusiasm. Besides, I had 8 hats done, but then decided to send them to afghans for Afghans, for its January 20th deadline. So I am currently with NO items for Dulaan. That, however, will change. Mary B
Posted by: Mary B on January 11, 2006 12:31 PMNot to fret, Mary. We'll have another Dulaan party at TMK's in late spring/early summer, only, this time, the amount of food you're allowed to eat will depend on the number of Dulaan items you bring to the party. ;-)
Posted by: Ryan on January 11, 2006 01:12 PM7 ready to go here, although since I plan to make more, I probably won't mail them all until June.
What was the earlier total - we had to do 48 items each? I better get busy....
Posted by: MBT on January 11, 2006 01:25 PMI think I posted this on Norma's blog once, but I'll post here too: Smiley's Yarns (www.smileysyarns.com) has lots of wool and wool blend yarns, and even has the mohair blend (Patons Divine) that Norma used to make HER cloud hats, for about 50% of the normal price. (I'm talking like balls of wool for $1 or $2.) I know we all say to support our LYS, but how great would it be to get supplies for charity knitting so cheap that we could make tons more? (And no, I'm not affiliated with Smiley's - I just love a deal.)
Posted by: Carrie on January 11, 2006 01:32 PMSince I'm dieting (I'm ALWAYS dieting), imposing a ratio of food consumed to number of items knit will be to someone's detriment--either mine or Dulaan's!! I suspect once I see those cute faces wearing OUR handmade goodies will be all the incentive I need! Mary B
Posted by: Mary B on January 11, 2006 02:19 PMDid F.I.R.E. ever sent out the receipts for the 2005 donations so we can write them off our income tax? I thought that was why we made the list and attached it to the outside of our box. y accountant has already requested I gather my stuff together so he can get to work pronto. I don't have a receipt for my donation last year.
Posted by: Charlotte on January 11, 2006 03:36 PMCharlotte, Meredith tells me they are getting ready to send those out. I will try to light a fire under her...
Posted by: Ryan on January 11, 2006 04:15 PMor, light a F.I.R.E. under her?? Yuck, yuck. Mary B
Posted by: Mary B on January 11, 2006 04:28 PMI think i'm up to 15 or 16 items at the moment,but we've had a cold snap here so i've been making hats and scarves for my family but i'm sure there will be more to be added to my parcel before it gets posted :0)
Posted by: Diane on January 11, 2006 04:37 PMI have three items ready to go, but am in full-on charity knitting mode, so more to come shortly. I've got a box that will need to be filled before I mail it, but all the woolies are wanting to knit up as fast as possible. Christmas knitting got in the way, I'm afraid.
Posted by: Lisa A on January 11, 2006 05:57 PMMine to come too, Ryan.
Posted by: sheila on January 11, 2006 07:35 PMNo party til I get back!!!!! Actually, I'll be in plenty of time. Guess what I found right before I went out the door to the airport for India? 12 skeins of mohair! Hot diggity! What was I doing rooting in the stash minutes before a taxi to the airport you ask? Well, I don't have an answer for that but do I really NEED one? I am missing rainy cold weather SO much! One of our drivers just announced his wife just had a very premature baby - 3.5 pounds - ahah! A mission! Speaking as one who is relatively close to Pakistan geographically compared to alla youse, I'm REALLY excited about this addition to F.I.R.E. The winters in North India are truly cold this year and Pakistan is in a world of hurt. Go F.I.R.E.! Go Us! Okay, done blathering.
Linda "K"
Posted by: Linda "K" on January 11, 2006 11:43 PMI am not awe. some. I am not even kinda. cool. I am a total Dulaan (and all other charity knitting) slacker. At present I have 1 1/2 items done.
However, I have designated my kids' bathtime as "charity knitting time." I think this is a good plan--I have boys, they get dirty a lot.
Posted by: Kirsten on January 12, 2006 05:27 AMI'd like to join the Dulaan Brigade, how do I do that? Thank you!
Posted by: sedie on January 12, 2006 11:15 AMSedie, I'll send you the details in a person-to-person email!
Posted by: Ryan on January 12, 2006 11:44 AM