DISTRIBUTION

The past fortnight has been very busy. I have been donated so many blankets and squares that I've finally had to ask people to stop knitting before it all overwhelms me. I shall gratefully accept any squares you have already made but please DON'T START KNITTING ANY MORE.

It is so gratifying. Instead of knitting one or two many people have knitting 20-30 and the group at Lakes Entrance have been outstanding. I also took delivery of a huge donation of squares from the U3A in Sale (University of the 3rd Age). Luckily I've had a couple of people offer to help me join them up and have also posted off more to others to be joined together.

Last week I contacted a coordinator of the Gippsland Relief Centres asking where I should take all the blankets as well as donated toys. She has just called me back and given me a number of a lady in charge of all that and apparently they are very short of blankets so they'll gladly appreciate getting ours. I'm still trying to call her, not surprisingly her phone number is always busy.

So hopefully this weekend I shall be able to take a large collection to the Relief Centre for distribution to those that need it. I shall have to type up the list of contributors to go with them this weekend and thanks to everyone who has participated in this worthy project.

14th April 2009

OK time to update.

On the weekend of 4-5th April I had my two baby grandchildren have their first sleepover so that Mum and Dad could have a childfree weekend in Melbourne. My daughter is a stay-at-home Mum so she REALLY enjoyed the break but I can't say the same for me. The 10 month old was a perfect little angel but her 2 year old brother is lucky to be alive. Only our love saved him as he turned into the child from hell. Most of the time he was okay but bedtime and afternoon sleeps were a nightmare. It took lots of attempts and patience (from me) and lots of tears and screaming (from him) before I could finally get him to stay in bed. He got his revenge though, waking up and wandering around the house crying 11 times during the night. Add that to the two episodes from his sister and Nana and Pop were walking zombies the next day.

Somehow I don't think he was ready to be separated from Mum and Dad quite yet. But they had a relaxing weekend so something positive was achieved.

Since I last posted the squares and blankets have been arriving thick and fast, over Easter alone I would estimate 200-300 squares arrived as well as blankets, clothes and toys. It is all becoming too overwhelming so from now on I am only accepting the blankets and squares. I shall soon arrange a handover of the first batch of blankets, I just want to type up the list of contributors first to attach to each of them.

I've also since been interviewed by ABC radio in Gippsland, Hobart and Launceston and given a talk at the local CWA meeting, all of which has elicited more offers of help. Luckily some of those offers are to join squares rather than knit them which is great as the stockpile is HUGE

31 March

I received five HUGE parcels today, over 100 squares I would say.

This morning I had a phone call from my SIL asking if her son could stay at our place tonight. He's been down our way attending a bull sale in Foster and needs a bed before heading back to Wagga Wagga in the morning. I was horrified, thinking of the state of the spare room but I have managed to move all the squares into boxes. I had to do it anyway before the weekend because my grandies will be having their first sleepover at Nana and Pops.

I wish I hadn’t done it though, there seems to be SO many more squares now that they are in boxes instead of in piles all over the bed :). Thank goodness I have a few helpers reading to pitch in and help,

Donated Blankets

Well the last couple of weeks have been hectic. Squares and blankets have been coming in thick and fast from all over Australia as well as Canada, the US and New Zealand.

Last weekend I went for a few days R&R at Lakes Entrance and managed to pick up a couple of shopping bags of squares which wasn't bad as Karen had already dropped in two HUGE boxes to me during the week. Then on Friday two big boxes from Dot and Elaine arrive full of blankets and squares. The second picture on this post are the completed blankets they sent, just stunning. The other photos are of the other completed blankets, toys and clothes I've been sent.I've recently discovered the tunisian form of crochet which is by far the neatest way of joining the squares albiet not the easiest. It makes the join look good on both sides so there isn't really a 'right' or 'wrong' side.

Last Friday was my 47th birthday so the two boxes from Tassie were almost like receiving another birthday present. I went out for breakfast with the girls from work and ate a HUGE plate of bacon and eggs. Then my daughter and grandchildren took me out for lunch where Ethan and I shared a plate of fish, chips and salad because I was still full from breakfast. Poor hubby was a bit disappointed that I didn't want to out for dinner that night!

Wednesday 18th March

Well I've had it. I worked from 8am until 6.15pm without so much as a ten minute break because my work colleague had a well deserved break in Queensland. Lucky her.

Yesterday was a great day because I was contacted by Dysons Transport and they are more than happy to transport Bec's huge collection of blankets from Canberra down here. Their depot is only 120km from here so that is much easier to collect than having to go to Bec's. And they're doing it for FREE. Wow! I was thrilled. I'd put out a plea in my radio chat on the ABC on Monday morning and we got a great result. Courier companies had rejected our requests as had another well known busline so this is very generous of Dysons who are only a small outfit by comparison. If I ever travel interstate now by bus I'll be making sure it's a Dysons.

ATTENTION GIPPSLAND KNITTERS

Cartridge World in Traralgon, Moe and Warragul have agreed to be drop off points for any blankets or squares so if you'd prefer to drop them off there and save on postage they are willing to collect them for us.

For those in East Gippsland Stitches and Things on the Esplanade in Lakes Entrance will do the same. They are also doing a wool drive so if you have spare wool please drop it in, or if you knit but don't have any please collect some of the donated wool for free to knit for this project.

Thank you to both these businesses for their support.

Sunday 15th March

Well today was very productive. We had our Gippsland Stitch & Bitch at my house today and achieved lots. Don't ask which one is me in the photo, I was the photographer so you can't see me. We all had a great time, especially trying to work out which squares to put with which others. Everyone took some home with them so at this rate we should get a few knocked together before our next meeting in April.

Thanks ladies, it was heaps of fun and great to meet so many new people.