Frankly Speaking - A Gentle Reminder Lecture

I worry.  I am envisioning the flood waters of scarves for the Red Scarf Project rising, and what is intended as a wash of goodwill might become instead a tsunami of misplaced good intentions.

Please consider knitting only one high-quality scarf, knitted to the OFA guidelines, (I know the guidelines say five, but I am sticking by my own personal recommendation for ONE, given the size of the response I am sensing) for the Red Scarf Project, rather than several, this year.  Make your mantra:  Quality over quantity.  Quality over quantity.  Quality over quantity. 

If you have not read the guidelines recently, please refresh your memory by clicking here.  They are simple, straightforward and sensible.  And remember, another excellent way to support the college-attending former foster youth the OFA supports is by donating to the Red Scarf Fund for Foster Youth.

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The OFA received far more scarves than they needed last year, and a quick gaze into my crystal ball (reinforced by the seeming flood of emails I have received expressing concerns or questions or confusion or consternation about the change in dates and the guidelines for this year's project) gives me cause to worry. 

Knitters have a lot of enthusiasm for giving people knitted gifts, but the OFA serves a limited number of college students, and no amount of cajoling or insisting that they should take your scarves because you collected them is going to change the landscape.  They are primarily a scholarship organization, and the Red Scarf Project is but a teeny-tiny branchlet of their mission.   

So please put on the brakes.  Quality over quantity.  One scarf, or two at the most.  A very nice, gift-quality one. One that you would be proud to give your own college-age son or daughter. That doesn't necessarily mean it has to be the most expensive yarn, but it means soft and tasteful and lovely.  There are economical yarns, even acrylics, that are beautiful.

Please be aware that any excess scarves received will, of necessity, be donated to some other worthy causes.  I know this will upset some knitters.  People have been telling me in emails that THIS is the project that has captured their hearts and they want their scarf to go to THIS project.  But if you stop and think about it, you will realize that if far, far too many scarves are received, the OFA can't possibly distribute them all to their clients.  There just aren't enough clients, and it's a huge drain of resources to try to find alternate recipients for the surplus. 

I don't want to offend anyone, but I don't know how to say this except to just come out and say it:  The recipients of these scarves are young college students who are just as fashion-conscious and quality-conscious as your own sons and daughters.  If you are running a community service organization or a Girl Scout or Brownie Troop or some other youth organization, this is probably not the best project for your group.  Though some youngsters certainly can and do produce some wonderful things, most are probably not capable of producing the kind of quality that is necessary here.   

I'll shut up now.  Lecture over.  I hope I haven't offended anyone or trod on too many toes.

And now, so this post is not a complete downer:

PJB has completed a lovely red Irish Hiking Scarf.  Go visit her blog and tell her how pretty it is!

And here is a lovely scarf being sent to the Project, along with a Barnes & Noble gift card, from Hilary of Rochester, NY.  Thank you, Hilary!   

 

AND I've done a couple more drawings from the Red Scarf Fund donations bank.

• Kelly has won the Persia yarn donated by Elizabeth McN.

• Auntie Ann has won Dream In Color yarn from Ronni S.

• Jennifer Jarvis (not my Cousin Nipper, I don't think, but a different Jennifer Jarvis) has won Misty Mountain Farm Yarn from Ronni S.

• Melanie has won the Apple Laine yarn also from Ronni S.

• and btrulyirish Carol has won Socks That Rock Silkie from Susan
  

Comments

[Sarah]

You stated that very well.

[sandy]

I love a good lecture.
:)

[Jennifer]

Thanks for that wonderful reminder. I do lots of charity knitting myself and I try to think "Would I wear this myself?" when I select yarns and patterns. I think it's a nice reminder that exquisitely handmade things are always appreciated - and especially since the recipient is only going to receive one scarf, that one scarf should be very special indeed.

[Carol]

Nicely put! And wow! Am I ever scouring sock patterns! Thank you Norma and thank you Susan!

[claudia]

I suggest wider distribution for this post.

[Kathy]

Yes, ma'am. :-) In fact, I like my scarf so much that I'd like to keep it. I'm almost at the magic 60".

[Ruth from Virginia]

Okay, you have convinced me. The one I have finished goes in the mail. The one I am working on goes on the back burner, perhaps for next year!

[ellie]

That makes me feel so much better, cause my scarf is going to take me all month to make, but the pattern is so pretty....

[martha in mobile]

I think the Henry scarf over at Knitty is the PERFECT example of a tasteful scarf that would be worn with pride by even the most fastidious scarf-wearer.

http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEfall07/PATThenry.html

[jenn]

There are too damn many Jenn Jarvis' out there. What's that about, Cousin? When I was in college, I would constantly get some other Jenn Jarvis' transcripts. (She had better grades than I did as well.) If you google "Jenn Jarvis" you don't get me, but some random communications-major girl. It's weird!!

