Made Marion

I have come across another wonderful volunteer organization that makes and donates knitted and crocheted afghans to our wounded veterans. Rectangle 6 x 9 asks for donations of just that; acrylic rectangles of 6” x 9” in solid, variegated and neutral colors. Four times a year there is a “put together event” where the rectangles are sorted by color then sewn together to make complete afghans. They are then donated to the following hospitals.

• Washington Veterans Affairs Medical Center « Washington D.C.
• Craig Joint Theatre Hospital « Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan
• Andrews Air Force Base Overnight Facility « Maryland
• Walter Reed Army Medical Center « Washington, D.C.
• Brooke Army Medical Center « Fort Sam Houston, TX
• Eisenhower Army Medical Center « Fort Gordon, GA
• Madigan Army Medical Center « Fort Lewis, WA
• Womack Army Medical Center « Fort Bragg, NC
• Landstuhl Regional Medical Center« Germany
• Bethesda Naval Hospital « Maryland

There are volunteers from all 50 states and D.C. When checking out this site be sure to click on “photos” and see a few of the 2,800 afghans completed then donated by this great organization. There are even directions on how to make the rectangles. The most important thing is to keep the size of each block a consistent 6 X 9.

I made these rectangles in a double crochet. This is just the beginning as I plan to make many more this winter! Please consider contributing to this organization. If you don’t knit or crochet click on their “wish list” and give in one of those ways.

I finally completed the “comfortghan” that I committed to make as a member of American Angels. I had the option of sending it to either the army medical center in Texas or directly to Iraq. The postage is the same for either hospital.

The U.S. address:
US Brooke Army Medical Center
ATTN: Gift Coordinator
Amputee Dept Bldg 3600
3851 Roger Brooke Drive
Ft Sam Houston, TX 78234-6200

The Iraq address:
ATTN: ICW NCOIC
332 EMDOS/ICW
APO AE 09315-9997

I enclosed a thank you note for the recipient thanking him or her for their service and sacrifice with my first name, city and town. This is an extremely worthy cause. It is the least we can do for the honorable men and women that selflessly protect our nation.

I needed a portable project to take along with me on a recent trip to California from New York for a visit with my daughter Sarah. Since dragging my sewing machine along was out of the question I figured I would try my hand at crocheting. Janet, a long time friend, had mentioned hearing of organizations that donate crocheted and knitted afghans for wounded U.S. veterans. A Google search led me to Operation Helping Hand. There I clicked on “American Angels” and joined their group.

They have several projects to choose from. I decided I would start a “comfortghan” which I am still in the process completing. A “comfortghan” measures 33” x 52” (no fringe) and is meant for use while in a wheelchair. The project coordinator will inform me as to where to send the afghan when it is finished.

Since I am a quilter and new to crocheting, I needed help getting started. Again a Google search lead me to many excellent sites. I chose to make my “comfortghan” in the classic granny square pattern.