A few of you know that my dear sweet 83 year old Granny is very special to me. For years
she has loved to knit hats for small children, and she would send dozens to the state children's home (aka orphanage) at Christmas time every year. Now, she has a special place in her heart for Russia, seeing that two of her great grandchildren recently came from there. She is continuing to knit hats in hopes of getting as many as she can sent to the orphans left behind in Russia and neighboring countries. Here's her story and why the orphaned children are so
special to her.

When Granny was 10 years old her Father passed away. This was in the early 1930s and
during the Great Depression. She was one of five children (two boys and three girls). Being that her Mother was now widowed with five children (youngest girl was 18 months old), she did not have the money at the present time to take care of all of her children. She decided to send the boys to the state orphanage and then in two weeks she would send the two older girls (my Granny would be included). Then once she was able to get a job in the mill and get the money saved up, she would send for her children to come home. Well, during the boys first week away tragedy struck, and one of my Granny's brothers drowned in a small pond at the orphanage.
My Great Grandmother was devastated that she sent for only living son to come back home and she would figure a way to work and raise four children on her own.

This story is why any child in an orphanage is so near and dear to her heart. She knows what
it is like to almost be sent away to an orphanage, and does not know what her life would have been like if things had turned out differently. To date, she has sent about five dozen little hats
to Russia through me and some close friends who were so graciously to take the hats on their trips (or one special one that I'm able to mail the hats directly to Russia!).

Here's the Project - if you or anyone that you know is traveling to an orphanage and would like to take some hats as part of your orphanage donation, please e-mail me at the link on the side, and I will mail them to you (I will pay for postage). I normally send a dozen hats at a time, but
I can send you more or less if you want. Since she normally uses yarn that she finds on sale or at yard sales, colors do vary.

Thanks to everyone so far that has helped to Cover The World, and thanks in advance to everyone that is going to be emailing me (I hope).


**Update 10/26/06 - due to the wonderful overwhelming responses we have received,
we are getting lots of hats off to some wonderful children in Russia!! Unfortunately,
Granny is a little behind in filling all the orders (and for some reason we can not get Papa motivated to learn how to knit - go figure?). I dare say we will not be able to take any new request until after the holidays. If you are not planning on traveling until 2007 and want to
be put on the list to receive hats, please email me. To those who have already e-mailed me,
I do have you down on the list to mail you the hats as soon as they are available.
Bless all of you who are willing to help my Granny get these hats to as many children as she possibly can. Thank you!!