One of the fun things that we did at the Fling was to have everyone sign a 6 ft. tall Sock Blocker for Loopy Central. (I did get some funny looks as I was carrying this big “sock” through the hotel. Some guy accused me of being a Red Sox fan, FPS!) I found the perfect place to hang it in our foyer, so that we can remember all of the fun people who were here for our first Spring Fling. (I photoed it with the door in the picture so that you Flingers would be able to picture where it is, now that you’ve been here in person.) I wonder how many of these will fit on the walls here? I guess when we’re out of wall space, we’ll stop having Flings? (Or move. Yeah, that’s a better idea. We’ll move and get more wall space.) Now I get to walk by the Big Blocker every morning, and think of all of you as I start work! It’s very handy to have a hubby who can make such things. 🙂
Here is a picture of the Goody Bags that we gave to everyone when they checked in. It includes the red/black backpack (which I liked a lot because it has pockets and straps and is designed vertically instead of being a horizontal carrying bag). Inside was a skein of Wollmeise which Claudia dyed up for me just for the Spring Fling. (This is the first time she has done more muted colors – it almost looks like a watercolor painting of meadows and sea – which makes it a very special colorway, indeed.) We also included a pattern and samples from Cherry Tree Hill and Claudia Hand Painted (enough to make some sock blocker keychains or mini socks), some wonderful “Everything Balm” from Goodies Unlimited, a brand new pattern from Wendy and one from Cookie A (along with my favorite new heavy vinyl “pattern holder” – I use these all the time when I knit), a Loopy Ewe coffee mug (no, we can’t sell them because we don’t want to ship them, but they were perfect for giving away in person!) and of course some Loopy Kisses. We had a great time putting these together for everyone. And now, you have a chance to win one! Remember when I told you about April’s blog contest and gave you all month to do three random acts of kindness? Today is the day to report in and leave your comments as to what you found to do for others this month! You need to have done three RAKs to be entered into the random drawing, and I will draw the name a week from today. If we have a lot of entries, I’m happy to draw for 2 or 3 Goodie Bags. We love giving away prizes. So leave a comment with your RAKs and inspire all the rest of us to get out there and do the same!
No Sneak Up this week, but we have wonderful things in store for you next week. All of the shirts, hats, and sweatshirts will go up. (Don’t worry – we ordered a lot and still have multiplies in all sizes. The Flingers didn’t clear us out!) We also have more Pattern Tamers, a fun Loopy Necklace, Lawre’s Laine BigBags (ohsogorgeous), Duets, Schaefer Anne, Yarn Love, Seawool Fiber Roving from Creatively Dyed, Cashmere Sock Yarn from Perchance to Knit, and possibly (depending on how much time we have to get photos done) two new indie dyers – Beyond Basic Knits and Enchanted Knoll Farms.
Guess what? It’s time to Take Loopy on Vacation again! He had such a wonderful mix of adventures last summer and he has been bugging us about it all winter long. He’s ready to go again! Beginning with orders placed on May 1st, we’ll be including a Loopy Postcard in your order while supplies last. (We will plan to send one postcard with your first order in May. If for some reason you need a second postcard with your next May order, just leave us an order note.) I know that a lot of you have your very own Little Loopy, and it’s perfectly acceptable to pose and photo Little Loopy on your vacation, instead of the postcards. We’ll leave it up to you as to which you prefer. We’ll start a new ’08 edition of Loopy’s Summer Photo Gallery next week so that you can start sharing his adventures. We will have prizes at the end of the summer again, and will have you vote in several categories, so get photo-ing. Last year we had prizes for: Best faraway place that Loopy visited, most famous person that he met, most creative photo with Loopy, and most unusual place he visited. If you have any more fun ideas for additional categories, email me and I’ll share them on a future blog post.
Winners of the Q1-08 Challenge – for “randomly drawn from all entries” the winner is: Juli’s skirt. For the Reader’s Choice award from those who voted: Jennifer’s Venezia. Each wins a $25 gift certificate to The Loopy Ewe. Congratulations to you both! Don’t forget our Q2-08 Challenge that runs between now and the end of June. 🙂
I had an email from Claudia this morning and she has arrived safely back in Germany. Her family is glad to have her back, but I miss her!
Sheri stillwaaaaybehindonemailsbutIpromiseI’mpluggingawayonthem!
