Can some monthly challenges be regular occurrences?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Elizabeth on August 28, 2009 at 4:30pm

I just typed a huge long reply and then lost it. Bummer. Here we go again...

I like the idea of having a mix of creative and fun challenges, and simpler recurring challenges. I think it wil be a good mix of keeping it interesting without being too overwhelming.

I think the earlier ideas for a simpler themes like stripey squares is a great idea.

What about a 'use up your stash squares' challenge? Try to get through as much of your stash as you can without buying any new wool for that month! (I think my husband will be very keen on this idea!)

Permalink Reply by P. Jeanne Haessler on August 29, 2009 at 7:41am

Oh I like the "use up your stash" idea! I'm beginning to see mine take on a life of it's own, lol.

Permalink Reply by RhondaH on August 29, 2009 at 7:45am

Using up stash is a great theme to add.

Another good one might be "Mother Earth" squares. I did a whole series of green and brown squares (I was doing some stash busting at the same time), but the colors and designs could be expanded to include more.

Permalink Reply by Elizabeth on August 29, 2009 at 1:23pm

This sounds great too - we might get heaps kind of like the Africa ones which are really beautiful and intricate, but people could still just do plaing green or brown if they wanted.
And I like the learn a new stitch or pattern one as well.

Are we allowed to buy new yarn before the use up your stash challenge, as an excuse to buy new yarn? LOL

Permalink Reply by P. Jeanne Haessler on August 29, 2009 at 1:33pm

I too love the intricate and patterned squares but too many patterns equals a headache-remember some of the celebrity fashion disaster photos where they're wearing too many patterns? We absolutely HAVE to have the single colour squares, they anchor everything and some of the single colours are gorgeous, so bright and cheery, or calming next to a brighter patterned square. Anyways if I get bored making a plain one colour square I can make it in a basketweave stitch or something. I want to try a bobble square on the 4 plain white squares I need to finish this second baby blanket.

Ahem, if you desperately feel the need, Elizabeth, to snatch up that extra inviting skein of yarn, I won't tell! ;)

Permalink Reply by Elizabeth on August 29, 2009 at 1:41pm

hee hee hee...
I'm banned from new yarn at the moment! I bought two boxes stuffed full of yarn from ebay. A lady had her teenage grandson moving in suddenly so her craft room had to become a bedroom, so she was selling everything. Since I was able to get it as a pick up I didn't have to pay postage, so it worked out to be about 80 cents per ball. Mostly acrylic (not wool) but for 80 cents a ball I thought that was pretty good!

All the yarn I got won't fit in my shelves, so the boxes are just on the floor in the spare room. So I'm on a yarn (and a fabric) ban until I can fit it all in my shelves. LOL - I'm knitting as fast as I can!

But if anyone wants a lot of cheap yarn, have a look on ebay for 'bulk yarn'. It's usually only worthwhile cost wise if you can find someone nearby so you can pick up and so you don't have to pay for postage.

Permalink Reply by Elizabeth on August 28, 2009 at 4:31pm

Another thought that I had might be 'knit a square in honour of someone else'. Let me explain. My granddad is now in a nursing home with severe dementia with very little idea of what is going on around him, and has been like this for several years now. He doesn't recognise anyone or anything, and most days he doesn't even open his eyes. We always struggle with what to give him as a Christmas gift, as there is nothing he needs or that would bring him joy, but yet I still cant bring myself not to give him a gift. I thought that for this year I would knit some squares for him, and send them off. He was/ is a very kind, caring and generous man, and I know that this would have made him happy. If my grandma, aunts and girl cousins and me all knitted two squares each, that will be 22 squares. If we can get the boys on board too, then that will be 44 squares. (We have an exact gender balance in our family! At least we did until I married my husband, but he can't knit, so we won't count him LOL) I digress..

