The project started in the Knitting Help Forum back in February of 2007, when I posted about an idea I had. I really loved talking to all my friends in the Knitting Help Forum online, and wished that I could see them all face to face. I thought that one way we could "connect" would be to work on a project together. So, I grabbed some knitting needles and started a blanket by casting on 200 stitches.
The next day, I posted about my idea in the forum, and everyone was interested! I showed them a photo of the blanket I had started, and by the end of the day, I had several knitters signed up to knit more sections on the blanket. It was a WILDFIRE! All of a sudden, MORE knitters signed up. I had to start four more blankets, so there would be spots available for everyone that wanted to participate.
Our blankets travelled from one knitter to the next, with the original knitting needles still attached. All each knitter had to do was choose a similar yarn, and knit a 3 inch section of the blanket, then mail it to the next person. Some of us added little gifts to give to the next knitter. It was a very special way for us all to connect with each other. We wrote about our time with the blanket in a little journal, and also posted about it in the forum, and on our knitting blogs.
The large blankets were very exciting, but took a very long time to complete. So, we decided to make smaller versions for babies in hospitals. They are really fun to make. The baby blankets each get a name, so they are easy to follow online. They finish up quickly, and in the end they are given to charity.
Our baby blankets are now being knit by people all over the United States and Canada. At one time, there were some Oddball Blankets being created in England and Australia as well. I haven't heard any more of them for the past two years, so I don't know if they are still going or not. One thing we've added with the Oddball Baby Blankets is a touch of crochet. Each of our baby blankets looks so much better with a crochet border. So, we've added a "Crochet Border Patrol" to our list of workers.
You'll find some Oddball Blanket groups on Ravelry: Oddball Charity Knitters, and Western Canada Oddball Blanket Society. There is also a group there that knits 100% WOOL Oddball Blankets: Wool-Aid
Our exciting project has been fun and has been a benefit to charity as well.
Today, I am packing up a box of two of our larger blankets, and mailing them to the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota - the poorest spot in the US. The unemployment rate is 90% and the teen suicide rate is four times the national average. Basics such as running water, heat and food are scarce for many residents let alone jobs and health care. I've heard that they really appreciate handmade blankets, so I'm very happy to send our blankets their way.
Here are the blankets I'm sending to them:
Oddball Blanket #1
Oddball Blanket #4
Those blankets are two of the ones I started back in February of 2007. Now, it's four years later, and our blankets are finally ready to go to charity. It took a long time, and a lot of love. We should all be proud of the work we did. :)
I've already mailed one of our blankets to another Native American reservation in California. And I'm working on finishing up two more blankets as well. It's a joy to finish them up and see them finally going to charity.
Our projects are a joy to create, but expensive to mail. If you want to help out, but can't knit or crochet, you are more than welcome to help out with postage. You can donate by clicking the Paypal button on this blog, or by sending stamps to any of our Oddball Knitters. We appreciate any help you can give. :)
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