Some changes

It has been way too long since I've blogged here. Thanks to everyone who's posted comments here and/or sent e-mails of support to me offline during my absence. I can't exactly say I'm "alive and well", but I can say that I'm finally "alive and better". It's been a long, hard winter and spring, but I'm looking forward to the sun and warmth of summer.

In an effort to try to better manage my limited time and energy, I'm going to have to bow out of taking the lead on Think Pink Challenge. I was amazed and ecstatic about the response to our first year of the project, and certainly hope that it will continue. Sadly, I'm just not able to take the lead. It's just gotten too big for me to handle on my own, especially with all that's going on health-wise with me. Instead, I'd like to suggest that people continue to make the scarves and instead of sending them to me, deliver them directly to a local hospital, American Cancer Society, or other breast cancer organization in your area. If you need help finding an organization, please let me know and I may be able to help.

I would love to continue to keep a running tally of how we're doing, so please post to let us know how many scarves you've donated (and if you'd like, feel free to let us know where you donated) and we'll keep the count going here. It would be great to surpass last year's total!

Thank you again for your thoughts, prayers and support of this ministry.

God bless!

Sydney

An expression of gratitude

Thank you letters have started to arrive. I thought I'd share this one from the Care Center Director of the Outpatient Hematology/Oncology Infusion Center at the University of Chicago Hospitals. If there's any question about whether or not the scarves you're knitting are making a difference, read on...

Dear Ms. Thomas and Members of Soulful Knitting Ministries,

I can't begin to tell you how delighted and impressed we are with the work of so many different people. As we read your letter, our eyes filled with teras. We were very touched by the caring sentiment that went into each of the scarves. We put together an information sheet about your organization which is given to each patient along with the scarf so they know more about where these scarves have come from. All the patients responded with words of gratitude, tears, smiles or amazement.

There aren't enough ways to say thank you for remembering our patients. Your heartfelt prayers and offers of encouragement and support are so important to each patient as they travel this road for a cure. We also want to thank you for the words of appreciation to the staff who travel with these patients on their journey to overcome breast cancer. Some of us have been working and caring for cancer patients a very long time and it has become more of a mission in our lives than a job. Our lives are enriched daily by these patients and their battle against cancer.

The patients, their family and friends and the Staff of the University of Chicago Hospitals Outpatient Hematology/Oncology Infusion Unit thank you for your work, commitment and help as we continue our fight against breast cancer. Each of you make a difference in the cancer patient's life.

Seasons Greetings!

Hello all,

At last, an update on our wonderfully successful Think Pink project.

We ended up with close to 600 scarves, with some still coming in. I can't thank each of you enough for all you did to make this project a success. Women are already being blessed by your numerous acts of kindness.

I've added links on the right sidebar to the breast cancer treatment facilities that are receiving our scarves. Since the scarves came from all over the country, I tried to locate facilities in each region of the country to receive them as well. During the process of packing them for shipping, I did realize, however, that most of the scarves we have are definitely for colder climates, but I was able to put together a few boxes of lightweight scarves to go to warmer states.

Because so many people have e-mailed or written me asking that we keep this project going, and, because the responses from the hospitals have been so heartwarming, I've decided that as long as you want to keep sending the scarves in, I'll keep this blog going and seeing that they get to the hospitals.

Now that we've been at this for a while now, I would like to share some observations and lessons learned from the process:

• Please make sure that the scarves are long enough to cross in the front, some were cutting it rather close on the length.
• Don't forget about those living in southern states - cotton or ribbon-type yarns seem to work best for warmer weather.
• Feel free to incorporate leftover yarns from other projects by adding a few rows on either end, or knitting long-ways in stripes with different yarns... or try a "sampler" approach using different yarns and/or stitches

Two of the nurses that I spoke with also raised a very interesting point that I'm embarrassed to admit that I hadn't really thought about. Those involved in increasing breast cancer awareness have been very successful at making the public aware through various "think pink" campaigns. However, I was reminded that there are many other women (and men) fighting all types of cancers that are not as well publicized. I can only imagine how left out they must feel when boxes of pink things arrive for breast cancer survivors.

That said, it was suggested that we at least consider broadening our outreach to include other forms of cancer as well. This could mean knitting scarves in colors other than pink and/or knitting chemo caps or some other items. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.

Here are a few links to websites that list colors for various types of cancer:

Cancer Colors

Awareness Ribbon Colors

Color Definitions

I'd be happy to post links to any free patterns that might be appropriate if we decide to expand our scope.

