May 01, 2006
The Latest From the Oh-So-Informal Dulaan Knitting Poll
Duck, everyone! Wildly out of control, dancing, happy woman barreling her way through again! Arabesque! Jeté! Pirouette! Plié!
Groan. Pant. Gasp!
So far, not including people who are trying to make Northern Vermont a completely different state from just plain old Vermont (you know who you are....Norma), we’ve heard from 18 19 states, to wit:
Arizona
California (added 3:27 PDT)
Colorado
Florida
Illinois
Kansas
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
New Jersey
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
I thought we had 23 but my ability to count is apparently en par with my ability to cook. Or clean. So, 18 19 it is! Almost 19 20, thanks to Jennifer who suggested that I could count her donation (from Florida) as the ever-elusive Hawaiian donation in memory of her late Hawaiian grandfather who “taught [her] what it is to give with both hands,” which is, obviously, the Dulaan philosophy to its core. I was tempted, sorely tempted, ‘cuz I was moved by her story and the obvious love and heart behind it, but, nope—the items have to be mailed from the state proper.
And, of course, it doesn’t stop there. From our international contingent, we heard from two people from Kent, England, one person from Scotland, and one from Earls Barton, Northampton.
And then there’s the issue of our Dulaan soul mates to the North, the Canadians. I knew, even before I posted Friday’s entry, that I would get a metaphoric tug on my pant leg from Celtic Knitter who is truly, as he labeled himself, the Dulaan ambassador from Canada. This dude jumped on the Dulaan bandwagon with both feet the instant he stumbled across it and hasn’t stopped since. Now, knowing that I would hear from him, I made a concerted, proactive effort to include the Canadians in my “get one item mailed from each state/province/territory/what-have-you” list but my good intentions died a quick and ugly death when some judicious Googling revealed that the Canadian territories include a place called Nunavut that extends into, get this, the North Pole. If I don’t think I can get entries from Hawaii and Alaska, people, there’s no frickin’ way I’m getting an entry from the North Pole.
So, for the Canadians, my tracking of your whereabouts will have to be a little more loosey-goosey, but, please, please, do chime in! So far we’ve heard from, obviously, Celtic Knitter so I’ve put a big, fat, happy check mark next to Ontario. (Now watch something get mailed to Dulaan from Nunavut.)
Stop the presses!! I just received an email from Mary Anne in Canada which is great news on two fronts: (A) I can add British Columbia to my list of Canadian-places-heard-from and (B) I can post this adorable picture of the 45 (!!!) items she knit for Dulaan:
Mary Anne’s picture reminds me that I also have to wholeheartedly acknowledge Petrified, who is surely not as frozen in place as her name would imply, since she has knit 48 hats and scarves so far. Woot! And Sara and her mother and her mother’s co-workers who have generated 50+ items for the project. Look at this blog posting of Sara's for pictures of more hats than you could ever imagine. I am stunned.
And lastly, my favorite part of Dulaan—a new pattern (large pdf file), designed specifically for the project! This Cloud Sweater (different from Melinda's equally wonderful Cloud Sweater) was designed by Mary Lou Egan and is a mohair and worsted weight raglan cardigan, inspired by the Cloud Hat. Thank you, Mary Lou!
I am positively THRILLED at the numbers and quality of the work so far--the photos speak volumes and have gotten me so enthused. The Cloud Sweater is beyond wonderful. Thanks for the pattern, Mary Lou! (I am assuming we can print and use the pattern for Dulaan for free, despite it being marked "$4.00" on the pdf., correct?)
I was thinking I wasn't going to reach my 2005 total of 50 items, but now that so many others are knitting so much, I have decided to push ahead to a goal of 51 (knitting one more than last year) for 2006. Ever onward! Am only on item No. 26, so I'd better get cracking.
A cyberhug from me to all the Dulaan knitters! Mary B
Posted by: Mary B on May 1, 2006 12:16 PMHuh. Apparently *someone* doesn't believe in Santa Claus.
And didn't you hear from Confusion and Disarray?
Posted by: Cuzzin Tom on May 1, 2006 12:52 PMi'm a day late & a dollar short (as always lol) but chiming in anyway...there'll be another box from michigan (meaning one being sent by me, since michigan's already listed) and i believe a separate box from tennessee--it'll depend on whether or not the friend i recruited ;o) sends her things to me or sends them on her own...but as she's in nashville (tennessee not michigan), it should count as an entry from that state shouldn't it? ;o)
Posted by: laurie on May 1, 2006 12:56 PMI sent things from Wisconsin last year, there will certainly be things from Wisconsin again this year, since I've already made a small Heap O' Hats.
