Sock It To ME: a community public art project to raise awareness and funds.

[creekfeet]

YAY for no buttonholes, Jace! I can't make a buttonhole but I can sew on a button. And that part is done at Sock Central or by Garland Assemblers in various locales, right, and not by each and every sock donor?

Yes, DB, we will iron the socks and make a nice new fresh-scented thread. Very good thought.

And the organ donor thought: that might be something we could use in an appeal for PWCs to send us their socks. It's not a kidney, it's just a sock. Donate today. Catchy? XP

 

[creekfeet]

Blogging Your Socks Off

My main effort right now is to try to drum us up some healthy volunteers, but with no success thus far. So I tried to write a punchier appeal for help, and I put it in my blogspot blog which nearly ten people read!

Need some help on this. Get the word out in a small way. We're not ready for a big public announcement yet, but please post it in some trusted places. A friend is posting it to a good small community e-bulletin board that I trust, and I've mentioned it to Facebook friends, for example.

Here's what I blogged.

An engaging project calls for volunteers.

It effects more Americans than AIDS, breast cancer and lung cancer put together. It causes more functional impairment than diabetes, heart failure or kidney disease. It creates a level of disability comparable to Multiple Sclerosis, chemotherapy or the final stages of AIDS. It strikes men, women and children. It costs the US $26 billion annually. It has occurred in epidemic clusters and may be caused by a transmissible retrovirus. Yet it receives inadequate funding for research, treatment and education, shunted aside by government health agencies. Doctors have nothing to offer their patients but a panoply of misdiagnoses or no diagnosis at all, and inadequate testing and treatment. Jobs, homes, marriages, friendships, the possibility of parenting, community activity, all fall by the wayside for the millions suffering from ME/CFS.

One researcher and author on this disease has pointed out:

In the middle 1980s, families who had lost a relative to AIDS decided to create an AIDS memorial quilt. Everyone made a block and one day in 1987 they brought their quilt blocks to the mall in front of the U.S. capitol building in Washington. These panels covered a space larger than a football field. People stood together in huddles, weeping openly. Half a million people visited the Quilt that weekend. For AIDS patients, the quilt was a game changer. -Hillary Johnson, author of Oslers Web

Were ready for a game-changer for ME/CFS: Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. A group of people with ME/CFS has come up with an engaging project design that could be as effective as the AIDS quilt, but we cant do it on our own, sick as we are. We need healthy people who care, to make it happen. For more project details and volunteer opportunities, please contact sockit2Mecfs@gmail.com.

Facebook status appeals have included...

... knows her friends are the sort of people who are already committed to many good works, but invites any with a scrap of time to spare to help launch what's sure to become a historic health advocacy project.

and...

Call for volunteers: Artists, Crafters, Activists, Event Organizers, Spare Hands with No Particular Skill but a Will to Help Out: Please pm me if you'd like to give a little time to an advocacy project to be launched this spring. It's to promote a vital health cause.

Please feel free to copy and use any of the stuff in this post or improve upon and personalize it. I know it could use some improving upon because so far I've gotten no volunteers. And I know this project ought to rock their socks!

 

[talkingfox]

heya knitters!!!

My hubby has just finished patterns for both regular socks and thigh highs incorporating a chunk of the XMRV genome (one of the chunks that makes it unique and virulent, thanks Gerwyn!) and I can send either or both patterns off to you if you're interested

Drop me a PM and I'll make sure you get the patterns

 

[gracenote]

I would love to see some pictures of these socks! Have any been made yet?

 

[talkingfox]

I would love to see some pictures of these socks! Have any been made yet?

nope not yet...just pattern
We'll post when some get made

 

[starryeyes]

My main effort right now is to try to drum us up some healthy volunteers, but with no success thus far. So I tried to write a punchier appeal for help, and I put it in my blogspot blog which nearly ten people read!

Need some help on this. Get the word out in a small way. We're not ready for a big public announcement yet, but please post it in some trusted places. A friend is posting it to a good small community e-bulletin board that I trust, and I've mentioned it to Facebook friends, for example.

Here's what I blogged.



Facebook status appeals have included...

