Good morning, Brigadiers! Have you all had your coffee? Have you had your morning doughnut or, for you Seattleites, half of a low-fat, low-calorie, low-carb, high-fiber, no-sugar bran muffin followed by an hour on the treadmill? Are you up for a (very) small challenge?
Last year, F.I.R.E. told me that they received contributions from 27 of the 50 states. This year I would like to see if I can get at least one item shipped from knitters in every state, including The Land of the Midnight Sun and The Aloha State. Whatcha’ think?
To start, let’s find out who has already shipped from where and I will start tracking the information and see where we are, how we’re doing. To that end, if you have shipped a box to F.I.R.E., please leave a quick comment saying the name of your state. Or, since ultimately only a small percentage of contributors actually know about this blog or read it, if you know of someone from a state other than yours who has shipped a box, please let me know.
So far on the list:
1. Washington.
49 to go. (On what planet was this a good idea?)
Still on the Dulaan front, I may literally have gotten myself in over my head recently, Dear Readers. This week I received an email from a representative of the rug and textile company Rosemary Hallgarten saying that they wanted to donate yarn to Dulaan. My first reaction, of course, was to be out-of-this-world touched and delighted…which quickly, oh, so quickly, metamorphosed into hair-chewing nervousness and frantic back-pedaling when it occurred to me that rug yarn, by its very nature, must be durable, long-wearing, scratchy and harsh. Not what I would want next to the delicate skin of our Mongolian youngsters. So I went to their site to see what was what…and discovered they specialize in alpaca rugs! Alpaca! The good stuff!! Again, doing the "only one dahlia tuber rotted" happy dance! Happy, happy, happy! Arabesque! Jeté! Pirouette! Plié!
Because we are so close to the end of the project, I recommended to the rep that she just send the yarn to me and I would distribute it locally. Problem is, I have no idea how much they are sending…and now I’m starting to wonder what I’ve gotten myself into, and the nervousness and the desire to backpedal are starting to creep back into my soul. I mean, it’s a rug company, people, the kind of place where huge spools of yarn and monstrous warehouses and machinery big enough to mass-produce 8’ x 10’ rugs are the norm, whereas in my house all the yarn I own fits under one bed. (And a trunk. And three small plastic bins. And one extra underbed bin that doesn’t fit under the bed because of the three that are already there. But you get the idea.)
I’ve reassured myself by reminding myself that if I run out of floor space in my (very small) house, I can stack yarn in a pyramid at least 25 feet high in the A-frame part of the living room. Then there’s the garage. And TMK’s house. And her garage. And her garden shed. And MaryB’s house. And LindaK’s. And Melinda’s condo. And surely my sister in San Diego will take some.
If all of a sudden you don’t hear from me anymore, call out the Mounties, Dearest Readers. I don't want to end up like the Collyer brothers. (By the way, a note to Lee Ann: This is the article in Vogue hard at work!)
------------
Wherein I do my part for social networking: Reader Elizabeth Kirchner, a Dulaan knitter from Virginia, is interested in meeting other knitters in Virginia. She didn’t say exactly where in Virginia she lives but if you live in the Old Dominion State and want me to pass your name and email on to her, please let me know.
-------------
Lastly, I am happy to report that the "Staring Contest with Fate" Sweater is going well. I think Fate is starting to go a little cross-eyed. And again—Happy, happy, happy! Arabesque! Jeté! Pirouette! Plié!
(P.S. A note to Manise: This is the pattern I used to make the Wing and a Prayer Sweater but I tweaked it a lot to compensate for the fact that I was using bulky yarn instead of the worsted weight called for originally.)
Ryan,
I recently sent in a box from Charitable Crafters that had donations from Minnesota and Michigan.
I've been running our charitable group for 5 years now and if you're worried about space for donated yarn now...just wait! Every summer I have a "free garage sale" where I open up my garage to anyone who wants to come and get yarn and fabric to make donated items (or purchase it if they don't want to donate items), and every year I get rid of it all and every year I have more donated yarn and fabric. Right now, It is taking up 1/4 of my two car garage.
By the way, want some more yarn???
Have a great day!
Tina
Posted by: Tina on April 28, 2006 11:20 AMI'd be happy to pre-pay or reimburse you for some of that donation yarn for my Dulaan projects. In fact, I think the post office offers some sort of a flat rate box. Just let me know when you see how much is or isn't there, as long as it's not too much trouble.
Posted by: Jenn on April 28, 2006 11:36 AMRyan, I'm knitting until I fill up a box of stuff, so you can assume at least the one donation from Virginia!
And you can also count me in for some of the Alpaca if it's more than your local knitters can handle, and I'll happily pay for postage.
Thanks for all you do for Dulaan!