Well lets see:
1: Being painfully shy I went up to a girl sitting by herself at a military even and talked with her even though I was extreamly nervous (I dunno why) and swapped phone numbers since she was so lonely.
2: I baked a boat load of brownies for the local Womens Club meetings (I’m not a member)
3: (My favorite of all) I went to a charity luncheon and helped raise 17,000 dollars for the local Mothers Aganist SIDS chapter. 🙂
Here are my three RAK’s:
1. I let a lady go ahead of me in line yesterday at our coffeeshop who had 3 very small (and very crabby) kids with her.
2. At the mall last weekend, I returned a wallet that had been left in the washroom to security.
3. I donated 25.00 to the United Way this week.
Loopy necklace? OH I can’t wait to see what that is all about!
My 3 RAKs:
1. Somebody mailed a package to me that was meant to somebody else. She asked me to mail it back to her so she could repost it but instead, I got the correct mailing info and sent it for her, and wouldn’t let her pay the shipping.
2. A gal on Ravelry was looking to buy a knitting pattern that I happened to have two copies of. I sent her one copy, and told her it was a gift 🙂
3. My daughters 1st grade teacher has been asking parents to send in a case of bottled water, so each student can get 1 bottle per week. She started this a few weeks ago, and I dropped some off right away. A lot of parents haven’t donated any though, so I took her 4 weeks worth of bottled water last week. It’s good for those babies, mine included 🙂
RAK???? I have been over-busy at work (brides you know!) and have had to pull myself out of the crabbies by trying to do a RAK a day. Yes, a day!
Today’s was to trim my neighbor’s hedge. He’s a sweet old guy and I’m trying to remember that his job is currently to be a curmudgeon and not be especially grateful! 🙂
Yesterday I brought homemade muffins in to the staff.
At this rate, kindness will exhaust me—– ha!
LOVE that coffee mug! I’m unable to ‘do’ events like Spring Fling (boring health stuff) so I’ve really enjoyed reading about it and seeing the pictures.
RAKs:
1. I ordered a homemade bracelet (that I certainly did not ‘need’) from a young woman at church. Her husband may be laid off soon, and she’s trying to make money while being a SAHM. I paid full price, declining the $10 discount she offered to give me because her mom is a friend of mine.
2. I donated a lot of my baby/kid-themed quilting fabric to another woman at church who has started a business sewing quilts for children. Lovely fabric I was just never going to use (I have discovered, to my sorrow, that buying the fabric isn’t the same as making the quilt! :))
3. I always (so I hope it counts, cuz it’s not ‘new’) try to speak to people in the grocery store. Because I shop on a weekday, I often talk to seniors. A few words, a moment of ‘contact’, can really brighten someone’s day (mine included). I help folks who are searching for something on the shelves–hey, sometimes it’s confusing for me too, all those soups, all those cereal boxes! I also let people go ahead of me in line, esp if they have only a few things, or their kids are ready to be somewhere else, or they just look in a rush.
I’m inspired by the other RAKs I’ve read here. Thanks, Sheri!
I have been so blessed this month with friends and strangers giving me RAKs while I’ve been getting ready to move 1000 miles, and I’ve been doing my best to pass them on to others. I’ve…
Took my 16-month old daughter to the grandmas at a local nursing home for playtime, they loved getting to play with her
Paid for the order behind me at the drive-through at Starbucks
Made a baby blanket for a co-worker of my husband who is due in July and has not gotten anything for the baby yet
1. I traveled over 4,000 miles each way to help my family place my father in a nursing home, I coordinated all the medical issues between the Veteran’s Administration Hospital in Cincinnati and the nursing home, insuring he received all he medicines he needed during transition between two hospitals (in intensive care units) and three nursing homes (Alzheimer units) he was trying out. I was able to be there with him many evenings to help him be comforted and not afraid of staying in the units. Also helped the nurses take trays to other residents during evening meals. Spent two months with my father in the evening and my mother in the daytime then returned home to my family and caught up with all the things that I’d neglected while I was gone.