What an amazing finish!!!

The official (revised) deadline for this challenge was Sunday, October 15th. I've spent much of the last 2 days unpacking and logging in more and more scarves and I must say that just when I thought things couldn't get much better... they did!

I have been completely amazed, overwhelmed, awed and humbled by the tremendous outpouring of support for this project, in countless ways. Through the expression of your generous hearts and considerable knitting and crocheting talents, to your cards, notes, e-mails and other forms of encouragement and support, you have exceeded my wildest imaginings.

Thanks to each and every one of you, lives have already been changed through this effort. Knitting groups have been formed across the country (including one as far away as Alaska!), women have learned to knit so they could participate (including a few young children), new friendships have been formed, tributes have been made to sisters, mothers, grandmothers, aunts, neighbors and friends who are fighting or who have lost their struggle with breast cancer. I have been particularly moved to learn that knitting groups that have formed specifically to support this project have decided to continue to meet regularly to knit for other charities. That's exactly what Soulful Knitting Ministries is all about.

I'd hoped to finish getting all the scarves unpacked early enough today to start taking pictures, but it was already overcast and now it's simply too dark, so I hope to get those up before the weekend is over. However, I do have some interesting stats that I thought I'd share:

• Well over 200 women from all walks of life and in all parts of the country participated in the challenge. That count is based on those of you who contacted me and asked to be placed on the blogroll in the right sidebar and/or whose name I got when I received their scarves. There was no way to estimate the additional number of women who participated through several knitting groups and ministries who participated in the project.


• At least 31 states were represented, covering every region of the country. We even received a scarf from Sydney Australia!


• I have contacted 20 of the largest breast cancer treatment hospitals in the country and will soon be shipping the scarves. So far, we've made contact with the appropriate people to receive and distribute the scarves to women who are undergoing chemo, and the responses from the hospitals have been overwhelmingly positive... more to come on that soon.
• In the past 2 weeks alone, we received 220 scarves, bringing the grand total to...

550 Pink Scarves!!!

It was my original intent to make this a one-time event. After all, I wasn't sure how much support there would be for a project like this. I was quite suprised when the first few requests started coming in asking if this would be an on-going or annual event, and later notes from people who assumed that it would be and have already pledged their support for next year.

So... for those of you who missed the deadline, or who have an urge to do more, I've decided to keep the project going. I'd originally thought of making it an annual event, but after talking to some of the nurses and volunteer coordinators who work with women fighting breast cancer every day, it occurred to me that they could use our support every day, not just one month out of the year.

So I'm willing to make a deal with you... You keep those pink scarves coming and I'll make sure that they get to the women who can be blessed by them. Each time I get 20 or so scarves, I'll send them to the next hospital on my list. For now, I'll rotate among the hospitals we've already made contact with (I'll post a list once they're confirmed), and if you know of hospitals that you think would be appropriate to add, please send me the facility name and a phone number and I'll follow-up.

Here's another question for you... I know that several people have expressed an interest/concern about raising money for breast cancer research. If I'm able to get some decent pictures and can put together a 2007 Think Pink Challenge calendar, with the proceeds going to breast cancer support, would there be any interest? If this is something that you think you might buy for yourself or as gifts, and/or encourage others to purchase? If so, please post a comment to let me know.

Need a little last-minute push?

One of my favorite bloggers, Mary of Virgin Wool fame, has done it again. She's come up with a great contest for any Think Pinker's who want to get in on the last-minute fun. I'm pretty sure this contest is open to people who've already contributed but feel inspired to crank out just one more, as well as for newbies who've just found out about us. So, be sure to check out Mary's Last Minute Think Pink Challenge Contest. Thanks Mary and Happy 1 Year Blogiversary!

It's All Coming Together...

It's been a very long day. I'm tired, but I'm also humbled and amazed. I've just spent the past 6 hours (yes, that's SIX HOURS) processing the huge number of packages and boxes that have arrived over the last week while I was away. Today alone, I added an additionl 153 scarves, nearly doubling our previous total. I also added more than 50 names to the participant list. I hope I got everyone, and for those that sent links, I hope they're right. If your name isn't listed and it should be, or if your link isn't working properly, please send an email to me at knit4soul@hotmail.com.

Every time I got so tired that I didn't think I could open another box, I opened another box and found another amazing note, letter or card of support and encouragement. Thank you to everyone who's knitted and crocheted such beautiful scarves and also to those who've shown your support in so many other ways as well.

