The Salvation Army and a Box for Oklahoma

I had yesterday off from work, and as it turned out, I was able to spend most of the day on my charity projects once again. I finished up the last of the the 12 hats for the Soaring Eagles Project. The picture shows the 4 hats I made this week. (I will post a picture of all 12 hats over at 25 Things for Charity.) Then I went out and did some shopping. One of the local craft stores was having a good sale, so I was able to get a few goodies to put in the box for Oklahoma, as well as some stretchy gloves that will be the start of next year's Salvation Army donation. So the box is taped up and ready to go in the mail this morning. And yes, that navy blue and orange hat is even brighter in real life than it is in that picture!

At the end of the afternoon, I met up with Dee and Grace to deliver all of the guild's items to the Salvation Army. (Dee has some great pictures up at her site.) We got a tour of the place and all I can say is what an amazing operation. I stood there thinking that they aren't called an army for nothing. The logistics of collecting, sorting and getting toys, clothes, food and a turkey to 300 families are complicated to say the least, and yet they seem to have an incredibly efficient method for doing just that. I am glad that I went for two reasons. One, it made what we are doing in the guild much more real to me, and two, I have a better understanding of what the Salvation Army needs, which will help me as I work on next year's donation.

In the middle of all of this charity work, I received a package in the mail yesterday afternoon. I think I forgot to mention that I won one of the Knit unto Others prizes. Well, it arrived yesterday.

The picture does not do it justice. It is a skein of 100% merino sock yarn in the most beautiful shades of purple and green hand dyed by Kirsten. I am going to have to find a very special sock pattern to make with this yarn.

And I think that will conclude the charity portion of this blog, at least for a while. I was home quite a bit yesterday, and I realized that my house is not only filthy but chaotic as well, and I am not going to have a lot of time to deal with it this weekend. I also need to get cards out, decorate, wrap presents, you know the drill. And of course I am working today and tomorrow is the guild meeting. Oh well, there is always next weekend! It will all get done because it always does get done, but I can tell you that I am already really looking forward to the time off I am taking after Christmas! Have a great weekend!