2. Traveled again from Hawaii to Cincinnati last Friday to help my 81 year old mother after she was assaulted and robbed in front of the nursing home while entering last Friday. She refused to surrender her purse when the man said he’s shoot her (she was just pissed off enough about his request for her to surrender her purse and car she just told him to go ahead and shoot her, instead he punched her in the face and stole her purse and ran off to neighboring apartment where he showered and hid until the police found him). Not something I’d recommend to anyone (surrender the purse and car) but fortunately for us my mom is bruised with a cut lip. Sympathy poured out for her from church members and neighbors, family and friends. I am proud of her and was glad to witness her testifying against the individual.
3. As a break from hospitals, I spent time at the Humane Society in Cincinnati (ten visits in the month) walking dogs, cleaning up the dog, cat and rabbit cages, and showing animals to individuals who were considering adoption.
So glad to see that Loopy Ewe is offering a sock storage bag that honors the work being done for Alzheimer’s patients. Recommend everyone order a bag from Loopy Ewe. Its in a great purple color.
My three things:
1) I (finally!) knitted my husband a pair of socks in the colors of the Spanish flag which he’s been wanting for a long time.
2) I gave yarn to a new knitter.
3) I babysat for a friend who really needed a break.
I’m soooo jealous of all the Loopy Groupies who got to go to the Spring Fling! I finally figured out that y’all are in St Louis. That’s fairly close to me so maybe I’ll get to come visit the shop soon!
Elizabeth
My three RAK’s are:
1) I taught one of my “wilder” sixth grade girls to knit AND gave her a skein of
DIC to knit with.
2) Donated money to Bike for a Cure
3) Walked with my son in Relay for Life
I’m glad everyone had such a great time at the Spring Fling. I hope to make it next year! Hope you are finding some knitting time, Sheri! You are one hardworking mama!
The Big Red Sock is sooo cool! I love it.
1. Made a donation to our local Boy Scout Council that will send 3 boys to summer camp this year.
2. Paid for the groceries of the woman infront of me in line. She was there with her two daughters and didn’t have her wallet and thought it was in the car – it wasn’t. Her bill was paid for by the time she got back in the store and I was gone.
3. Planted trees in the local park.
I love that bag! So cute! My three random acts of kindness are:
1. I bought a co-worker lunch (leaving her name on the lunch in our kitchenette) and did not tell her that I was buying it, nor did I ever tell her! 🙂
2. I ordered an additional breakfast on my way to work and gave it to the newspaper vendor on the street corner when I got a paper from him.
3. I assisted a woman with her packages to her car at Walmart.
It has been a giving month and a receiving month for yarn as well. Also, April is autism awareness month, which I did participate in two walks for autism research here in South Florida. 🙂
Hope you are resting up from what sounds like an awesome weekend! I LOVE that huge sock blocker. One day I hope to see the process of how WH makes these things! I just can’t wrap my mind around it…
My Random Acts of Kindness:
1. Bought Girl Scout Cookies for the Troops, on two separate occasions. Goodness knows they could use a gift from home.
2. I invited my friend and her 3 kids over for a movie night while her DH was away for a business trip for two long weeks. We made homemade pizzas and watched Enchanted.
3. I sent in donations of Kleenex, Clorox Wipes and paper towels to my kids classrooms, They always run out of supplies this time of year.
I love hearing about all the RAKs, if only all the Loopies had a little Loopy Comune ….
Michelle
1. Helped a woman in the grocery store pick up her strawberries strewn all over
2. Helped my neighbor carry in his groceries since I was just standing outside waiting and had the time – saved him a second trip.
3. Helped another neighbor by letting him know his headlights were on in his car.
4. After the woman in front of me at the drive-through ATM left with her transaction still in process(!) , canceled the transaction and put the ATM/debit card in the bank night deposit of her bank.
I love the huge sock blocker! What a great memento.
1. We bought a HUGE box of diapers and a gift card for a neighbor that just became a single mom.
2. We took sandwiches and cookies to share with everyone after church one Sunday. My kids love doing this.
3. Donated a lot of toys and clothes that are still in great condition.
Three things of the many that I did this month (though I do nice things every month):
1) I gave my 7 year old neighbor boy a bike that needed a new home.
2) I opened the door for random people and helped a few women carry some boxes into my building at work.
3) I gave my neighbor girl a very nice rabbit for the county fair and I’m going to give at least one more away to get another girl started. I like to spread the bunny love.
