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Post by nynancy on Mar 15, 2009 19:38:02 GMT
I was wondering what people thought if we made larger squares or rectangles to help the sewing volunteers out? If a 16x8 inch rectangle or 16x16 square is made it will still be able to be put together with the 8x8 squares but cut down a bit on the number of seams required (and hence the amount of time needed to turn out a finished blanket.) Also, If most people are sending several squares why not just a little bit bigger ones. Or send the 8" squares you are sending already sewn!
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Post by hipmamajen on Mar 15, 2009 20:10:23 GMT
There's a thought! Would that help out on the other end?
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Post by catlady88 on Mar 16, 2009 0:17:33 GMT
I would definitely be willing to make mine larger if this isn't a problem for the ladies sewing them up in Africa but I will surely wait on an answer before I start knitting larger ones. I have plenty of yarn so it's not a bit of a problem for me. If someone could check with the women on the other end it would be appreciated so I (we that can or want to) can start doing so as soon as possible. Thanks alot and hope everyone is having a great day (knitting, of course!!) Ha!!
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Post by Kerry on Mar 16, 2009 19:42:07 GMT
Hey all,
I've had a chat with Sandy about this and we are looking into it. At the moment it might make things a little complicated, as we are only just starting out and trying to keep things as simple as possible for the lovely ladies who are sewing together all these squares. If there are bigger squares some of the blankets may become a little like trying to fit a jigsaw together! Also if you ended up doing a long strip it might be mistaken for a scarf & Sandy tells me the South African postal service charge a tax on pieces of clothing coming into the country.
I think also once the lovely ladies have had their first sewing together day they will have a much better idea of what is do-able & we will chat to them about it then!
In the mean time I would love your feedback on this idea? Will it make for better postage? Is it easier to knit?
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Post by RCo7 on Mar 17, 2009 8:24:31 GMT
I can see how it would make the blankets harder to put together at the other end, and spoil the look of them. I realise the blankets are all to be made from different wools, but with consistent sized squares, at least the shapes are uniform, and that gives a smarter effect in the end result. Also, while a bigger square might save a bit of sewing, it does make it harder to organise the pieces , and I would have thought that part is hard enough on this project as it is. Kerry, a rectangle is no harder to knit than a square. To knit 16 inch by 8 inch rectangle, instead of two 8 inch squares, takes a tiny bit less time to cover the same size area, that is all. This is just because it takes longer to cast on and cast off than it does to continue knitting, and to make the two squares requires one cast off and one cast on more than the rectangle. I hope that effort to explain made enough sense to a crocheter .
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Post by Kerry on Mar 17, 2009 9:04:39 GMT
Hehe it did!
Perhaps we could consider setting rectangles to one side & having some blankets made just of rectangles as they come in. That might be easier to organise?
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Post by RC07 on Mar 17, 2009 11:13:40 GMT
In terms of putting the blankets together, then yes, all rectangles would be easy to do, but there still might be a problem with the South African government calling them scarves and applying a tax. We know that squares arrive alright, judging from the photos!
Some knitters do hate the part at the end of a knitting project called "sewing up", when you attach the different knitted parts of the garment to each other. The larger each piece of knitting is, the less sewing up is required, so (I think) NYNancy suggested rectangles or bigger squares, to save some of the sewing up work for the ladies in SA.
I believe that in crochet, there is no such thing as "sewing up", if I am right, there is going to be a lot of knitters that do not know that.
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jeanne
Junior Member
Posts: 95
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Post by jeanne on Mar 17, 2009 16:57:18 GMT
Um actually being a crocheter, I am constantly "sewing up" various squares into clothing or afghans or the like. Whatever method is used, pieces need to be connected to each other. In crochet they can be joined by single crochet or just sewn together with a yarn needle and yarn just like with knitted pieces. If the squares are made bigger won't it a. increase postage costs and b. deny the ladies at the other end a chance to contribute by using their creativity in deciding what squares to join to what and then doing the labour? Also that postage tax on clothing...how then does that apply to the single square crochet/knit tops? Are we better off to send two 10x10 squares and let them sew up the side and shoulder seams to make it a top rather than do it and send it ourselves, as it then constitutes clothing under their laws and might be taxed? Just wondering....as I'm preparing to crochet one of those tops.
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Post by RCo7 on Mar 17, 2009 17:14:15 GMT
Regarding sewing up...so it does apply also in crochet, that is fine, I am wrong.
According to Kerry, who said she spoke to Sandy about it, larger rectangles might be taken as scarves, and therefore taxed as clothes. I don't know about the crocheted tops.
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jeanne
Junior Member
Posts: 95
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Post by jeanne on Mar 17, 2009 17:27:10 GMT
Rco I wish you were right about not sewing bits together in crochet, lol, it drives me bats! I try to find the "join as you go" patterns. Which reminds me I often sigh over the lovely "knit from the neck down" sweaters and hunt for similar in crochet. The less seams the better for me.
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Post by bernadette on Mar 20, 2009 11:16:53 GMT
hello
i was thinking about making squares and sewing them myself together to avoid a bit of sewing job at the end of the link . If i do so,they will have the same size and the same look as the others squares and would be easy to assemble ... If i put 4 squares together, making a big square , the south african customs will not compare them with a scarf but maybe with a shawl..... !!!!! i will make no change before new instructions. My friendly regards to everybody Bernadette
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Post by Sandy on Mar 21, 2009 2:24:49 GMT
Hello happy square makers
I have just posted in another topic about this duty issue. I can see that this needs to be a top priority now as if we can safely deliver larger squares or rectangles without duty issues (or pilferage which is our other potential issue), then it would be worth considering to make the joiners job easier in South Africa.
There is no doubt that if we come near our goal of 400 000 squares that is one massive amount of stitching. There are many people volunteering and we have considered bundling the squares and teaching the older children to join them themselves (which would be no bad thing to encourage a skill, even a simple one).
But as it is early days these are challenges we are yet to encounter . We are looking forward very much to feedback from the first sewing bee and of course I will put that all n the ezine (late March/early April).
Thanks for all your lively discussion on this. Talk soon, Sandy
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Post by nynancy on Mar 24, 2009 21:25:23 GMT
Since I posted the original message I have been curious to read the replies. Since the new sizes proposed are multiples of the original 8" square they were meant to make it easier to put together. I don't see that it would be a jigsaw as they would fit in a design just taking up the place of 2 or 4 squares and thus requiring less sewing for the wonderful volunteers on the other end. Just trying to get the finished product out there a little faster. Stitching up 400,000 squares will be a daunting task compared to the knitting of them. I like the idea of sending several 8"already sewn together if we find that the larger items will be taxed or pilfered. Thanks all.......
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andrea
Junior Member
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Post by andrea on Mar 27, 2009 16:40:41 GMT
If i put 4 squares together, making a big square , the south african customs will not compare them with a scarf but maybe with a shawl..... !!!!! I too wondered about saving the ladies some work by putting together 4 - 8" squares myself. I think it's definitely a viable option to save some work on the other end. Does customs open the packages? Something to think about for the future!
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Post by Kerry on Mar 27, 2009 18:32:49 GMT
I'm sure they don't open things and as long as you mark as knitted squares and NCV (no commercial value) I don't think they are very interested!
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