I thought I'd share just a few examples of how this project is impacting lives, and we haven't distributed the first scarf yet:

"These scarves were created by the women who are members of the group "Chicks with Sticks Who Care" which is a ministry of Custer Road United Methodist Church in Plano Texas. Some of the scarves were knitted by breast cancer survivors so this project was something near and dear to them. One of them was also created by a kindergartener...who made one on a knitting loom... Thank you for allowing us to participate in such a worthwhile project." (Plano, TX)

"These scarves were knit by the mother/daughter team: Christine & Cindy. (Westford MA)

"Though I've never known anyone with this disease, I still recognize the need to bring awareness to this devestating ailment. May my miniscule one scarf be seen as a demonstration of my moral support for ALL women battling for their lives!! (Tracyton, WA)

"I pray God bless the wearer in body, mind and soul. They were a privilege and blessing to make" (Lincoln, NE)

"I hope you truly have a 'pink mountain' to photograph and send on to the American Cancer Society." (Mt Vernon, OH)

"In honor of my neighbor... a survivor" (Minneapolis, MN)

"I started a knitting group to make scarves specifically for this event. Well, we ended up teaching 6 people how to knit just because of this event. Now I have about 20-25 scarves to send you... Our knitting group started meeting every Thursday night just to work on these scarves and we have decided to continue our meetings and knitting for charities. So we decided to start knitting toys for Toys for Tots... and after that we will probably find another charity to knit for." (Anchorage, AK)

"... It really feels good to be doing something for someone besides myself." (Gainesville, FL)

"My mother-in-law taught me to knit. She lost both breasts to cancer. This is my way to honor her." (Colliers, WV)

"People are amazing! Through a very strange happening a lady I only barely know from the internet set me some money to help with shipping, so you're getting all of my scrap yarn... There's also a scarf for your Think Pink Challenge." (Roanoke, VA)

"I knit this one using a sample approach and the 'left-overs' of a retired, prolific knitter... Hope someone enjoys the whimsy of this piece" (Glen Allen, VA)

"This yarn was given to me, so I used my skill and time and hope these scarves are a little bit of caring to a woman who needs a hug." (Bellmore, NY)

"I am an 8-year breast cancer survivor myself." (Hillsville, VA)

What an amazing group of women you all are!

Need a little more time?

I continue to be amazed at the overwhelming support for this project. You ladies are awesome! Believe it or not, knitters and crocheters are still finding us and asking if there's still time for them to participate. There's even a new knitting group in Alaska that was started specifically to knit scarves for this project and they're planning to keep knitting for charity after we're done. Now that's Soulful Knitting!

Which brings me to the two reasons for today's post:

First, because I've gotten so many requests from people who have just found out about this project but would still like to participate, I've decided to extend the deadline to October 15th. Please try to get all your scarves to me by that date. Scarves should be mailed to:

Sydney Tyler Thomas

Soulful Knitting Ministries

PO Box 383

Sutherland VA 23885

Second, several people have asked about making this either an on-going or an annual event. The original intent was a one-time thing, but if people are interested in sending in an occassional pink scarf throughout the year, who am I to discourage that? So... please let me know what you think... enough is enough, let's keep it going or an annual event is great.

Again, thanks to everyone who is helping make this effort a success. I know a lot of women will be blessed by your generosity.

PS... I'm a bit behind on updating the list of participants, especially now with more scarves and e-mails arriving daily. I'm on my way out of town for a few days, but I hope to get all the new names added next weekend.

The party keeps getting bigger!

Hello all,

I just added 30 more names to our list of participants! The scarves are still coming in and they are beautiful!!! Several knitters are just finding our blog, so to those of you who are wondering... it's STILL not too late to join in the fun!

Please remember to post (or e-mail) your suggestions on which organization(s) we should send the scarves too.

We still have 3 weeks left... keep thinking pink!

Updated count

Hello all,

I just finished counting and "logging in" the scarves we've received so far. The official count now is 110! Great job ladies. There's just over a month left, so there's still time send in more!

The picture doesn't do the scarves justice - they are beautiful! But just to give you an idea of what we're going to be donating in October, take a look...

Don't forget to post your suggestions of breast cancer organizations we should donate the scarves too!

Thanks to everyone for your support of this project. It's the generosity of knitters like you who will make this project a success!

Happy Knitting!

It's STILL not to late!!!

