How Stella Got Her Groove Back

Dear Friends,

Contrary to rumors of my death..... I still am alive and knitting. I can't believe I haven't posted for literally two months.Will the hats be sent out this week....NO! Events over the last two months have taken me away from knitting. One is an eight-six pound canine named Black Jack.

Jack adopted me around the same time I started this project. Although his original owner loved and cared for him, she neglected to train him. That being said, on the September 1st trip to the vet, Black Jack managed to pull the rotator cuff in my left shoulder and gave me the equivalent of tennis elbow to my left elbow and carpal tunnel to the left wrist. He almost succeeded in wrenching my left arm off. True, I have two arms but I am left handed...this has not been fun. Two months later, Jack knows how to heel, sit, come, fetch, and stay. Not too shabby for a dog that had no manners or training when he first came to me. 

Some of you will be aware that for almost two years I've been in the process of immigrating to O' Canada. I am glad to say, I've passed all the 'tests' with flying colors and will be Landing in Canada in about a month or so. I can't wait and have been doing the last of the hoop jumping (for immigration) with great anticipation and excitement.  Life here in North County (Upstate NY)  has been so good for me. I have met wonderful people, gotten involved with the community, and found wonderful sights to photograph. Gosh I am also behind in post the new pics to my flickr account. (making a mental note) Life has gone a bit awry.

I am at the half-way mark with the hats. Which is disappointing, I know I am the world's slowest knitter, but the rate at which I have been knitting pales all Guinness world records. The arm is finally healing and the "hat" count is growing exponentially.  The shipping date has now been moved to December 1st allowing me to make up for time lost. At least, I know that Lincoln, Nebraska is not in a deep freeze, yet. Guilt, I promise, does not keep me awake. 

Best to all of you on this Day of the Dead.  More later.....s.

We Have Yarn!

Bah Bah Brown Sheep 

Yesterday, Tuesday, 28 August 2012 the Big Brown Truck showed up at my door and brought me a lovely box from Brown Sheep Company, Mitchell, Nebraska. As I unpacked the box I was thrilled to handle 22 skeins of some of the finest wool that is made in the United States. How interesting that the "red string" has traveled from Nebraska to Upstate New York only to go back to Nebraska again. There is so much karma in this project!

To those who have contributed: thank you for letting me pass your contributions back to the kids, in our third grade. I know that the teacher will find a good use for the cash for a little "something" extra. Perhaps a map to plot out where all the hats have come from. Yes, I am still going to embroider state and country tags for each hat.

I have been working on a prototype from yarn I have in my endless stash. That hat will be given to the local historical society for their up and coming Chinese Auction fund raiser event, at the end of September. Nothing gets wasted, nothing. Imagine, a third grader walking around in North Country with a hat very similar to a third grader in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Along with the yarn, came another addition to my life. He's black and huge and his name is Black Jack. He's a teenager, 14 in dog years. Unlike White Jack who was a very old man, 84 at the time of his demise. Black Jack is full of energy and is very interested in my knitting, but only after he's had his morning run. Life is good here  in North Country! Fall is on its way. Blanket nights and sweeping leaves off the deck.

I have figured it out, the shipping date back to Nebraska will be 1 November 2012, just a short 9 1/2 weeks away. If I knit 2 1/2 hats a week I will accomplish the deadline. As the hats are knit, I will be showing you the results, as well as adding my 2 cents worth to the post.

As always, thank you all  for being part of this project. The Red String is working its magic.  Shalom.

A Kink in the String

Where I Hang My Hat

The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray 

Robert Burns

Update: 

I ordered the yarn, the donations are in, and I got a call from the store...."We ran out of stock for the blue." Argh! For those of you who know me, I never say die. Off I went to locate yarn, the price would be higher but I am vested in this project, as I know that all of you are vested in me. After perusing the yarn extravaganza of the internet and counting the funds; I knew there would have to be some financial bullet biting on my end. 

Epiphany! I use a tremendous amount of Brown Sheep Co. wool from Mitchell, Nebraska. I called and talked with the Shipping Supervisor Kathy ask about purchasing seconds yarn from them directly. The long and short of it was, no, but they would be willing to donate the 22 skeins of yarn to my little project. 

I am overwhelmed by Brown Sheep's continued generosity with the knitting community and outreach projects.
Many years ago when I had started the knitting group of Old Lady Knitters, to make hats and scarves for the homeless in Providence, Brown Sheep Co. generously donated a huge amount of wool. I am totally blown away by their willingness to support this small project. The wool will be shipped out tomorrow.
For those of you who have donated, I have contacted you with options on how your contribution will be handled. Any money that is left to me will go to the class for something fun, teacher's discretion. As far as I am concerned it's a win win situation.
I am still going to put the names of states and countries on tags and attach to each hat. The support that I receive from all of you deserves to be noted. The tags will also intrigue the kids, I'm sure, how much fun would it be to have a hat with the tag of Malta in it? I would be pretty curious if that hat came to me.
So again, I wait, another week for yarn to start the project. What I do know, from knitting a sample is that each hat will take 112 yards, each segment of a hat takes 25 minutes to knit, there are 4 segments to each hat...and I know I will be able to hit my goal to send the hats to Nebraska, 1 November 2012. Thanks for your continued support...more to come. sara

Red Strings That Bind Us

Robert Moses State Park
Massena, NY
North Country

With A Little Help From My Friends

"An invisible red string connects those who are destined to meet regardless of time, place or circumstance. The string may stretch or tangle, but it will never break."
 -Chinese proverb

There is an Eastern philosophy that says essentially: we are all linked by a Red String of Fate. I believe that this little project that "we" have started, is not unlike the Red String that binds us.

Most of you are aware, until a little over a year ago, that I came from the smallest state, Rhode Island. Now, I am residing in an area called, North Country in Upstate New York. I learned that in Rhode Island, there is 1 degree of separation. You could meet a total 'stranger', you would chat with them for a while, and before you knew it: you were related to the 'stranger' through your mother's first cousin's husband. (I kid you not). If, the rest of the world is held together by 6 degrees of separation, then it is through this project and my hope, that we can be a little closer by providing a hand knitted hat to a child in Nebraska.

The Status Report: 13 August 2012
Eighteen skeins of Peruvian wool have been ordered from Webs Yarn Store, in Easthampton, Massachusetts,  Blue and Gold the school's colours. The yarn will be shipped at the end of this week and by  next week the first hat should be completed before Wednesday, August 22, 2012. (pending receipt of wool)
Please feel free to comment and please check here frequently for updates and my odd musings. Thanks!
sara