50 Hats for Christmas Project Update

We have reached the initial goal of 50 Handknit Hats for Christmas for the Simpson Housing Shelter (that's 65 hats on the table there in this blurry cell phone photo...yes, sixty-five hats) and are so heartened by the generosity that is pouring in from all over. Thanks to our friends on Facebook, Twitter, Ravelry and fellow bloggers/loyal readers, we've received hats from all over Minnesota and as far away as Pennsylvania with Wisconsin and Illinois in between. These hats are multiplying like rabbits in their storage bags tucked in our dining rooms and it's truly a miracle to watch the stacks grow.

But, IT'S NOT OVER YET!

Rest assured, everyone, that ALL of these hats will find a chilly head to rest upon and more are still graciously being accepted. There are 46 beds in the shelter which was the inspiration for the original goal, but more people typically come for dinner each night. And then you figure in that there are different people who come to the shelter the next day, and the next day. And then there is the women's branch of the Simpson Housing Shelter that has 20 beds so women's hats are needed too. Not to mention the 9,000 people who are homeless in Minnesota each night... More hats are always needed.

The deadline to participate in this awesome project is December 5, details repeated below:

1. Knit a hat for a man--or a woman. Any weight yarn (wool yarn is recommended, Minnesota winters are COLD). Any pattern. Knit something that you would feel comfortable giving to a person in your life whom you love. Complicated or simple, it's totally up to you.

2. Mail your hat to:
50 Hats for Christmas
First Universalist Church
ATTN: Catherine/UU Stitchers
3400 Dupont Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55408 USA

Thank you for sharing your skill, time and love for our homeless neighbors!