CIC package and sweater blitzing

I finally finished the wool handwarmers this week and got the package off the CIC. I really liked making the handwarmers(fingerless mittens). They were quick and easy. I can hardly believe how many our little group made in just 2 months.....227 was the last total that I saw and there were some mailed after that , I'm sure. CIC-Knit is a great group of knitters that is dedicated to helping to cloth the orphans of Russia. The need is just so great that we will never fill it, but it feels like such a triumph at the end of every challenge to see what one little group of knitters can do when they put their hearts into it. I am really proud to be a part of the effort. These wristwarmers were a special effort to reward the caregivers at the orphanages. They have so very little themselves and work very hard at caring for the children with so little in the way of resources. They deserve a little something that says they are valued and that what they do is important. Of course, many pairs of hand knit socks and many little vest were also knit for the children, too. Our next challenge for the months of Apr. and May involves making as many vests and sweaters as possible for the children. I have a bulky sweater started. I am using Lopi and I have scads of grey that were donated by nice LYS employee. I also have a few skeins of Lopi in colors that are left over from a project of my own that I use for yokes, stripes, cuffs and such to brighten up the grey.
This isn't a very good pic, but it shows the vest, handwarmers and socks that I sent. I wish the light had been better, but one has to go with a dreary day when one is faced with a dreary week. lol the top handwarmer is a lovely deep purple with flecks of red, yello and blue. It is a discontinued Cascade 220 that I picked up in the clearance bin. The 2 deep red ones on either side of the vest were made with another Cascade 220 from the c-bin. The other pair is a putty/khaki colored Paton Classic Merino that looks a lot nicer than it sounds. The socks are some socks that I actually made for Moi. I don't like to handwash my socks, so I should have left that beautiful Monet colored Skacel Trampoline in the store. I love the socks and I actually did wear them twice. But, I can see that I am not going to want any hand washed socks, at all. Give me the 'throw them in the washer/toss them in the dryer' type socks. I'm just not a handwashing type of gal. LOL So, some sweet teenage orphan in Russia is going to have happy feet!And my conscience is clear as regards those socks. They will no longer hang around in the bathroom glaring at me, either.
I am currently working on a blitz with Linda over on the Knititng for Children yahoo group. I started a variation on the 5 hour baby sweater last night. I have the yoke and sleeves done and have picked up the body and knit one row so far on that. I hope to finish the sweater tomorrow while I do laundry. I love these little top down sweaters they are so fast and look great when they are done. Great for charity knitting.