Posted by: MaryB in Richmond on April 28, 2006 11:41 AMI'd never heard of the Collyer brothers until you posted. Thanks ever so for the link. Really. I read up, and I think a few of my brain cells died, just thinking about the junk. I want to go clean out my closets.
Posted by: Carrie on April 28, 2006 11:41 AMAdd Massachusetts to the list.
Posted by: Kat on April 28, 2006 11:45 AMAnd my house too!
:) When will the Dulaan knitting party be? I've finished my 8th Dulaan item, so I'm 57% done with my goal of 14 items! I'll be knitting another this weekend!
Posted by: Rebecca on April 28, 2006 11:45 AMWell, yer Aunt, my momma, and her posse'll be sending from the Green Mountain State. Cuzzin Laura from NH? Not sure. Right now she's on a Carribean cruise to Belize and thus a leetle out of cell range.
Posted by: Cuzzin Tom on April 28, 2006 11:50 AMIf you want to make an international list too, you can add Kent, England to it!
Posted by: Sarah on April 28, 2006 11:58 AMDonated alpaca -- wow! All I can say is to repeat a well-known quote from Margaret Mead: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
If I weren't such a slow knitter my hand would be waving in the air to take care of some of that lusciousness. I'll just go back to my Dulaan hat (only the third -- like I said, s-l-o-w knitter).
Posted by: Kathy the Tax Accountant on April 28, 2006 12:09 PMAdd Scotland to your list!
Posted by: Jenny McIntosh on April 28, 2006 12:22 PMI live in Virginia and am one of the owners of a yahoo group that lists a ton of Northern Virginia knitting groups, there are probably an average of 5 meetings a week.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NoVaKnittingCrochetMeeting
Posted by: Jayme on April 28, 2006 12:34 PMI'm sending a box full from Utah.
Posted by: Sylvia on April 28, 2006 12:37 PMI'll be sending a box from Illinois. And I can use some of that yarn for Dulaan knitting - there's still plenty of time for me to whip out more Dulaan vests. My husband is doing a stint at Microsoft, and comes home to Chicago periodically, so if you get yarn to him he can get it to me. ::grin::
Posted by: Lisa Rogers Lowrance on April 28, 2006 12:54 PMI also sent a box of knitted items to F.I.R.E from the great state (Commonwealth, actually) of Virginia. Hey, could you also please pass on my contact info to my fellow Dulaan knitter in Virginia---I live in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley! Thanks, Pat mepat2000@yahoo.com
Posted by: Pat Packer on April 28, 2006 01:04 PMWhen we jete and plie the corgis bark at us.
Posted by: Ellen on April 28, 2006 01:04 PMMaryland. New Jersey. Kansas. That I know of.
Posted by: Tee on April 28, 2006 01:06 PMSome Dulaan Cloud hats from Florida will be in the mail early next week. They were fun to make!
Posted by: Mary_Ann Newlon on April 28, 2006 01:10 PM...Alpaca? Oooo... If it needs a home, give me an email. I'll make the sacrifice (yeah, sacrifice, that's it) to knit it up and send it to AZ. That'd put a couple more items from MN in the mix!
Love the happy dance rhyme. :)
Jenny from Duluth, believe me, the fact that the "dance" turned into a poem was strictly a happy accident. I can take no credit for it.
Thank you for everyone who has reported in on their states and other locales. We're up to 13 states, one person from Kent, England, and one from Scotland!
Posted by: Ryan on April 28, 2006 01:23 PMI am up to 48 hats and scarves from the dry state of AZ.
Posted by: Petrified on April 28, 2006 01:37 PMRyan - I live in Seattle and have been one of the lurking readers of your blog for the past six months or so. I would love to meet you if you have another Dulaan knitting party and would be happy to knit up some donated alpaca as well. Beth
Posted by: Beth in Seattle on April 28, 2006 01:50 PMBeth, hi! Stay tuned to the blog for upcoming knit-in info. We're planning our next one for Saturday, May 27.
Posted by: Ryan on April 28, 2006 01:53 PMOhio, of course! Oh, and if you're putting together a team of volunteers to go to the Aloha State, knit up a storm, and stop at the UPS store on the way out, do let me know!
Posted by: marylee on April 28, 2006 02:23 PMYer aunt notwithstanding, there are also a couple boxes already there from NORTHERN Vermont. :)
Posted by: Norma on April 28, 2006 03:08 PMCan you (or the marvelous graphically literate TMK) get a graphic of the USA and fill in the states that you have? And post it on the blog so we can check periodically? Can you, can you???
I've got May 27th penciled in already. Am on article No. 26 and going strong. And yes, you can use my house for yarn storage!!!!! Mary B
PS I'm hoping to get my sister in Iowa to make some Dulaan items. But don't count Iowa just yet!