Posted by: TChem on May 1, 2006 01:01 PMDo the items have to be knitted in Hawaii or my someone who lives in Hawaii? What if they were knitted by a knitter in another state, but got mailed to Dulaan via someone who lives in Hawaii?? Would that be cheating???
Posted by: Danielle on May 1, 2006 01:14 PMIf I had all the money in the world, I would fly to Nunavut, knit a hat, post it to you from there, and fly home. Just so you could add Nunavut to your list.
Of course, if I had all the money in the world, I could build those little kids houses with central heating. sigh.
YEAH BRITISH COLUMBIA!! Hmmm . . . Nunavut is actually a really cool territory. It is predominantly Inuit . . . and the First Nations people govern it themselves. Hmmm . . . there must be knitters up there . . . it is cold!! I'm sending my psychic vibes up to Nunavut and hoping for a hat or scarf.
Posted by: Celtic Knitter on May 1, 2006 03:32 PMYikes - sorry I forgot to take the $4.00 off my template when I wrote up the cloud cardi. Of course it is free. I re-did the pdf and resent it to Ryan. Thanks for noticing.
Posted by: Mary Lou on May 1, 2006 05:38 PMI haven't mailed mine yet (will wait til near the end, of course), but I'm in Nova Scotia!
Posted by: Sheri on May 1, 2006 05:49 PMI knew we'd get someone from the east coast of Canada!
YEAH NOVA SCOTIA!! There we have someone from each end of Canada and me in the middle.
Posted by: Celtic Knitter on May 1, 2006 07:26 PMRyan,
thank you for posting the photo of my furry critters modeling the knits. I was hoping to hit 50 items but I've slowed to a crawl this past week and I'd like to mail the box off soon so it will arrive in time. I'm still pleased with my progress because last year I only knit 15 items.
regards,
mary anne
richmond bc
Oops! I had read your poll as only being US-based and was going to send some snarky comment or other which I would then have had to withdraw in a humble and embarrassed manner which really doesn't work for me, so praise to FSM that I haven't had internet access for days and that moving house has damned near killed me.
Um, what I meant to say is four more items from BC here. Except you already have BC on the list. I lived in Alberta once, does that help? *g*
OK, I'll go away again now.
Posted by: Rabbitch on May 2, 2006 12:26 AMFreakin'-A. Don't you know your history? Vermont has ALWAYS had secessionist tendencies.
Posted by: Norma on May 2, 2006 05:09 AMAll I gotta do is wash one more hat and then a box of goodies will be on its way from New Hampshire.
Posted by: Melanie on May 2, 2006 05:58 AMMy sister in Delaware made six hats, but she sent them to me instead to directly to FIRE - does that count for Delaware? They will be in my box.
Mary Beth
Posted by: MBT on May 2, 2006 06:39 AMThat *is* one cute picture from Mary Anne.
Posted by: Karen on May 2, 2006 09:15 AMOK, I've been lurking here for lo, these many months and this has finally outed me.
I've got a small box of hats that I've been meaning to send to Duulaan for a while. Why yes, procrastination *is* my middle name! Thing is, this works out well because while I'm living in California now, I'm from Saskatchewan (Canada) and I'll be meeting up with friends in Alberta (Canada) in two weeks. So I'll just divide my box o' hats into two, post one of them from Calgary, and give the other to a friend to post from Saskatchewan. Two with one blow! The honour of Western Canada is upheld!
(I don't know anyone in Nunavit/Nunavut unfortunately)
Yeah, Saskatchewan and Alberta!!! I'm way too excited by this. That's 5 provinces . . . 5 to go!! I know there must be a Newfoundlander out there somewhere!! Some of the yarn that was donated came from Prince Edward Island . . . does that count?
Posted by: Celtic Knitter on May 2, 2006 11:53 AM9 more hats coming your way from a 7-year-old knitter in Connecticut! Pic on our blog.
Posted by: Debbie on May 3, 2006 04:52 AMAnother one from BC here! I'm just outside Vancouver. Gradually filling up a box of knitting goodness. :)
Posted by: Tammy on May 3, 2006 07:27 AMHi Ryan, you can add Manitoba to your Canadian Dulaan list -- I have a few contacts in Nunavut, so I'll do my best to search out a knitter!
Have a great day!
Posted by: Romy on May 3, 2006 07:41 AMWhoops, I should read everything on the blog before commenting. I'm in Quebec. Count me in. I'm off to knit up some stuff now.
Meredith