New Year, New Home!

First, Happy New Year to everyone, and thank you for making 2007 such an amazing success for the Hats for Alex Project. Secondly, we are moving! I have set up hatsforalex.org, and will be updating it in the next few days with information for the 2008 collection. I've got some ideas, but I need to flesh them out, and then I will post over there. Also, I've tentatively set the goal for 2008 at 500 hats. I really, really think we can do it!

Hats for Alex Contest

The fabulous Weezalana has taken the Hats for Alex project to her (very sweet and generous) heart and is running a little contest to help me meet the goal of 250 hats for this year. You can see all the details (and the prizes she is offering) here, but let me just say this - Yarn Pirate sock yarn and Entrelac Dangle-free stitch markers. And all you have to do is send three hats before October 31, enclose a note letting me know you want in on the drawing, and give us an email addy to contact you. I'll keep the running tally updated here, and I am post-dating this blog post for the end of the contest so that it stays as the top post. Just email me, and I'll let you know where to send the hats. Again, thank you all for helping me make this project a success.

WE DID IT!

That's right, folks! Thanks to all of the contributions in the last few days and those who brought hats to Rhinebeck, the current total for 2007 is... 291 hats!!!! Thank you all so much! And don't forget, you have until the end of October to get three hats to me if you want in on Weezalana's contest!

Rhinebeck - Updated!

For anyone who will be attending Rhinebeck this year, the lovely and talented Mary Beth Temple (author of the hilarious The Secret Language of Knitters) will be acting as a collection point for hats. She will be signing her book at the Ellen's Half Pint Farms booth (building 26 booth N) from 1 to 3 both Saturday and Sunday. I'll be at the festival as well, but AKKnitter came up with this idea, and MBT stepped up, to try to save me from carrying hats with me all weekend. So, let's show them how much we appreciate their contribution and patronize the booth. And if you don't have a copy of Mary Beth's book, I bet they will sell you one right there! UPDATE: dknitting over on Ravelry will be working at the Great Adirondack Yarns booth (building 22, booths 2 and 3) and has volunteered a little floor space in their booth as well. There will be a box there all weekend (well, from when I get it to her until Kris tells me it is time to leave on Sunday), so if you miss MBT, you can stop by their booth to drop off hats. If you are there, please stop by either booth and drop your hats off, preferably in an envelope or something with a note so that I can identify who they came from. And don't forget - every three hats you contribute gets you an entry in Weezalana's drawing!

Update

As of 9-24, we've reached 156 hats. Thanks to Weezalana's contest (see above post dated 11/1), we've passed the halfway mark - I've gotten 38 hats since she started!

Hat requirements

Just a reminder on the requirements for the hats: Hats can be in any size from preemie to child. Hats can be knit or crocheted. (I do both, so I certainly won't keep out those who only do one or the other. :) ) Hats must be in cotton, synthetic, washable wool, or a blend of any of these - as long as the yarn is washable, it's good. Thanks!

Quick update

I need to get some pictures this weekend of the hats I've received lately and update the count, but I just wanted to make a quick post to thank Poops over at Ask Poops, Please for her beautiful "Butterfly Hat for Alex" pattern, and Bev at Bev's Country Cottage for allowing me to link to her baby hat patterns. Both links are in the sidebar, now. Thank you both so much!