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Some Not-Crappy News

Posted on by Anna

January 2023 Update: Thank you for helping us raise $500 for Chicago Food banks in 2022 and $264 in 2023!

January 2022 Update: The bluebirds raised $400 in the second half of 2021! $200 went to the Irving Park Food Pantry (which I just learned had to close temporarily this week due to a fireworks-related fire), and $200 to the Greater Chicago Food Depository. Thank you, knitters! The bluebird donations and updates will continue on an annual basis from here out. (Stay tuned for other short-term fundraisers that pop up in the meantime!)

6/4/21 Update: $55 given to Care for Real for April and May sales. Thanks, everybody!

4/2/21 Update: $100 raised through Bluebirds of Crappiness last month! I just sent the funds to The Love Fridge.

3/1/21 Update: Thanks to your Luvbots and Bluebirds of Crappiness pattern purchases, we raised $306 for the Greater Chicago Food Depository in February. Luv it!

1/3/21 Update: Good news: Thanks to your Generosi-trees and Bluebirds of Crappiness pattern purchases, we raised $1,360 for Chicago food support in December!

12/1/20 Update: In October we raised $840 thanks to your purchases of the Boo the Bat pattern, and November’s total was $309, which helped supplement some Tiny Thanksgivings. Thank you! Stay tuned for December’s fundraising pattern!

9/2/20 Update: August’s funds ($150) are going to Co-Prosperity Sphere’s Bridgeport Community Kitchen. Thank you!

7/31/20 Update: $1,660 raised for Chicago food pantries to date!
The portion you helped raise in July (just over $200) went to MASK (Mothers Against Senseless Killing) for their August baby supplies pantry drive. Thank you!

šŸ¦ First, thanks to your Bluebirds of Crappiness pattern purchases, we raised another $430 for Chicago food pantries in June. That makes a total of $1,455 raised in two months! Iā€™m dividing this monthā€™s proceeds between Care for Real and I Grow Chicago. ā£ā£
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šŸ¦ And second, now people who donā€™t knit can purchase a Bluebird of Crappiness made by me! Each bluebird will have its own unique colors and hairdo. Half of the proceeds from sales of these knitted bluebirds will go to Chicago pantries.
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Thank you for helping us support our Chicago community!

What the World Needs Now*

Posted on by Anna

This year, for World Wide Knit in Public Day, I’m revisiting an old classic.ā¤ļø One of the very first knitted things that I designed (way back in 2007!) was a simple heart. I’ve justĀ updated the pattern with newĀ circular knitting instructions to accompany the original flat instructions. This new version of quick little Hearts is now available as a free download!Ā 

These little hearts really are quick to make (especiallyĀ theĀ circularĀ version)ā€”I made this garland in under 3 hours! (I can’t compete with my kids’Ā paintings for eye-catching-ness, but still I’m happy to contribute to our colorful street window.)

Credit goes to Stacey at Knit Picks for prompting me to revisit this pattern!Ā And thanks to Marilyn for tech editing, and Amanda, Dorien, Deb, Lalie, Linda, and Bonney for testing the new version!

Happy World Wide Knit in Public Day! Please wear a mask, give yourself space, and be safe. ā¤ļø
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* People working toward a more equitable, less police-centric, anti-racist, anti-transphobic society. And a vaccine, would be very nice! Also: love.

You’ve raised $1025 with Bluebirds of Crappiness

Posted on by Anna

These Bluebirds of Crappiness are showing extra plumage because, thanks to your pattern purchases, we raised $1025 in May for Chicago food pantries!

I made an initial donation of $825 to the Greater Chicago Food Depository after the first week of sales, then followed up with $200 more at the end of the month. The ongoing anti-racism protests have motivated me to match that second chunk with a donation to My Block, My Hood, My City‘s Business Relief Fund, which is helping Black-owned businesses that have suffered damage in the recent looting in our city (largely done by out-of-state people unrelated to peaceful protests).ā£
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All proceeds from pattern sales of Bluebirds of Crappiness are still going to Chicago-area food pantries. You can find the pattern in the Mochimochi Shop or on Ravelry.
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Iā€™m also thinking about selling some hand-knitted bluebirds for those who donā€™t knitā€¦ Iā€™ll post about it here if I decide to do that. For now, I still have a big list of people in my life to knit them for as the crappiness continues!

A Ducky Giveaway for Fowl Times

Posted on by Anna

UPDATE: We got 145 ducky comments over on Instagram, yay! Winners have been posted and notified. Thanks to all who entered!

Hi everybody! I hope you’re hanging in there and finding some fun in the extended weirdness. Here’s a little fun especially for those of you who don’t knit: A Duck-a-Luck giveaway!

These ducks have been frozen in ice and thawed out three times over, and they’re still fresh as the day they were knit. (Why did I freeze them? To make them last longer during quarantine, of course!)

Now that they’re happy and dry, these ducks are ready to spread their wings. If you live in the US, you can enter to win one by leaving a comment on THIS INSTAGRAM POST with something duck-ish. (Also, please follow @mochimochiworld on Instagram!)


Plus, each of the winners will get to send out a funky little bluebird to a friend šŸ’™

I’ll pick winners next week (April 20th).

And you can find the Duck-a-Luck pattern at three price levels in my shop, or find it on Ravelry!