4) I’m teaching my neighbor to knit. (Personally, this is my favorite RAK this month)
My RAKs that are coming to mind from this month are all fiberly, though I think I do them a lot, day to day, truly.
1. When I bought a tiny sock blocker keychain from The Loopy Ewe recently, I bought an extra ebony one. I then knit a tiny sock (plus two extras) and sent it on the keychain to a friend who is busy opening up an online shop for her hand-dyed yarn. (The extras are for her friend and her mom who help her, and all the socklets are knit from her yarn.) She should get them tomorrow, the day the shop opens! I think she’ll need a happy distraction then!
2. A friend of mine has taken up spinning. She’s done me favors in the past. I got her some REALLY nice BFL hand-dyed roving and sent it to her in the mail unannounced.
3. This one’s the most exciting! (I know that you’ll read all these, Sheri, and probably many others won’t have time to make it this far. If you find it appropriate, would you consider mentioning this in your blog before May 11?) I put up a post on my blog yesterday, April 29, celebrating my first Blogiversary with a raffle to support charities with a knitting connection. The prizes are all rather exciting, if I say so myself, and all things that are not readily available right now, but with the Extremely Exciting Prize being a skein of lovely Wollmeise sock yarn in the Pfauenauge (Peacock) colorway! Purchased at the Loopy Ewe in a lucky moment in the past!
I put the Wollmeise in as a raffle prize NOT because I don’t like it, NOT because I have another one, but because I felt it would be a very exciting prize and perhaps raise people’s interest in donating. And I do have other Wollmeise, ordered from Claudia directly a year ago, so I feel I can share one. (This one is gorgeous, though, I have to admit.) So that is my final RAK, truly knitterly.
I put the link to the contest in my blog link above, if anyone’s interested. The raffle runs though midnight Sunday, May 11, and you get entered in the raffle by donating as little as $5 to Doctors without Borders, Knitters for Knockers (a knitter team in Race for the Cure), The House that Yarn Built, or the Red Scarf Project.
Such fun to read about all the kindness!
Mine:
1. I anonymously paid for an online friend’s graduation cap and gown. She wasn’t going to be able to attend her university grad ceremony because she couldn’t afford the cap & gown, but now she’ll be there to receive her honours!
2. I left homemade zucchini muffins for our postman.
3. My 2 year old and I made cookies and brought them to our local firestation.
Most of my RAKs have been school-related this month, because that’s where I’ve been around other people most often. A lot of them were really small things like giving people directions when they couldn’t find where they were supposed to go. Here are some other examples (two at school, one not):
1) I took time out from my own homework to help a group of first year students figure out theirs.
2) I donated my textbooks (the ones I won’t need again) to a charitable group rather than trying to sell them back to the bookstore.
3) I bought cookies from the Girl Guides and donated them to the food bank.
My 3 RAKS:
1. An online friend was having a crappy day last week and posted a list of books she wished she had. I had several of the books on the list, so I packed them up to send off to her.
2. Another friend was bemoaning her lack of ability to score a certain very rare and desirable German sock yarn so I sent her one of my very few treasured skeins.
3. I found a $10 bill in the bathroom at work yesterday. Instead of just keeping it, I asked around to see if anyone had lost it, but no one claimed it. So I threw it in the tip cup for my barrista at Starbucks this morning. She always makes my tea perfectly 🙂
I’m sure everyone had a great time at Spring Fling. I really hope I get to come next year. I love seeing all the pictures and posts about it so I can live vicariously through all the flingers. 🙂
My RAKs:
1. My mother has been in re-hab for the last month, and the day she was to be released, I took 10 loaves of cranberry-orange bread to the caregivers at the rehab facility. They were very appreciative.
2. While Mother was in rehab the lady across the hall needed help getting a nurse and I went to find someone to help.
3. Mother’s roommate needed much help with various things, such as getting her glasses, reaching the trashcan, getting her blanket, etc, that I helped with, rather than having her call the nurse. It saved the nurses and it helped her a little sooner than the nurse could get to her.
4. A lady I met at the coffee shop where we hold our knit night wanted to learn to knit so I offered to teach her. We met a day other than knit night and I taught her to knit. She tried and tried to pay me but I wouldn’t take it. After all I like to draw others into the madnesss..ooops, I mean the lovely, wonderful life of knitting. 😉
5. One of the ladies in our knitting group lost her husband last year and she has a difficult time with all the firsts. So on her first birthday without her husband last week, I took her cheesecake, a ball of sock yarn and spent the afternoon knitting with her. She said it made the day so much easier for her. (I can’t imagine what it would be like to lose my husband of 48 years-that’s how long they had been married.).