... knows her friends are the sort of people who are already committed to many good works, but invites any with a scrap of time to spare to help launch what's sure to become a historic health advocacy project.

and...

Call for volunteers: Artists, Crafters, Activists, Event Organizers, Spare Hands with No Particular Skill but a Will to Help Out: Please pm me if you'd like to give a little time to an advocacy project to be launched this spring. It's to promote a vital health cause.

Please feel free to copy and use any of the stuff in this post or improve upon and personalize it. I know it could use some improving upon because so far I've gotten no volunteers. And I know this project ought to rock their socks!

Oooh.. I love it! Thank you creek

 

[BEG]

Will the socks be knitted? Darn. I can't knit. What can I do from this recliner?

 

[talkingfox]

you could make your display socks out of anything your hear desires Brown-eyed Girl.

We're just all over the knitting thing at my house because we're (hubby and I) both fiber geeks.

And there is LOTS that can be done from a recliner. We need tons of organizational, logistics, contact and stuff to be manned (or womanned as the case may be )

Contact e-mail is : sockit2MEcfs@gmail.com

 

[jace]

talkingfox, excelllent work. I'd like a pattern but would it be possible to post it as a file on here? PDF or word file or whatever, downloadable? Then it would be available to all of us, so long as it was a ubiquitous application. (Ubiquitous = something that is everywhere)

Don't we have some talented people here! :victory: :victory:

Note to self. Must make good readable drawing to post.

 

[BEG]

I'd like a pattern but would it be possible to post it as a file on here? PDF or word file or whatever, downloadable? Then it would be available to all of us, so long as it was a ubiquitous application.Note to self. Must make good readable drawing to post.

Jace, I would like to see a standard pattern, too, whether it's one size, 2 sizes or more. I can sew; I have a sewing machine, a glue gun and all sorts of things to attach. I used to love walking on the beach and collecting seashells. I have many tiny shells which could be sewn on. I used to play around at tennis; bike ride; swim and on and on. We're only limited by our imaginations. I'm sure appliques can be found online somewhere. Jo Ann Fabrics has an online store for fabric and notions. Let's go and sew. C'mon, sockers, knitters, and others.

 

[MEKoan]

Will the socks be knitted? Darn. I can't knit. What can I do from this recliner?

I can't knit, either. I plan to use a nice new commercially made sock and embroider it, and sew things on it and who knows what else. Somebody else is going to cut a heart out of a running sock because of the hole not running has left in her life and the way it ripped her heart out. You don't have to knit. Think of the sock as your canvas.

I don't know if we're doing one sock or a pair of socks. If we're doing one sock (my 1st choice for a number of reasons) perhaps those of us using commercial socks can mail the other sock to another member so as not to waste them.

anyway, no need to knit!

Oh, as I type I see that Talkingfox has already answered this!

And, an email address I should use to sign up!

well now!

 

[BEG]

I can't knit, either. I plan to use a nice new commercially made sock and embroider it, and sew things on it and who knows what else. Somebody else is going to cut a heart out of a running sock because of the hole not running has left in her life and the way it ripped her heart out. You don't have to knit. Think of the sock as your canvas.

Koan, Using a store bought sock would certainly speed up the process. I read where you had a sock manufacturer nearby that you could talk to? Were you able to speak with anyone? Otherwise, Wal-mart sells bags of white socks pretty cheaply.

I believe I'll practice on an old sock.


B.E. Girl

 

[starryeyes]

Jace, I would like to see a standard pattern, too, whether it's one size, 2 sizes or more. I can sew; I have a sewing machine, a glue gun and all sorts of things to attach. I used to love walking on the beach and collecting seashells. I have many tiny shells which could be sewn on. I used to play around at tennis; bike ride; swim and on and on. We're only limited by our imaginations. I'm sure appliques can be found online somewhere. Jo Ann Fabrics has an online store for fabric and notions. Let's go and sew. C'mon, sockers, knitters, and others.

Appliques are a great idea! Thanks Browneyes.

 

[Dreambirdie]

I think I am going to find some kind of fabric (cut out in sock form) to paint on--with acrylics.

If anyone has an idea what fabric would be best for this purpose, let me know.

Also I need to know what SIZE it should be...

