Homeless shelter: Not green eggs and ham… bacon and eggs

Scott Pilgrim

This morning, when I told a friend that I made bacon and eggs for breakfast they were stunned.

Friend: Veggie bacon and eggs right?

Me: Nope, it was the real deal

Friend: So when did you stop being vegan? You’ve been vegan for like… forever!!!!

Me: Oh I still am!

Friend: Uhm…. ????

Because of their expression of what the heck is she going on about, I let them in on a secret. The bacon and eggs were made for the homeless shelter where I volunteer. No, I wasn’t scarfing it down myself.

Twice monthly, my Lutheran church prepares meals for the guests. Today, we had thirty guests. This homeless shelter is located in the suburbs, and so you”ll the majority of the guests is Caucasian that’s a bit different from I’m used to when I volunteer in the city.

I really enjoy doing volunteer work in homeless shelters. I imagine some might be surprised at how many are like you or me. It is even more common in this present economy.

No show

There was another lady who was supposed to help… unfortunately, she was a no-show. That was uhm… interesting especially since it was my first time at the location. I had no idea where things were located. However an angel appeared in the form of the man that had volunteered to stay over as the overnight helper. He hung back and assisted me when he realized I didn’t have any assistance. How sweet was that?

 

He told me up front he didn’t know how much help he’d be since he wasn’t a cook, I responded that any help he could give was appreciated. He did well, and the time flew by while we prepared a breakfast for 30 guests.

Service with a smile

The meal was served, and we had quite a few that came back for seconds (and in some cases thirds). Several thanked me for the meal, and told me it was excellent. I chatted with several guests while serving the food. I really enjoy chatting with them, and it’s a great feeling to help others when you can.

 

Leftovers from last evenings meal, was already packed in lunch bags, and given to the guests. The guests can’t stay there during the day, but thankfully since they receive a packed lunch they have a meal, and they can come back for dinner. Admittedly, I was a bit concerned at how they got around. It’s not like the homeless shelters I’ve volunteered at in the city, and so if they don’t have transportation, bus routes are sporadic.

This homeless shelter is small. I’ll definitely be coming back there to cook for the guests. Being there today, gave me ideas of other ways I can assist. I’ll be brining vegetables during harvest time, so the guests can receive the fresh produce from my garden. I’m also going to prepare a few treats to accompany the meals.

Asfaw Crown Wrap 1

I’m totally loving this loc wrap! I stumbled upon this beautiful loc wrap (and lady) on the Rebel with a Cause Facebook page. Once I learn a few more crochet stitches, I’ll definitely make something like this.

Since I have long hair, I had to tie my locs back. I figured if they had hairnets, it wouldn’t be large enougn to tuck all my locs into. Last evening, I’d completed a crocheted Loc wrap. Although not as fancy as the one above, I love it! More importantly, it serves its purpose — keeping my locs under wraps. My newly crocheted design turned my already fabulous locs a bit trendy with the added accessory.

Photo Source: AshlyNTess, Rebel with a Cause

Amigurumi: First attempt; The making of cats

When it comes to art creation, my main form of creativity is fiber; cloth, yarn, natural and synthetic fibers…

Crochet Brian Crane Amigurumi (pronounced ah-mee-goo-roo-mee) has been occupying most of my weekend crochet time. This is fueled by my daughter’s love of stuffed animals, She’s requested that my first amigurumi project be a cat, and so I’ve managed to squeeze hours throughout this weekend to focus on it. I’ve decided to devote some of my crochet time into making amigurumi creatures for my daughter, and some others…

Amigurumi

The word Amigurumi is Japanese, it means “stuffed toy.” The toys are crocheted or knitted. Pretty clever, right?

Crochet Amigurumi Cat 1

Making daughters amigurumi cat

As you can see from the above picture, my daughters amigurumi cat isn’t complete. Actually, I’ll be making two. The second will be smaller than this one. I didn’t follow a pattern, I just picked up a size G crochet hook, and started doing my own thing. No surprise, since when it comes to crafts (or cooking) I rarely follow directions.

I found the head and body was easy to make, although in hindsight I should have made the body more cylindrical in appearance. When I attempted to correct that ‘flaw’ my daughter told me, No! It appears she loves the round body.  I’ll make sure I do make corrections with some of my upcoming projects. My daughter is happy with how her kitty is progressing and is clamoring for me to finish.

The legs and arms were a bit of a challenge, until I started using a stitch marker (strip of yarn in another color) to make off my starting point. I believe I’ll remake the tail, since I think it should be slimmer than the legs. I still need to complete the arms.

Perfect timing: 12 for 12 in 2012; Charity

My interest in Amigurumi comes at an excellent time. I’ve mentioned The Mother Bear Project in a few posts, the crocheted and knitted bears that are created and sent to children in underdeveloped countries. My local yarn store, Lovely Yarns, supplies a pattern, but I’ve decided to make my own. I’ve already sketched out the design for that amigurumi bear, the only thing left is to make it. I’m getting my feet wet with the amigurumi cat, once that’s completed I’ll start working on the bear. I’ll be sure to post pictures of both completed projects.

This post should have been posted yesterday, since I’m participating in the 12 for 12 in 2012 Charity Crochet project. Head on over to Kathryn’s crochet blog, to see who else is participating in this project.  This weekend, I haven’t been online as much. I’ve been spending time with my daughter, and working on the above amigurumi project.

I realize that everyone isn’t like myself, and might want instructions before they attempt to dive into Amigurumi, and so I’ve included a few links below, enjoy!

Amigurumi Resources

  1. Amigurumi tutorial
  2. Amigurumi: How to make fuzzy amigurumi

Photo Source: Crochet Spot