December Stouffville Meeting

The pre-Christmas Stouffville meeting was a success. Thanks to new members Donna, Sandy and Ann for taking time out of their holiday preparations to attend.

Margret shows off her hat-scarf sets, as well as a double-strand baby blanket, nice and warm for winter.

Here's Donna with two beautiful blankets and a baby jacket.

Monica with a crocheted hat and scarf and a baby blanket made up from squares that had been donated previously.

Sandy's beautiful variegated blanket with pink insertions.

Tracy also made up a blanket from previously donated squares, along with some of her other fantastic items.

The colours in the round blanket were blended into each other as Tracy was crocheting; it isn't variegated yarn! That's a lot of work, with a gorgeous result. Thanks, Tracy!

Thanks to everyone for your donations and for your company on a snowy Sunday afternoon.

Happy Holidays to our Members and Followers!!

It is once again the time of year to thank everyone who has contributed in any way to Casting Off the Cold over the past year. Whether you have been a regular attendee at our meetings, have sent your donations along with someone else or delivered them to Sally yourself, we can't thank you enough for the time and effort you have put into making sure that someone in need will have warm clothing and accessories this winter.


If you've been following the blog, you have seen the reports of our donation deliveries and can see that the organizations we support are more than appreciative of the work we all do.

Thanks for another year of wonderful support for this initiative - we've started planning next year based on the needs our charities have expressed to us already.

Our Christmas photo this year is of Siobhan and Monica wearing the 'Santa's Elf' hat and scarf made by Monica. Look for the patterns coming soon to our Ravelry board!

Happy Holidays, and all the best to everyone for a healthy and prosperous New Year!

Sally, Monica and Siobhan
the Casting Off the Cold Steering Committee

UPDATE ON 2010 DONATION

A total of over 1500 items were donated between November and the first week of December 2010, to 11 Charities in York Region. We must not forget that Streetknit and Project Linus also received beautiful hats, scarves and baby blankets.

So that adds up all our Charities who received their goodies for this winter, to add to Christmas baskets they put together for those in need.

At this time I would like to thank the Casting Off The Cold team for working very hard all year, to be able to make our goal for 2010. Also to our donors for the beautiful items and for supporting Casting Off The Cold.

It is such a great feeling to know that no matter how hard times are, that there are many people out there who will do what ever they can to help those that need it most.

Keep up the good work!!!

MARKHAM GROUP WITH LOTS OF GREAT STUFF.

This winter we decided that we will work on Afghans so we can have a total of 30/40 for donation next winter. We found out this winter that most of the Charities we donate too, need at least 6 Afghans. If you would like to crochet an Afghan for us, we need sizes 48" by 60" or 48" by 70" for twin beds. It will be greatly appreciated for what ever you can donate to us.

Here is another baby blanket from Kaysi.

This rectangle blanket I got the pattern from bernatcares.com and I found that it took longer finishing it, to the regular granny square. But I love the finished look any way. I will attempt another later, using a different yarn because the yarn I used was to soft.

Siobhan knitted this hat/scarf.This set is made whit the ear flap as long as a scarf. It will defiantly keep some one warm this winter.

Margaret is modeling a hat and scarf, she crocheted using the puff stitch.

More hats and scarves,

and a beautiful granny square blanket,

all from Margaret.

Madge; That is a great wavy blanket. I love it.

This blanket Monica made.

Lots and lots of hats from Sophie, a friend of Barb. Thank you Sophie.

And a beautiful looped scarf, knitted by Jane.

Casting Off the Cold on Ravelry!

Hi, all members and followers!

Just want to let you know that Casting Off the Cold now has a group on Ravelry! We know that many of our members use Ravelry as a resource for patterns and other information. Now we can use the group discussion forum to trade project information, pattern links, details about yarn you might need that others in the group may have, or extra yarn that you have that you can't think of a project for, that might be just the thing another member is looking for.

The discussion forum is not meant to take over from this blog, but will be an easy way for members to talk to each other, show off projects in progress and be able to chat in between meetings.

Next time you're on Ravelry, look us up. Please join the group and feel free to start a discussion thread if you'd like.