I know if my grandpa was aware of the squares, that it would bring joy to him that a small child or two were being kept warm. He was a surgon who used to visit India to teach doctors there about effective, low cost treatments which could be done in poor conditions (eg wiring jaws together to prevent a tooth abcess, how to keep woulds clean with no running water etc). He would understand the difference that a warm vest for a baby or a blanket for a sick, cold child would make, and I'm sure it would please him that we had knitted these squares in his name.

I just thought that perhaps this idea might help those people who wanted to give a gift to a loved one who either doesn't need or want anything else, or wouldn't notice what they were given. Perhaps people could also knit squares in memory of a loved one who had passed, too?

This might be a challenge that is technically simple and therefore not overwhelming, but will still encourage and sustain the knitters/ crocheters. Thoughts?

Permalink Reply by Kalai McDonald on August 28, 2009 at 4:40pm

What an absolutely beautiful idea Elizabeth. This brought a lump to my throat. Your grandfather sounds like he was an amazing man in his prime. I'm sure it would bring him great joy that his granddaughter is thinking of him and others in this way.

This idea reminds me (although it's much more personal) of giving someone a goat or a bag of rice or a cow that they've given to someone else in need of these things.

Lovely thought for a Friday afternoon.

Thank you Elizabeth, I'm sure this will mean a lot, to a lot of people.

Permalink Reply by Elizabeth on August 28, 2009 at 4:56pm

Yeah, I had a bit of a weep while I was writing this, as well! My grandpa also did the some of the submissions to get seatbelts made mandatory in Queensland, along with the brain surgeon and anethesitist who he worked with - because they were the ones putting everyone back together again after accidents.

I'm sure everyone has a family member or loved one (or several) who they would love to recognise in this way. Maybe we could look into producing a card that people could purchase (or a downloadable one that people could print off) that they could give to the person, telling them about KAS and that a square had been donated in their name? Let me know if I can help with this.

On a funnier note, about the giving a cow/ chicken/ bag of rice etc. My sister always used to give 'me' either a pig or a goat though Oxfam for someone else every Christmas for the past few years since they started doing this type of thing. The Christmas just before I got married she gave 'me' condoms which Oxfam give out to people in Africa to help slow the spread of AIDS. We both thought that was a funny pre wedding choice!

We also do the cow/ goat/ chicken thing at the school that I work at, at Christmas, and we offer it to the kids to give their mothers for mothers' day. It's a really good idea, especially for those of us who are in the wealthiest 10% of the world because we have a roof over out heads, food in the fridge, clothes on our back, clean water, reliable electricity and spare change in a dish somewhere.

Permalink Reply by Kalai McDonald on August 28, 2009 at 5:08pm

Shame Elizabeth I think it must be a very sad position to be in. What a great man. I remember not long ago they still didn't have seat belts in the back seats of cars in Africa. I suppose that was also in the "not so long ago" past where people where allowed to smoke in planes. Wrong on SO many levels!

Ha ha ha condoms are the perfect gift for pre weddings, AHEM!!

The downloadable card or certificate is just brilliant. I think you've really hit on something here. Thank you and well done.

I hope you're feeling a bit better after shedding a tear or two. Certainly understandable, but those tears were proactive ones. Have a lovely weekend Elizabeth x x x

Permalink Reply by Sandy McDonald on August 28, 2009 at 4:54pm

Elizabeth, this is an inspiring idea and an inspiring story. I think this would go extremely well with the challenge we wish to suggest in the upcoming update. Thank you SO much for posting this. What an awesome idea. The stories too would be very heartwarming both within the community and for the children receiving the blankets.

Permalink Reply by Pam Johnson on August 29, 2009 at 4:35am

What a wonderful thought Elizabeth. When our village stitched kneelers for the Church people could commission someone to make one if they couldn't do it themselves. So many were stitched in memory of family or friends with sepcial images on. They make a wonderful collection and I'm sure the thoughts and love and memories stitched into these items is carried within them.

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