1. Repeatedly let people merge or change lanes in front of me; even when in a hurry to rehearsal!
2. Bought D (sick) D Gummi Bears to go with her grape juice and applesauce.
3. Knitted socks for a friend for no reason other than I love her!
Okay, that was a really long post. Sorry to take so much space, Sheri.
1. I was driving back from taking the puppy to the vet for her shots and this pickup truck turned off a county road onto the highway. He was hauling hay and 8 bales fell off right in the middle of the intersection. It was in a dangerous spot for anyone turning off the highway onto that road. I parked the car, hopped out, and started moving bales to the side of the road. I had six of them stacked when the state patrol came by to do his RAK for the day and helped me with the last two. I had tried to flag the driver down, but he didn’t see me. Maybe that’s just as well–he might have gotten a ticket for an unsecured load!
2. I used a random number generator to come up with a number between 1 and 100. 5 was it. Then I went to Google and typed in “animal awareness organization -PETA” (not that I wouldn’t have given money to PETA, but I figure they get plenty of donations. The fifth item in the google search led me to Fall River Coalition for Animal Awareness. Again, I used the random number generator to come up with a number between 1 and 50 for the donation amount. They got $41 in the mail this week.
3. Vinnie. The dog. Another contest. Anyway, I contributed $40 to his cause.
Because I wasn’t sure if that could count since my $40 contribution to 4 Paws Sake in his name also entered me in a contest, I did a few extras.
Gave money to the library.
Payed the “change” part of the tab for the man in line in front of me yesterday so he wouldn’t have to break a big bill and told him when he protested “What goes around comes around. Just help someone else.”
Bought a book from a small local store even though I know I could have checked it out from the library because the owner said she was worried about making ends meet. This book will get mailed off to a friend when I’m done reading it.
Sent the extra quarter the bank teller gave me at the drive up back to her so she wouldn’t have trouble balancing her drawer at the end of the day.
Bought a business lunch yesterday for the two other woman I was with because one woman said she had to close down her store and was being sued by her ex-landlord even though she was trying to pay off all the money she owed. It was more graceful to just pick up the tab and not highlight her financial plight, so that’s what I did.
Took biscuits to the neighbors dog because they told me they are worried about him being so skinny and they are having trouble getting him to eat. He liked them!
The greatest RAK though, is Sheri’s. Having this contest helps me to remember the importance of making kindness a priority in my life. After a month, it’s starting to get programmed in!!!
Great idea with the giant sock blocker WH! 😀
My RAKs:
1) Made a stuffed lamb for the woman who went on to win teacher of the year. I was making one for me and she wanted it, so I let her have it. I’ll make myself one later.
2) I’ve been a nive driver of late: letting people on the ramp, letting people make difficult turns in front of me, that kind of thing.
3) We had a basketball game to support the prom and one of my kids couldn’t afford to go. I paid his way at the door for him so he didn’t have to sit in the classroom with me. I did this at the last one too, except I paid 5 kids into that one! 😀
RAKs:
1) I had a girls’ night with my friend who needed to get out of her apartment and away from her evil, spiteful, horrific, hateful roommates, despite the somewhat poor timing (thesis time!).
2) I got my coworker into knitting and have helped her find supplies, learn techniques, etc…and now she’s a knitting MACHINE. I have a skein of Fleece Artist from the Loopy Ewe put aside for a goodbye present for her (I mean, I’m leaving, but she deserves quality sock yarn).
3) This is kind of a long one. My roommate has had terrible luck with the job search and dealing with her thesis, etc, and I’ve been trying really hard to be super-patient with her when she’s snappy or cranky or a mess or whatever. So far, so good.
