The Schuyler Blanket Project

Dear Blanketeers,

After a lot of soul searching, I have decided that it’s time to let the Schuyler Blanket Project go. It’s very clear that this project has run its course. I am so grateful to everyone who participated in this effort from the very beginning and to those of you who joined us along the way. This project was such an important part of my healing process and I know we touched many lives on our journey.

If you are currently working on a blanket in the queue and would like to finish it up, please don’t hesitate to ask a moderator for the mailing address. If you have contributed squares, not to worry. I will be looking into other groups that could put them to good use. Your hard work will not go in vain.

Thank you again from the bottom of my heart. I wish I had the words to express what this project has meant to be. Thank you is the best I can do.

Peace and love,
Tammany

Today is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. More information can be found here. One in four women will lose a pregnancy. Chances are, you know someone who has whether you are aware of it or not. Please light a candle in remembrance of all those lost babies and their parents at 7PM tonight, wherever in the world you. Let them know you remember. 

Hi, there!

I’m so thrilled to report that things are moving along very nicely now that we have some new procedures in place! We are getting caught up with blankets that have been waiting a long time and moving forward with newer requests. It’s so exciting!

I wanted to take this opportunity to remind you of a few things, especially for those of you who are contributing squares. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask in the comments.

Thanks!

1. Please weave in the ends on your squares. If you choose not to do this, please leave a 6″ tail *at both ends* of your squares so that the sponsor can weave them in him/herself. Tails that are too short are very difficult to weave in and can leave a blanket looking sloppy.

2. Please work to an appropriate gauge with your yarn. Squares with a loose gauge don’t hold up very well in a blanket and we’d hate for your work to get all stretched out and wonky looking. (That’s a technical term.) A slightly tighter than called for gauge works better within the structure of a blanket.

3. We will not be publishing shipping addresses on this blog. Our moderators use their personal addresses. If you need a shipping address, please email a moderator and she will respond with the appropriate shipping address. You can find our email addresses on the “Contact Us” page. The link is at the top of this page.

Hello!

I’m so pleased to say that after a lot of work and discussion behind the scenes, we have decided to move forward with the Schuyler Blanket Project! We are continuing to get details in place, but we are taking requests and finishing up current blankets.

One of the most common comments was regarding how contributors are informed of our needs. There were several requests for emails each time a new request comes in. Unfortunately, this is not a practical option for us at the moment. I would encourage you to join Ravelry and keep up with us there.  The posts I write on this site are also linked to the group on Facebook, so please feel free to join us there as well.

At this point, we are not taking pledges for individual blankets. Instead, we are going to continue as we had been most recently. We have several collection points in the US and on in Canada. We are accepting squares on an ongoing basis. Please email me or one of the other moderators for the collection point closest to you. We are looking for a volunteer to collect squares in Europe.

A list of blankets that are in the queue will be posted shortly. If you would like your contribution to go to a specific blanket, please send a note along with your donation and we will do our best to fulfill your request. Squares should still be 8×8″, soft, and washable. Please weave in your ends or leave a tail of at least 6″.

Thank you!

Hi, everyone.
I’ve been getting more requests for blankets lately. Before I respond to the requests, I want to have a serious think about the future of this project.

It has seemed that the Schuyler Blanket Project has been dying a slow death over the last couple of years. I think a lot of the blame is my own. I’ve been dealing with a lot over the last year or two and I’ve really dropped the ball here. I haven’t made a lot of noise over it, but my husband and I are divorcing. It’s been a long time coming and I think I’ve let other priorities slide as I’ve dealt with that. I’ve been very irresponsible about sending out packages, contacting sponsors, and keeping the blog and Facebook pages active. This is not the vision I had for this project and I apologize from the bottom of my heart.

When the original founders of this group and I first started off, we wanted to reach as many families as we could from as many places in the world as we could. We had hoped to have a very large number of people contributing to each blanket so that the parents would see how many people care about their loss. Losing a child is very isolating. Even almost four years later, there are days when I feel completely alone. I have been so fortunate to have a large support system to lean on when these days arrive. Not everyone is so lucky. Our blankets were meant to represent a big, warm hug from lots of people to show grieving parents that, while many people don’t understand their loss, their child will not be forgotten.

