We’re ready to tally up your votes for our first quarter challenge! Take a peek at the photo gallery, where you’ll find 65+ entries, and then send us your vote for your favorite. (support @ theloopyewe.com). We’ll be drawing for two Loopy gift certificates – one for the project that gets the most votes, and one for a random drawing from all participants. I hope you all had fun working on cables during First Quarter.
That means that we’re also ready for the Second Quarter Challenge, which runs from now until the end of June. I asked for input in the blog a week or two ago, and I appreciate those of you who left comments and sent emails. It’s clear that the plight of Japan continues to be in our hearts and on our minds, and I liked the charity knitting thoughts that several of you suggested. So our Second Quarter Challenge is all about charity knitting. But there are several different ways to participate. You pick the one that feels right to you. You can:
1. Knit a pattern where the pattern proceeds go to a charity relief effort (whether to Japan or other areas) – like one of these, or other patterns:
Wendy’s Japanese Garden Shawl
Kay’s Mitered Crosses Blanket
Janel’s Eiki Shawl
2. Or knit something to give to someone who is going through a tough time and needs a little extra love and support, like:
a shawl, or a pair of socks, or a sweater.
3. Or knit something and donate it to one of the many charities that need such items, like one of these, or other worthy causes:
preemie hats
blankets for animals in shelters
chemo caps
To participate in the challenge, please be sure that the yarn is one that is available for sale at The Loopy Ewe (or one that you have purchased from us in the past.) Stash yarn is great! But if you do need to purchase a skein of something to use for the challenge, you are welcome to a 20% discount on the yarn for this project. You must leave us an order note on your order, letting us know which yarn you are using for the challenge and how it will be used for some type of charity knitting. The discount offer is good from Friday, April 8th through Friday, April 15th at midnight. If you are going for free shipping (over $75) in the U.S., make sure that your 20% discount does not take you under the $75 amount.
Projects need to be completed (and photos uploaded to our Second Quarter Challenge Gallery) by July 5th, in order to be eligible for the drawings. Please share what you’ve done – we’re all inspired by it!
So who is in? And what are you going to make?
Sheri wholikesachallengethatsharesthelove
a note to those who knit blankets or pads for animal shelters: pls be sure the item is machine washable. Shelters are short-staffed, and towels, blankets etc that they do have time to launder tend to be bundled and done in a hurry. Colors that are not too light (hence showing every stain) are best choices. The animals do appreciate the cozy warmth.
I’m going to knit Wendy’s shawl. Have to think about what yarn I want to use, but it is such a worthy cause. Thanks for doing this, Sheri!
I’m don’t do a lot of charity knitting (donate in other ways) but I’ve had my eyes on these slippers that use a small amount of fingering weight: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/comfort-slippers—for-japan–
I actually just started Kay’s Mitred Crosses blanket out of sock yarn. I’m just in the nick of time!
What a fantastic theme you picked for this challenge! I am excited to start. I picked Eiki, and just ordered MadTosh light merino in Posy for it. Can’t wait to start! It will be fun to see what everyone else chooses.
I am going to knit the Magrathea shawl (http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/magrathea) with Bugga. The proceeds from the sale of the pattern until 4/5 (when I purchased it) were donated to the Japanese Red Cross, which was over $2000!
Oh, I recently bought the yarn for Wendy’s shawl so this will be perfect. I have to get the pattern this weekend and then I will be ready to go.
I bought Wendy’s shawl pattern as soon as I heard she was donating proceeds to Japan relief… so YAY I’m in! I have a ton of yarns in my stash (LOTS of it from TLE), but I’ve been thinking about making either a Bugga or Skinny Bugga purchase for this project. 🙂 Thanks Sheri, nice way to motivate folks!
I bought Wendy’s shawl pattern already, too. But how about if we knit it – then give it to someone going through a difficult time AND knit an item or two for charity? I was recently asked to join a local group knitting hats for the homeless, so that way I could hit each category!
Hi,
I am going to make blankets for the shelter animals. I have already donated money for Japan and will do so again. I am going to do something for the animals as that has been my “pet” charity for years…thanks for bringing this time of giving to the forefront.. It is ALWAYS good to give. 🙂
I bought Wendy’s pattern and Janel’s pattern…just trying to decide which one to start first…I may go with Janel’s and use the Pinky starry DIC that I bought a while back.
This would be a good challenge for me. My friend Michelle recently lost her baby girl at 34 weeks gestation. When she left the hospital, she carried with her the hat she had made for Amelia, as well as a “memory box” that some kind soul makes and donates to the maternity ward. As soon as she was able to bring herself to knit again, she asked our SnB if we could help make little hats for the memory boxes. I have already made a few out of Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock, and so I will continue to do so.
What a great challenge idea! I’ll have to see what I can come up with for it!
Great Challenge Sheri – I am pondering one of the shawls listed but the donation for a local no kill shelter is also tugging at my heart. I have a friend who makes lovely felted kitty bowl beds. You are so generous to offer a discount for yarns used in this challenge. Too bad I did not get my 1st quarter challenge finished but that hat was a buggar to do and I ripped it back several times. Hope spring has come to your area – melody
Great idea, since we were all going to do some of these anyway! I have the Japanese Garden, Eiki, and the Magrathea, so now i will just be sure i choose a Loopy yarn to do them all in–which should Not be a problem….
For all you Sanguine Gryphon fans check out her site, there is a note at the top that states,”Dear Customers: From March 15 through April 15 we will be donating 50% of all pattern sales to the Red Cross of Japan for disaster relief efforts.”
I have already bought both Wendy’s and Kay’s patterns, and have the shawl started in my green Wolllmeise won from TLE. (finally found something worthy of the beautiful yarn!)
I just bought 2 patterns from Sanguine Gryphon (both sock patterns – one by Wendy Johnson) and will be making at least one of them by July 5. I will use some TLE stash yarn I have for them.
Just purchased the Demoiselle (Dragonfly Glove) pattern from the Sanguine Gryphon website. The folloing message indicates 50% of purchase will be donated to Japan relief if received by today.
“Dear Customers: From March 15 through April 15 we will be donating 50% of all pattern sales to the Red Cross of Japan for disaster relief efforts.”
Now off to The Loopy Ewe website for the appropriate yarn.
The APA of Missouri off of Hanley needs blankets to send the pets home with. They are currently out.
I’ve been traveling and just got home today, so didn’t see this blog until now…the 16TH!!! I had already purchased Wendy’s pattern, but missed the deadline for the yarn discount. Well, maybe that will give me some time to think about what I want to make it out of. Stash is all in storage right now as I am in the process of relocating. Must…buy…more…yarn.
What a great idea. I’m going to knit Kay’s Mitered Crosses Blanket (possibly with stash yarn, what a concept) for my cousin’s wedding in July!