1. I made booties for a friend to give to a family member.
2. I collected and donated yarn to my local stitching group for a women’s shelter.
3. I sent a thank you note to someone on Ravelry who did a good deed.
4. I helped a family member open an etsy shop.
5. I listened and offered advice to a former student of my dad’s who is very ill.
1. Am sending some curriculum I don’t need anymore to another homeschooler than I met on Ravelry at no charge to her
2. Brought a meal and some treats to a friend who lost her mother this week to alzheimer’s
3. Brought flowers to a friend in the hospital
1. I was reading Julie’s blog (Noolieknits) and found Heather of Sereknity had dyed yarn in the colors of the “Can Do’ organization. For every skein purchased Heather is donating $10 to “Can Do”. I bought a skein of merino/seacell. This is a very nice yarn to work with. I should be taking their picture today and posting on my blog this evening. I knit a pair of “Ashes” socks from a pattern on Monika’s blog “Smoking Hot Needles”. The socks came out being a size 7/7.5 US. I am going to donate them to the cancer center that my SIL is receiving treatment. They were going to be for her but are too small.
2. The local coffee shop closed on March 31, 2008. I went to a knitting group htere on Wednesday afternoons and every Friday there was live music. Knitters were also allowed. We had a very strong group of folks that were there every Friday night. I have volunteered my house as a Friday Night meeting place until we can find some other wonderful person to open a coffee shop for us to meet at. April 18, 2008. I did not bake, bought everything, even whoopie pies. Best part my husband plays guitar so the entertainment was not dificult. The hardest part was…………………
3. On April 17, 2008 my Mother had surgery for breast cancer. There was no one in the whole state of Maine that was able to bring her to the hospital. I got the call on Sunday April 13 that my Mother had no ride. My daughter and I drove up on Wednesday, 4/16. Did the hospital thing on Thursday. Drove back to New Jersey on Friday in time to have everything set up for the party. Good news tumor removed, no lymph nodes affected. The party was very important to me. My friend Mike has terminal stomach cancer and is on hospice. This was probably the last time he would be able to enjoy “Friday Night”.
WOW! That sock blocker is HUGE! Can you imagine knitting a sock to fit over it???
Glad Claudia made it home safely! Especially since I still don’t own any of her lovely yarn. Okay, that was a selfish statement … so here are my RAKs:
1) I bought a Starbucks’ Strawberries and Cream Frap for a co-worker whose grandmother passed away teh previous week — a day before her (the co-worker’s) birthday. She was totally surprised and delighted.
2) I was given a very pretty carnation after having my annual mammogram and when I got back to work, I gave it to my co-worker who had expressed to me earlier in the day that she was having a particularly rough day. She loves flowers and works part time for a flourist so it was fun for her to be on the receiving end and she said so.
3) I gave some pretty note pads to a co-worker who had been “eyeing and admiring” them when they were sitting on my desk. She was SO happy that I gave them to her — she said she felt like she had been given $$ and she would thoroughly enjoy using them.
All of RAKs involved co-workers so they weren’t so random, but I can tell you these little things did bring joy to the recipients and it made me feel good too. :o)
My RAKs for the month:
1) I made a hat for a pregnant lady that my mom works with.
2) Had the cashier at Starbucks use the rest of my beloved gift card to pay for the people behind me
3) When we went to Chili’s for lunch during a French club field trip, I left the waitress a tip larger than my meal because I felt bad for her having to deal with a bunch of hungry teenagers.
I hope you have the spring fling again next year. Maybe I’ll be able to come. Some of my RAK are…
Gave a knitter in my local knitting group a pattern she had admired.
Placed a squirrel statue in my in-law’s garden for them to find when they come back from their cruise. (my father-in-law has a running battle with the squirrels and the bird feeders.)
Knitted a hat and scarf for the local cancer center.
Donated books to the local library book sale.
1. I helped one of my coworkers one day by doing a lot of her work. It really helped the next day when two people were off.
2. I knit a pair of baby socks for a coworker’s new baby.
3. I picked up the tab for the cake at work that we were all supposed to pitch in a dollar for.
Love the Gigantic Sock Blocker!!
My 3 RAKs this month:
1. I offered a skein of yarn for a prize for the Loopy Swap drawing.
2. Brought donuts to work just because it was a nice day (no snow!!)
3. I donated to Ravelry.
RAKs for April:
1. Donated extra digital camera to my knitting guild.
2. Watered plants for a friend in the hospital.
3. Helped straighten out a misunderstanding between 2 friends that had them not speaking. Life is too short to let friendships go by the wayside — over stupid things.
