Send Your Amigurumi to Australia

Even if we'll never all meet in person our amigurumis and other crocheted toys can meet at Mikes and even get a group photo taken.

Meet Me At Mikes, an Australian craft store that sells items made by local crafters and vintage pieces, has put the call out for its 2008 Softies For Mirabel campaign. Softies can be crocheted, knit or sewn and all softies that they receive before June 1st will be shown off together in a Meet Me At Mikes window display.

The Mikes staff will sort the softies and beginning July 27th some of them will be auctioned off via e-bay. Proceeds from the auctions will go to The Mirabel Foundation, an organization that helps children in Australia whose lives have been affected by substance abuse. Softies that don't make it into the auction and those that arrive after the auction deadline will be saved until Christmas and given to the children that Mirabel supports.

Meet Me at Mikes store owners Pip and Cam are also hoping to create a feeling of community among those donating to the cause. They've set up a public flickr group where people can post pictures of their donated creations, comment on the various critters and share ideas. Click here, to read the guidelines for the Softies for Mirabel campaign and view the mailing address.

When I first heard about this charity event I did some digging around on the internet to find out what Meet Me At Mikes was and I have to say this sounds like a great store to visit. Part of this article from the Herald Sun has been cut off, but I think it gives readers a nice glimpse of what the store is like and the philosophies the owners' apply to their business.

You've got to appreciate that they're willing to provide mentoring for new crafters. As well, I like their idea of changing the complimentary gift wrapping each month so that one month a package may be wrapped in brown paper and tied with string and the next it may come in a vintage illustrated box.

So if you have some time and a bit of spare yarn or material why not whip up a cute little toy and send it off to Australia? When it gets there it can visit with one of my Cthulhus.

I'll post a picture as soon as I get my donation done.