Hello all,

The pace has really picked up. I'm getting beautiful new pink scarves almost every day now. One day last week I got over 40! You ladies are awesome! It is still not to late to join in on the fun. If you'd like your name (with a link to your blog, if you have one) to be added to the list of participants, pust publish a comment to let me know and I'll add you to the list.

I'm up to my elbows in boxes of scarves and I'm trying to be very methodical about recording the names and addresses of everyone who's contributing so I can send thank you notes. Please bear with me. I'll try to post an updated count and add lots of names to our list of participants before the weekend is over. Please be sure to check back!

I have to say a special "hello" to Kylie, who has just joined us all the way from AUSTRALIA. I think she definitely gets the *prize* for being the farthest away!

As we're down to the last 6 weeks of the challenge, I encourage you to keep those scarves coming, there's still time to knit some more! Also, it's time to start thinking about how we'll distribute them once they're all in.

Between now and the end of the month, I'm asking that anyone who has suggestions for breast cancer organizations that we might donate all or some of the scarves to, please publish a post here. In the meantime, please help me test out this new poll feature by voting below. At the beginning of September I'll post the organizations that you suggested and we'll have an official vote on who will get the scarves!

It's not too late!

I've been getting a lot of e-mails lately from knitters who are just now discovering this blog. For those who are wondering if it's too late to join in, the answer is NO!!! We'd love to have you. Please scroll down to the first post (don't worry, it's not far) to get all the particulars and then jump right in. Of course, if you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me.

Thanks to everyone who's already sent in their scarves and thanks to those who are still knitting. There's still plenty of time!

More pink scarf patterns

Thanks to Linda for letting me know that the September 2006 issue of Creative Knitting Magazine has 4 pink scarfpatterns designed for use in breast cancer scarf projects. The patterns are all lovely and include 2 with skill level of beginner and 2 easy.

Thanks to each and every one of you for the scarves that have already been sent, for your e-mails of support and encouragement, for passing the word and for your pledges. I'm expecting lots of scarves between now and the end of the Challenge and it wouldn't be possible without you.

Keep those pink scarves coming!

6 Degrees of Separation (or less)

This morning I was reminded of 6 Degrees of Separation. Do you remember that series of credit card commercials with Kevin Bacon? Or that great movie starring Will Smith, Donald Sutherland and Stockard Channing? For those of you who may not, six degrees of separation is the theory that anyone on the planet can be connected to any other person on the planet through a chain of acquaintances that has no more than five intermediaries.

The memory came to me while I was praying for Grace Bay House and asking God why more people haven't come forward to help yet. Before I go on, let me first say thank you to everyone who has contributed so far, in any way. No contribution is too small and I am so grateful for each and every one of them. That said, the truth is that there is so much more that could be done.

I know that we are kind and generous people, the outpouring of support after 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina prove that. So I know that simple apathy is not the issue. Perhaps it's easy to recognize the utter "randomness" in huge catastrophic events and make the "there but by the grace of God go I" connection. So I started thinking that may the reason people aren't feeling an urgency to support Grace Bay House is because they don't believe that rape affects them so this project doesn't even hit their radar screens.

So here's where the 6 degree theory comes in... Think of 6 women you know and love... your mother, your sister, your daughter, your co-worker, your best friend. The sad truth is that 1 in 6 American women have been victims of sexual violence and another women is raped every 2.5 minutes in America alone! If you are not one of the six, thank God. But if it's not you, whether you are aware of it or not, the chances are extremely high that someone you know has been the victim of sexual assault, or will be.

If you knew which woman it was, would you think about her more compassionately? Would you be more empathetic of her pain? If there was even a small way that you could help her begin to feel healthy and whole again would you try? There is a way you can help.

How much money have you spent this year alone on yarn, on manicures or pedicures, on gourmet coffee, on movie rentals? Isn't there one indulgence that you could give up for one month to help make a difference in someone else's life?

I challenge every person that reads this post to please prayerfully consider making your best donation, TODAY. No matter how much or how little you give, the fact that YOU GAVE will make a difference! Thank you in advance for your support and I ask for your continued prayers for this project.

Have a blessed day!

July Update

I can't believe the overwhelming response I've been receiving lately for this Challenge. Thanks to all of you who have so generously donated your time and creative energies to this project. So many women are going to be blessed by your gifts!

In additional to some wonderful knitters, I've heard from a few knitting groups in which all of the knitters are working on pink scarves! One wonderful knitter, Linda, wrote today that she'll have a pink scarf on her needles until the deadline!

We're about half-way through the Challenge and everybody seems to be picking up steam. Please keep those pink scarves coming!