Congrats on the fun Spring Fling! It looks like everyone had a wonderful time.
Here are a few of the RAKs that I think might qualify:
1. Donated goods for door prize at the BSKG Annual Retreat along with donations to other worthy causes
2. Gave a new printed canvas knitting tote bag to a fellow knitter who loved it way more than I did. (and wouldn’t take anything for it)
3. Gave a present of yarn to a fellow knitter on a tight budget, who mentioned that she really liked it .
Loved the blog today, how cool more pics and more info about the fling. I would think that by the time you run out of wall space you probably have no more store space long before that.\WHat a cute goodie bag. I almost wish i could donate helptime with the opportunity to goto a fling, but that is silly to ask. Now I know you keep saying the coffee cup will break in the mail, but if you give me time to think I will find a way to make it break proof and package-able, maybe its own little bag or such? Well they got to your store in one piece so there has to be a way. AM I a nag or what? I can always come up with more loopy ideas just get me started.
When i read post your RAKs i all of a sudden couldnt think of any. Good thing i took the time to read everyones comments it helped jolt my mind to remember what i have been doing. I do RAK all the time so never even try to think about it:
1. My new found friend was so sad the evening she filed income tax as she was widowed within the last year and had to file for her deceased. It broke my heart how lonely she was, so I prayed real hard for her that someone come into her life who would be a perfect match, understanding, openhearted, kind, and be there for her for the rest of her life. Well 1 week later she tells me she is getting married! ANd he is exactly what I asked for. May i mention she is 61 and he is 67 and also a widower? My RAK is just being there for her.
2. I have been arranging giveaway items for a memorial for my adopted sister’s husband wihtout her knowing it, so that she can have a giveaway. SHe doesnt earn enough to really buy much but dollar store items. I managed to get her alot of good items from elder friends who are happy to help.
3. I found some new homes for some horses who have the misfortune of being utterly loved but coming from a way overstocked herd.
4. I am always openear for anyone who needs kind words, advice and prayers, I moderate at pgdotorg. Plus i always try to be there for people if they need it, even if they telefon late at night past my bedtime.
5. I am a lastminute babysitter for all my nieces and nephews, even when it gets my family upset and i have othere things planned. I just love those babies.
6. I paid some items for my new found sister, when her master card wouldnt work, eventhough i actually wanted to use that money for Loopy Ewe. ANd let my daughter buy her gf a bra for prom when she didnt have the money.
loveya
1. I sent sock yarn remnants off to someone who’s immensely creative and is using them to make so many cool things. She was surprised when she read the note saying that it was a giftie.
2. (I’m reluctant to post this because it involves a lot of money and I don’t ever want to come off sounding like I’m ‘all that’ because I’m totally not…) My massage therapist was going to have to cancel her CE class because they’d had an unexpected bill to pay and she was short quite a few dollars…so… I gave it to her. (Lucky for me I had been blessed with a little overtime. 🙂
3. I’ve tucked an extra skein of my sock yarn into several recent orders. TLE has a policy of giving so much extra in each order…I learned it from y’all!
4. I bought, cooked, served, and cleaned up after four teenagers on their way to Prom, kids who couldn’t afford a fancy dinner out. So I made them a fancy dinner in. (This was completely fun for me. Except perhaps the dishes…)
5. I’ve dropped everything that’s going on in my whole life and am getting in the car at the crack of dawn Friday morning, to drive to Louisiana to be there 10 days earlier than planned, because there’s a baby who doesn’t want to wait to be born.
And guess what…I’m taking the already dyed and reskeined 24/7 sock yarn with me to LA to be tagged and stitchmarkered and shipped from there *after* the baby’s born!
1. I paid for the person behind me’s Starbucks earlier this week.
2. I sent a surprise package of handdyed sock yarn to a family member who wasn’t feeling well- and I had dyed it up in all of her favorite colors.
3. I went through my yarn stash and gave my best friend (who I recently taught to knit) some of my NICEST yarn- not the “crap yarn” I’d normally give a new knitter- because I want her to have the best so she’ll get hooked like I am. 😉
XO-
Dana
1. I went through my stash and pulled out two garbage bags of yarns that I won’t use to donate to the Senior Center “Happy Hooker” group
2. I found the perfect tattoo themed button at a yarn store to send of to a friend as a surprise.
3. I gave some cat treats and dog food to a local shelter.
Mine seem small in comparison to others but,
I made a baby hat for a young woman (I don’t know) but has spent years trying to have a baby,
I wrote notes to acquaintances with recent cancer diagnoses, and
I forgave library fines for people who could barely afford the dollar or two they owed.
