Sunday, April 22, 2012

ON THE HOOK

I have a few things on the hooks at the moment and 
loving every stolen minute I can find 
crocheting up a storm.
The past week was a little quiet with the crochet as my head was full of the flu
and I felt dreadful but, am slowly feeling better and the energy levels are certainly increasing
so this is what I am working on at the moment.
 This is going to be a blankie for my youngest.  
Unfortunately he has decided he wants to live with his father and we miss him terribly, so this is the start of a blanket for him, my version of a hug 
as I can't always be there to give him one in real life now, 
 he can wrap himself up in it over winter and keep himself cozy and warm 
and know that I am thinking about him always!
My first 2 bullseye squares, 
they are a little tricky and take a bit of thinking, 
hence why not much has happened this week as my head was too foggy for thinking.
But loving, the colours and how awesome they look once finished.
And....
The beginnings of a ripple blanket,
rippling is just so therapeutic,
it is so, so portable and I love that I can ripple without thinking too much,
great for when I am stuck in traffic jams or bored at the traffic lights,
and I have even been known to ripple at the footy!
I love to ripple!!!

I'M A LOANER!

Today I did something I have been wanting to do for a very, very long time.
I became a loaner!
 
I became part of the "Crafty Bloggers" Team at Kiva and lent my first $25.00.
Awesome stuff!
I have been wanting to jump on board for such a long time, but every time I
went online I felt overwhelmed and confused.
A couple of emails backwards and forward with Cath at ChunkyChooky
 and her advise was just pick the first one in the list and that
is exactly what I did today, so, I loaned my first $25.00 and 
This is who I am helping.
 
 
 Manana is 27 years old.  She lives in a small village of Tskaltubo 
District.  She lives with her family: husband – Zaza, her five-year-old 
daughter, her four-year-old son and her father in law.  The family earns
 a living through agricultural business.  They have a plot of land, 
where greens are grown.  Zaza sells harvested greens at Kutaisi (a 
nearby town) market. The total average monthly income of the family is 
150 Laris per month.  According to Credo estimations the family belongs 
to the category 'subsistence poor'.

Manana has requested credit for the construction of greenhouses.  Her 
loan request was approved in the frame of new joint initiative between 
Kiva and Credo.  The start-up loan program envisages the provision of 
business start-up and re-startup credits with soft conditions to the 
rural poor, who do not have access to credit products, being regarded as
 “high risk borrowers” because of their low income. 

With the received credit Manana will purchase materials to construct 
greenhouses (iron pillars and polyethylene) and vegetable seeds. Zaza 
and Manana will grow greens, cucumbers and tomatoes in the greenhouses 
throughout the whole year.  They will sell the harvested products on 
Kutaisi Market.  The income of the family will significantly increase.  
They will be able to combat their poverty and in the future the family 
will have enough income to access regular credit products available on 
the country’s capital market, in case of need.
 
Next, I am going to have a chat with my boys and see if they want to 
lend $25.00 each to someone in need and have 
them watch their $25.00 turn into revolving money,
helping people all over the world!
 can't wait! 
Mx