Heartening news and a basket load of cuddles

Firstly, a snippet of an email from Christina (Japan Alive)  with a little guy called Shunsuke ..................  

Here's a pic of me with Shunsuke in his family's temporary housing and one of the teddy bears you ladies sent over.  He was born 2 weeks after the tsunami.  His name means "he will be a great help to many people".  His family's home was directly opposite the beach and so they lost absolutely everything.

We are hoping to visit an autistic children's home up north next week. Some incredible stories of survival. Will be handing out more teddy bears and blankets there!

How good is that?!

**************************

Now for news a bit closer to home........

A basket load of toys, just waiting to go off to Japan, 

rolls of scarves and woolly hats and a blanket

Just look at this assorted basket of fun!

Teddies, elephants, seals, a monkey, 

an orangutan,seals, lions, 

octopi (plural?), owls, 

a cute little girl, 

a teeny tiny turtle, 

a baby, zebra 

and the cutest Siamese cat 

you have EVER seen!!

Thank you SO MUCH 

Gillian, Marta and Carol

Thanks to Heather C for all the crochet grannies to which I added a rather large anomaly I made a while ago and was flummoxed as to what to do with it! 

Heather's colours just worked beautifully 

with that over ambitious square.

Here are a few more 'mug-shots' of these little wonderful characters

I am sure they will make a little person smile :)

Close up.

If you do make scarves and hats,

please do not 

send them to me 

but post them directly to Kenta  at scarves4japan :

Kenta Shimohira

39-3, Nishikamaike, Ogawa, 

Higashiura-cho, Chita-gun,

Aichi, 470-2102

Japan

I do have other lovely news from Christina - another snippet from a different email - 

.........Also, Teddy wanted me to share with you that her group of women (Yarn Alive) that meet at the community hall in the temporary housing (refugee women) have been inspired by you ladies and are starting to knit blankets in a similar manner.  They have received, and now they want to also give to those in other hard hit areas! So please thank your group that not only have they given physically but also inspired and helped emotionally to these particular women who are now finding purpose once again.

Doesn't it make you smile? :)

All for now, will keep you posted, and remember please make scarves and hats and send them directly to Kenta, he asks if you do, to include a brief written note from yourself.

scarves4japan

I have been given details for this website via Japan Alive - please have a read -

http://scarves4japan.jimdo.com/english/

Their aim is to collect handmade scarves from all over the world and distribute them. 

scarves4japan say... monetary donations are a good thing but sometimes you do not really know what your money is used for.....

Just after the earthquake and tsumani it snowed and many people were unable to find shelter and froze to death. scarves4japan want to make sure this does not happen again!

Please DO NOT post them to me but send them directly to Kenta - even if you only post one - just think what a difference you make to that one person? Just imagine being cold and living in temporary housing which ranges from being under a tarpaulin to a quickly thrown up prefab building with none of your possessions or warm clothing......

PLEASE READ THROUGH AND REACH FOR YOUR CROCHET HOOK OR KNITTING NEEDLES! And spread a little love across the miles :)

All they ask that you write a little note and attach it to your scarf and post to:

Kenta Shimohira

39-3, Nishikamaike, Ogawa, 

Higashiura-cho, Chita-gun,

Aichi, 470-2102

Japan