Latest Donations - Krasman Centre and Inn From the Cold

The Krasman Centre is a drop-in centre for people recovering from mental health issues, their friends and family members, throughout York Region. The Krasman Centre is located in Richmond Hill and also has an office in Alliston.

Here is Liz giving a helping hand holding up some of the bags of hats and scarves that we donated from our members' work this year.









Siobhan also delivered our donation to Inn From the Cold in Newmarket. Inn From the Cold provides services including a place to sleep and warm food and clothing to people who have nowhere else to go on cold winter nights.

STOUFFVILLE NOVEMBER MEETING

Since the Stouffville meeting started, each month a new member joined us. This gives me a really good feeling that we are going to have a great group of women, working on all different project for our winter drive.
This winter we will be working on large Afghans for most of the charities we donate to. So if you like making Afghans and would like to help, we need about 30 large Afghans for twin beds. This winter we donated 15 to Pathways and Yellow Brick House.
Here are all the beautiful stuff collected from our Stouffville meeting.





Sue stared this blanket at the October meeting and here it is finished. Sue it is gorgeous!!

Lots of mitts dropped off by Sue Atkinson and she may join us one day.

This is one of Tracy's many blankets. This one I love the colours and this pattern too!!!

Here is a fleece blanket.

And this one was crocheted on the diagonal. Love it.

Madge is working on an Afghan, almost finish and looking amazing.

Jennifer join us at the last meeting and was learning to crochet. I think she will learn pretty quick.

Barb is at the end of her Afghan and it is looking gorgeous too.

Also some hats dropped off from the women from the stouffville Anglican Church.

And Donna has been crocheting up a storm, two baby blankets and a beautiful baby jacket.

Another blanket from Donna.

Here is Sandy, working on a baby blanket.

Siobhan is showing a beautiful hat and scarf set.

And here is Pat, this blanket is gorgeous, i love the colours.

And another,

This is so cute!!

A couple of blankets from me.

ABSTRACT CROCHET CATS.

I found the pattern on UTube, while looking for another pattern and could not wait to start it. I started this a couple a night ago and it work up pretty fast and it is so easy!!
For those of you who would like the pattern, you can find it here.
http://crochet-mania.blogspot.com/

hope you enjoy crocheting this pattern as much I am.

PREGNANCY CENTRE DONATION

Tuesday November 16, Siobhan and I visited the Pregnancy center to deliver our donations.

The Pregnancy Centre is a organization in Markham, their goal is to provide support and assistance during an unplanned pregnancy.

Here you can see Siobhan and Janice looking at some of the baby clothing and blankets, our members made especially for their organization.

Janice mentioned to us that they also have a program, for adopting a family for Christmas. You can contact the pregnancy centre for more info.

Yellow Brick House visit

Thanks this time to Tracy and Liz for taking our donation to Yellow Brick House.

Yellow Brick House is another organization we have been donating to since Casting Off the Cold began in 2006. It serves the needs of abused women and their children who need a place to stay to rebuild their lives after leaving difficult and abusive family situations.










Our donation of 4 bags stuffed full. Sally certainly does know how to pack them in!

Tracy reported that they always need blankets and sweaters as well as clothing for all ages from babies to women's sizes. It will give those of us who want to try something different a chance to knit or crochet a sweater or some of those really cute baby clothes!

Liz with Sarah from Yellow Brick House.

2010 has been a great year for us to learn more about the organizations we support, meet the people who work there and even some of the people who will benefit from our donations. We have a much better idea of what they all need and will be able to give our members a wide choice of projects to craft, knowing that they will all be appreciated. Keep those hooks and needles busy, everyone!

Pathways Donation

Some of our members had a very busy week traveling around Markham!

Siobhan and Sally dropped our donation off at Pathways. This year Casting Off the Cold is helping the Youth Transition Apartments program, providing blankets and afghans for the beds, and hats, scarves, mitts and socks for the young people living in the apartments. Some of the items will also go to their youth drop-in centre.








Siobhan and Kelly taking a look at some of the blankets and other items. Pathways gave us a list of what they really needed, and, with a little extra time put in to finish a few blankets, we managed to fill every request!






Again, thanks to our members for making it possible to give such beautiful items crafted with real care. We'll have the 'wish lists' for next year out shortly!