 

[MEKoan]

Koan, Using a store bought sock would certainly speed up the process. I read where you had a sock manufacturer nearby that you could talk to? Were you able to speak with anyone? Otherwise, Wal-mart sells bags of white socks pretty cheaply.

Hey BEG,

I haven't yet spoken to them but I will. I have sent an email to command central and think we should have something on paper to show them and an idea of how we would want them to participate before they are approached. They would have to see how it fits into their corporate agenda and what's in it for them re how McGregor Socks would be portrayed. They are an international co., they could be a big friend with more than just socks. Big would probably suit them better than small. Anyway, we want to know what we're doing before pitching them.

I'm afraid I cannot take part in anything connected to Wal-Mart as I have boycotted them for many years. That doesn't mean anything for anyone else, of course. I'm quite deliberately not looking at the corporate practices of McGregor because if I find out they have sweatshops... well, let's not go there.

Unless we make a pitch to McGregor, I'll get my socks from a local shop to support a small retailer but they will probably come from a sweatshop somewhere.

Could I be more off topic?! :worried:

don't think so! :innocent1:

 

[creekfeet]

Jace, Tfox, anyone with a textile brain, what size SHOULD they be? One size for childhood-onset, one for adult-onset, but what are those sizes, ideally? Big enough to give a large enough surface to decorate but small enough not to weigh down the whole garland too much. We should probably specify not only the ideal sizes but a maximum weight so we don't get 3-square-meter pewter socks.

We're starting to get some volunteers offering their services. So far it looks like 2 sock-decorators who will be glad to do the decorating for some people who can't, plus 3 who have yet to choose their volunteer jobs.

What we need people to do is...

VOLUNTEERS

There are a ton of things that will need to be done for the sock project ("Sock It To ME"), so you could pretty much take your pick of whatever best fits your skills, interests and time availability.

We need...

Receiver: Somebody to set up a PO Box near them for receiving socks and check it regularly.

Catalogers: Same or other people to take pictures of the socks and record the names and info of each sock-sender in a searchable database.

Garland Assembly: People to attach socks to the tape and label them with their names and identifying data.

Location Scouts: People to check out possible places to display the sock garlands (like for instance the Washington DC Mall) and find out how to get permits for display.

Accounting: We'll need someone to receive and bank donations and make payments to pay for permits, shipping, supplies and such, and send any donations beyond our costs to ME/CFS research and patient service organizations, and keep records on all that.

Publicity: We need everyone to spread the word about the project.

Sock Makers: Volunteers who will make custom-designed, personalized socks for some of the people with ME/CFS who can't make their own, as well as sock “blanks” for people who can’t make a sock but would like to decorate one themselves.

Designers: We'll need logo designs for the website and other uses like stationery and whatever, and we'll need a variety of cool designs to put on mugs, t-shirts and of course socks, to sell from the website. (Also sock lapel pins which are already designed.)

Production: We need someone to research and carry out production of those salable materials.

Shipping and receiving: We'll need someone to take payment for those salable items and ship them out.

(Some production, shipping and receiving might be farmed out to Zazzle or similar.)

And of course, let me know if you think of anything else we need that I missed. I'm sure there's something, and if it happens to be right up your alley, then that job is yours!

Pass it on!

 

[creekfeet]

Size?

I guess the size range should accommodate those who want to decorate a purchased sock. So maybe the kid size should range from baby-bootie size to about the size of a ladies' ankle sock. And the adult ones could be from about the size of a large men's sport or hiking sock, to a fairly large sized Christmas stocking.

 

[talkingfox]

sounds about right creek. I was thinking 12-18 inches for an adult sock (that's to the heel) and 4-10 for kids.

btw as per Jace's request I'd be happy to post the xmrv sock pattern as a word document...but I can't figure out how. *doh*

I could just cut and paste but it's fairly long and I don't want to clog up the forum...unless y'all are cool with that

 

[gracenote]

Can you turn it into a PDF and then post a link to that? On the Mac, you go to print and it gives you a PDF option. I don't know how it works on a PC, but someone on here does.

 

[creekfeet]

I'm adding to the list of volunteer functions we need people to fill: Volunteer Coordinator!