[KelInCal]

Well said - some of us need to be reminded of these things! (-->ME)

AND

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm going to have to donate again, because my track record here is too good! Thanks!

[Carrie]

Ah, Norma, I don't think you have to worry about stepping on toes. There are people who will get offended at anything, but most of us understand that there are limits to an organization's time, money and space. Perhaps one of those community service organizations who wants desperately to donate scarves to orphans might consider contacting the OFA to help them deal with and distribute any overflow they do receive - I bet a local brownie troop would be excellent in that capacity. They'd still get their community service badges just as well by delivering overflow items to homeless shelters and women's shelters...

[Lucia]

I have only one, and it's about half done, and it's very simple but (I think) tasteful and lovely. I might do just one more -- since if I'd been planning on only one I would have done cables :).

I'm very happy not to do 5, though! My gift-knitting queue seems to get longer every day (well, the holidays are coming).

[Marguerite]

Thank you for being so honest and blunt.

Now I can send in my one soft, nice scarf without feeling quilty that it's only one.

[Erika]

An excellent, excellent point - and exactly the reason why I'm donating $ to the campaigns this year, and not knitting. I appreciate your bluntness so much, I just submitted another OFA donation!

[Cookie]

Well said, The Norma. You are far kinder than I would have been, but we all know I'm a raging bitch. :p

I think Claudia is right, btw.

[AnnP]

We need more Norma's in this (knitting) world.

[minnie]

i remember hearing about the mess of last year. and i only sent one scarf last year. I should go reiterate this on the charity board i work with, because i could swear someone said they had six scarves. oy!

and mine is done. just looking for a box to mail it in, and need to get a gift card to send with it.

[Tish]

I promise, I only knit one this year (and will use the $ I would have spent on more OFA yarn to add a Starbucks or Target card to the Borders card and treats I already got)!! I wonder, instead of donating them to someone else, could OFA auction off (via ebay or on the red scfar site) the extra scarves and put the money in the scholarship fund? Then there are no hurt feelings since the "scarf" is still for OFA. This would also allow the OFA folks to select the scarves that best fit the program (so no macho guy ends up with a somewhat less than unisex scarf).

[gale (she shoots sheep shots)]

Rock on Norma! So well put. I love Tish's idea, above, to use the $$ you would have put into a second scarf and include a gift card with your one quality scarf. These kids will totally appreciate it. Are you going to the care package event next week?

[kmkat]

Excellent reminders, Norma. Maybe one of my scarves, the one that isn't quite as nice as the other two, should go somewhere else. (Ooo, that means I'd get to keep the chocolate and Starbucks card that would have gone with it:)

[Wanda]

Very well said, Norma. Instead of knitting a scarf this year, I will just donate to the fund. It sounds like there may be an overflow. I don't really care where my scarf goes to. If it goes to help someone in need, I don't see how it really matters, that should be the most important thing to me.

[Kristen]

Diplomacy is very good. Keep going, Ms. Ambassador!

[Barbara]

Well said and I am sure everyone appreciated the reminder. I sent two scarves with two gift cards to starbucks. I am sending additional scarves to Scarves from the Heart, an organization that donates scarves to cancer patients. If interested and you have extra scarves check out www.scravesfromtheheart.com

[Carole]

So would it be better to NOT knit a scarf and send more money instead?

[Doug Sprei (from the Orphan Foundation)]

Hi all,
We much appreciate Norma's comments and your kind responses. She and I discussed the fact that Interweave Press had sent a newsletter including info on the Red Scarf Project out to many thousands of their subscribers, which could lead to an overflow if the response is very strong. But my inclination is to leave breathing room for anyone who really wants to send in more than one scarf up to five of them. Having learned lessons from the last initiative, we have a well-oiled volunteer force in place now. It's being run by a wonderful lady, Cyndie Lipari, and boy is she the "organized" type! The chief problem last time was that we took delivery of many packages with 10, 20, and even a lot more; it added up to quite a load. One young girl even sent in something like 240 scarves made by her friends and relatives -- was it a service project for the Girl Scouts, or am I having a senior moment? Anyhow, don't fret; it's a safe bet we'll be fine this year given the earlier, shorter timeframe, as well as the quantity limit. OFA thanks you again and again for your creations, as well as your donations to the Red Scarf Fund. Best wishes, Doug

[melanie]

I, for one, would be happy to send one special scarf, donate to the fund, see a raffle to benefit, the scholarship fund, or anything that would increase the good karma this project builds!

Over at Ravelry, the discussion has included a link to Scarves from the heart - another organization that needs scarves - and soon! Perhaps some of our scarves could be send there?

[the other jenn]

I'm the other jenn jarvis - the random communications girl. i googled my name on a whim and discovered you...
i agree - it's too common a name. i thought about changing it - but as a reporter it works too well as a tv name.

sorry if people are looking for you and they find me!