My three RAK:
1. Sent a book and a skein of yarn to a ravelry friend whose son is ill.
2. Took out my elderly neighbors trash can, and brought it back in.
3. Bought an extra skein of hand dyed sock yarn for my friend who got me into knitting socks.
The goodie bags look like so much fun! My fingers are crossed!!
Lets see, I really try to do little (or big if the opportuniy presents itself) things frequently.
We grilled pork chops for my neighbors (the wife has been poorly lately and unable to cook much.)
I purchased the last Harry Potter book on CD and sent it via Amazon to a friend’s daughter who was house bound after a motorcycle accident. (Thankfully she will totally recover.)
I took my other neighbor’s daughter with me to Walmart and purchase some school supplies she needed. (They are struggling a bit, and will allow me to help the kids out.)
My three acts of kindness, Watered flowers for the neighbors when they went on vacation, shared some WW Chocolate Cake with my best friends, and gave some knitting needles and sock yarn to a girl that wants to learn to knit socks, YEAH!!!!
Love the big sock blocker. That should become the newest in knitter home decorating!
My three RAKs:
1) Bought lunch for a friend dealing with a huge personal loss
2) Gifted some Envirosax to another friend who is very committed to enviro issues
3) Gave a bottle of Gatorade to a neighborhood boy who was sweating working in the sun all day last Saturday
Wow, this is fun to read…
1) I left chocolate on the desk of someone who really needed it (he’s taking over my responsibilities in the lab)
2) I rescheduled some meetings so I could attend a practice talk given by one of my group members so that I could give him some comments
3) I cleaned up the house and took care of hubby while he was stressed out with work.
4) I took a friend out to lunch, just because.
5) I’m saving the two pieces of chocolate torte in the fridge right now for the hubby.
How odd. I posted a comment and it didn’t post!
My RAK for the month…
1) Leaving chocolate on the desk of a colleague who clearly needed it
2) Rearranging my commitments so I could attend a practice talk given by one of my group members.
3) Taking a friend out to lunch because she was having a bad day.
4) Shared the gift of knitting with a friend.
5) Saving the last two pieces of chocolate flourless torte for the husband who’s having a really bad day at work.
Baked cookies for the nurses on my floor.
Paid for the coffee for the person behind me in the Dunkin Donuts drive through.
Knits baby hats for the NICU.
Yes! More pattern tamers, I was so bummed I missed them last time. I love the giant sock, I squeed a little, “there’s my name!” to my son (he’s sick so cuddling up on my lap) but he didn’t care, he was just in awe of the “oohh big sock” 🙂
Bought 2 books, had them signed by the author, then sent one to StitchIt podcaster Meghan and one to Stash & Burn podcaster Nicole (that counts as 2 doesn’t it?), paid the bill at Starbucks when a group of co-workers went for an afternoon coffee run.
Hello to everyone. I just want to say that I really wish I could have been part of the FLING. I love the goodie bags, but love more the fun time you all had! You know that I am an Elem. Art teacher…have over 1200 kids a week and have 2 buildings. A lot of kiddos are needy…one saw me making a pair of socks and sort of wondered WHY anyone would MAKE a pair of socks…..so when I finished the 2nd sock, I gave them to him…and he didn’t have any socks on so put them on then and there…my 1st random act of kindness! made my heart feel good doing it, too. He told everyone I made them for him…now a bunch want to know when I am making them a pair…see…needy! Ok..2nd random act was to show (better word is ATTEMPT to show) this left handed woman, mother of my friend who has always wanted to learn to knit, how to knit….we are trying, and I am frogging more than knitting, but this is my supreme trial, and a definite act of kindness and patience, and whatever else. Maybe she will learn eventually! My 3rd act was to take my friend all over to do errands when her car was out of service…I think we went all over the world and back again. I went to places, like OLLIE’S, that I never even knew existed. See what one can learn! It is fun, and I hopefully have helped someone! Take care and just think how much better you feel by doing these kind acts! 🙂 Jo