Posted by: Mary B on April 28, 2006 03:45 PMRyan,
I am still waiting on a couple of sweaters, a couple of scarves, and a couple of hats . . . then a large box will go out from Chicago, IL. I will send a picture of the "small but mighty" knitting meet-up and a picture of me with the "large and bulging" box of hand made goods.
-Becca
Posted by: Becca on April 28, 2006 03:55 PMI'm assuming if it's rug yarn it has a somewhat tight twist and is chunky. What about the idea of knitting pads for the kids who live in tunnels underground to sleep on. That might be very welcome. Also, once you get it - if you could (of course you will what am I saying) post a picture before sending it off to anyone so they will know what they're in for needle-size-wize. This could be very cool. Another idea is to put the call out to those who have bulky knitting machines and they may be able to crank out blankies of the yarn that are quick and just the right size!
Hot damn!
Linda "K"
Posted by: Linda "K" on April 28, 2006 03:59 PMTexas! Texas! Texas!
Posted by: Childe on April 28, 2006 04:03 PMState of Denial reporting! My goal was 15, I think I'm at 7 and June is around the corner.
Posted by: Elaine on April 28, 2006 04:19 PMI sent a padded envelope from Pennsylvania.
Posted by: Faith on April 28, 2006 04:25 PMI see you have already heard from Minnesota but wanted to post that my girls and I sent a large box a couple of months ago. I have a lot of fun reading your blog as my son is attending school in Seattle (The Art Institue) and I love hearing about the weather etc.
Posted by: Connie on April 28, 2006 04:41 PMWell, Kathy the Tax Accountant, I'm even slower than you! Despite my best intentions, all I've got done so far is 1 hat, 1/2 pair of socks and 20% of a sweater. Sigh. Maybe by the time of next month's knit in I will at least have those WIPs completed (fingers crossed)?
Ryan, I can *so* picture you sitting nervously by the front window watching every truck that comes down the street, wondering if it's going to stop in front of your house and deposit a pallet of alpaca yarn in your driveway...
Posted by: Denise in Kent, WA on April 28, 2006 04:41 PMHi Ryan... I'll be getting the last of my box of 50+ hats ready for you next week from Maine!
Posted by: Sara on April 28, 2006 04:42 PMFaith -- That's nice and all, but how's a Mongolian kid gonna wear a padded envelope? Oh, maybe you cut head and arm holes?
Posted by: Cuzzin Tom on April 28, 2006 05:10 PMCan I ask you to expand your goals? Can we add all the Canadian provinces too??? Let's not worry about the Territories . . . I don't think we'll get that far. Even if we get some of the provinces it would be great. Ontario is definately in!!!!
Your (self-proclaimed) Canadian Ambassador,
Celtic Knitter :)
Put me down as being another checkmark from Seattle! Sorry I can't help with the geography challenge, but if there is a knit-in held on a Saturday afternoon, I would love to attend.
Posted by: Erika on April 28, 2006 07:38 PMThree sweaters and more to come from Illinois, Ryan.
Posted by: Sheila on April 28, 2006 09:28 PMRyan, I am so excited-by-association to tell you that Lizzie Kirchner is one of my bestest friends! We were little girlies together (long, long ago) now we are great, older broads together (though we live geographically far, far apart) and I like to think I had a little to do with her knitting and a lot to do with her finding YOU!
My (so far) 4 hats, scarf and FIRST-EVER sweater will be hiking up to Flagstaff from Mesa, AZ in the not-too distant future. I want to try to get a couple more things done with Pat-from-Nova-Scotia's PEI yarn. Please add kt to the Brigade!
Thanks!
Hey Ryan,
I haven't shipped yet, but I absolutely will. 9 items and counting from New Jersey (the Garden State, or Land of the Sopranos depending on your inclination).
Mary Beth
Posted by: MBT on April 29, 2006 08:20 AMHooded sweater for a 12- 14 yo boy and 3 cloud hats (so far) coming from Maine. Thanks for all you do for Dulaan.
Posted by: Beebs on April 29, 2006 11:48 AMWell it looks like I got beaten to it by another knitter from Kent, England, but please add another Kentish Maid (just a traditional name not an accurate description!) to the Brigade List. The box of yarny stuff should have arrived in Arizona sometime in the last couple of weeks. Keep up the good work
Posted by: Christine on April 29, 2006 01:22 PMa box of cloud hats will be coming from NJ, its been my passion since I learned about it 10 days ago, and the pile is growing!!! Go Garden staters!!!
Posted by: grace on April 29, 2006 07:22 PMTwo words: Frappr Map. TMK will know.
Posted by: Jenn on April 30, 2006 02:53 PMIf you do an international list as suggested earlier in the comments list how about adding Earls Barton,Northampton U.K :0) I mailed my parcel containing 22 items on 27th March so it must have been received by now....
Posted by: Diane on April 30, 2006 04:30 PM