Our goal was never speed. The loss of a child lasts a lifetime. I lost my dad almost 20 years ago. I still miss him and I still think about him. However, I will honestly admit that it is not nearly so painful as having lost my daughter. I hope when she has been gone for 20 years, someone will still call me on her birthday and ask how I’m doing. Sometimes, those calls that comes weeks, months, and years later make a huge difference. This is why I was never concerned with churning out blankets quickly. I was always more focused on blanket being as personalized as possible. One of our members has made over a hundred squares for us! While her work is so very much appreciated, if all of the blankets were to be made exclusively with her squares, it would be clear that only one person was truly contributing.This goes against the vision for the group and is another reason why I am considering the end of the project. It just doesn’t feel as meaningful to me.
I do not want to see this project end. It has been such an important part of my own therapy and I have heard from several of the recipients of blankets. I know they greatly appreciate all of the hard work and love that went into them. Since you are all vital to the life of this project, I’d like your input. What happens now? We have several blankets still in the queue. I have a few requests that I have not responded to yet. I need to know what to tell them, but I cannot do it alone. Please take a moment to respond with any comments or suggestions you might have regarding the future of this project. Thank you.

Thanks to the lovely person who stole my debit card information and cleaned out my checking account, the bill for the PO Box in Indianapolis was not paid on time. If you have sent squares in the last few weeks, they will most likely be returned to you. I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. Fortunately, the issues with my bank are nearly resolved. I will hopefully have the box back open by the end of this week. I will make an announcement as soon as everything is up and running again.

In the meantime, if you have squares you would like to mail, feel free to send them to:

The Schuyler Blanket Project
P.O. Box 176611
Lakeside Park, KY 41017

Thanks so much for your patience and understanding!

As usual, life got in the way of getting the new format started. However, we’re ready now! You may send your squares to:

The Schuyler Blanket Project

PO Box 68846

Indianapolis, IN 46268

There will be another address coming soon, so stay tuned.

Thanks!

Hello, “blanketeers!”

As promised, Heather and I met yesterday to discuss the future of the Schuyler Blanket Project. We both agreed that this is an important cause and that it is worth fighting for. However, since we’re down to just two of us running the thing, we felt it would be in the best interests of everyone involved to make some changes. Hopefully these changes will eliminate a lot of confusion and miscommunication.

The biggest change that we decided to implement involves the collection of squares. Up to this point, we had been taking individual pledges for each blanket. The sponsor and supervisor were responsible for keeping track of all the squares that came in for a particular blanket and informing the contributor when the square arrived. This resulted in a lot of emails, Ravelry messages, and confusion.

We have decided to do away with pledges. Beginning on August 1, we will have two “distribution centers” that will collect squares on an on going basis. You, as a contributor, may send as many squares as often as you like to either distribution center. The guidelines for squares will still stand. Each square should still be 8×8″, soft, and washable. However, you no longer have to worry about whether you have the right color for a particular blanket. The people behind the distribution centers will be in charge of sorting the squares and seeing that they get to an appropriate blanket. The PO Boxes for the distribution centers will be posted to this blog and to the group on Ravelry so that you do not have to wait on an email for an address.

We will continue to post the stories of the families for whom we are making the blankets. If a particular story touches you, you are welcome to include a note with your squares indicating that you would like them to go to a certain family. Keep in mind, though, that if your squares arrive after the deadline, they will be put into the stash to be sent to another blanket. Deadlines will be published on the blog and on the Ravelry group.

Our webmaster is continuing to work on the website. In the meantime, please continue to check here for updates. If you know of a family who could use some comfort, an email address will be provided shortly to take requests. PO Boxes will be posted by August 1. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments on this post.

Thank you for all you do!

I am very sad to announce that both Jenifer and Tracey have recently resigned as moderators of the Schuyler Blanket Project. Both of these remarkable ladies have been with the project since it’s beginning in 2009. They have been as hard working and reliable as one could hope for. Their absence will definitely be felt! Thank you so much, ladies, for your dedication!

Heather and I will need to make some changes coming up since we are all that is left of our team of moderators. Please be patient as we work through the kinks. At this time, we feel it’s necessary to stop taking requests for new blankets, but we hope to back on track very soon! Thank you!

Madison’s mother contacted us recently to request a blanket in memory of her little girl. Madison and her twin brother, Michael, were born on July 22, 2011 at 24 weeks gestation. Madison passed away on July 25. Michael spent many months in the NICU. He went home in January and is doing well.

Please help us support Madison and Michael’s mom during this difficult time. We are collecting 36 8×8″ squares in soft washable fibers. Feel free to use any colors that you like. Squares are due to the sponsor by March 31, 2012. Send an email to Heather to make your pledge. Thank you.