16 November

Thinking

I'm the only one in the office today, which is such a pleasant break. I actually deal with most of my coworkers a lot better than I used to, but the two who sit next to me are constantly on the phone (personal calls) and sometimes I can't hear myself think over the din.

Since I'm alone, I felt no shame about picking up some knitting during lunch. Weeell not really lunch, since I worked through it, but I got myself a coke zero and vegan cookie and sat down to take a break, something I hardly ever do because I'll often eat at my desk and work through lunch in order to escape a bit early.

As I sat knitting today I started thinking about the two full bags of yarn I have sitting in my bedroom. Over the past few months I've been trying to purge some of the junk that's been cluttering up my life, and while I've managed to unload the clothes, I'm still working on the yarn. I wanted to donate it locally, but people are weird about it or they want very specific things: no acrylic, acrylic only no wool, no half skeins, no bright colors, no novelty, etc etc. I sent out a few emails to some charities I spotted online but got no response. Then I began thinking about who could really use this yarn, like whose life, L-I-F-E could be impacted by the receipt of this yarn from me as a gift.

If you said "Kenya" then you've guessed right. I saw lots of women knitting in Kenya, even in remote little Kimana, so I know there are women who knew how. As I thought about that my mind started to race a bit. I have two large shopping bags full of yarn. I could send them over to my contact in Kenya and he could distribute them to women willing to knit. They could perhaps then sell their items. If this went well, I could put the call out on the internet for all types of yarn, acrylic, wool, colorful, novelty EVERYTHING. Then I could send them more. I could help start a small women's knitting co-op in Kenya. I'm so in love with the idea.

It's really in its infant stages right now, this idea. Actually I take that back, this idea hasn't even developed into a fetus yet, but it might. I've asked Mboya specifically if his mother or sister knit. He's my friend who's been having a rough go of it these past couple of years, but I think life is better now that he has a job. I was thinking how much families like his could benefit from the little bit of extra income a women's knitting cooperative could generate. I really hope he knows of someone in need, I'd like nothing more than to get this off the ground.

Gosh, sometimes I hate living so far from Africa. I mean if it were the distance that say London is from here, I'd actually be able to pop over every so often. But the whole 16 hour flight deal really cramps my style. It's a shame, I feel as though I could do so much if I could get there easily, and I could do it faster. Of course in the grand tradition of Kenya and from what I've heard most of Africa as a continent, nothing move quickly. For now I'll just hang tight and wait to hear, but if there's anyone reading this that knows of similar organizations or just has some spare yarn lying around, stay tuned, I may have some more news for you.

Also, if you want to hear my plan to save the world, stick around. I'm saving it for my YE OLDE GRANDE 300th POST CELEBRATION but it's coming.....I'm really going to save the world, no joke. And you all can help me ;)