Friday, June 30, 2006

In Time of Crisis--Knit

We're cleaning up from the biggest flood we have had in years. I mean "we" as in the royal sense, as my immediate area suffered no damage. Helicopters keep flying overhead, but now they are ferrying government-types over the area to survey the damage. Just a few days before they were rescuing people from their homes--and their rooftops.

The morning of the flood, I was glued to CNN, listening to what was happening in my area. I have been knitting pink scarves for the American Cancer Society, but I wanted something more challenging to keep my hands occupied. So, I started the Cocoon Jacket from Trish Designs. There were a couple of things about the pattern that I just could not understand. Nevertheless, I plunged ahead, and when I got to the parts that made me nervous, they suddenly seemed clear. The project is going to take quite a while since I'm kind of a slow knitter, but it's fun.

This project has also taught me two things. First, I have to inventory my yarn supply. I'm tired of buying yarn I already have. Though, you can't have too much yarn--it's just not possible.

Second, I need to break out of the box in my yarn selection. Yes, I have all kinds of yarn (though most seem to be from Lion Brand), but I seem to always pick out the Homespun. This means, of course, that I have to go buy yarn each time I do a project. My next project is going to be something other than Homespun. Oops. I've already bought yarn for my next project--a hooded sweatshirt designed in Homespun. I'll find a non-Homespun project--I promise.

Sunday, June 11, 2006

Think Pink--and Do Some Good

In my last post, I told you all how you could make a difference in the lives of those affected by the tsunami and hurricanes Katrina and Rita. I have found another way we as knitters can make a difference.

There is a woman collecting knitted and crocheted scarves, which will be donated to the American Cancer Society. Any pattern or type of yarn will do. The only requirement is that they be pink. You can learn more about this project at http://pinkchallenge.blogspot.com.

I'm off to knit my first one now.

Saturday, June 10, 2006

Another Way to Give

Well now, this might hold a record for length of time between posts. I'd like to say that I was just so busy knitting between the last posting and this one, but that wouldn't be quite true. Life intervened, and I wasn't even able to knit as much as I would have liked. But, after a couple of stress-related health issues, I have decided to knit at least a little bit every day--and to post more often.

Knitters and other needleworkers are well known for using their skills for the betterment of others. There are many, many charity knitting groups including Afghans for Afghans, organizations knitting burial clothing for babies or helmet liners for soldiers, and even those of us who knit blankies for animals in shelters. Knitters and needleworkers have big hearts and busy hands.

I'd like to call attention to another way to benefit people in need. I am fortunate to work for a publisher who also believes in doing good works. Through Village Earth Press, we are publishing books that will raise much-needed funds for organizations. Our first book, The Gift of Hope in the Wake of the 2004 Tsunami and 2005 Hurricanes will be available in July 2006. The publisher and our director of photography traveled to Thailand last year to document the recovery efforts in the aftermath of the devastating tsunami that hit the area the previous December. Later last year, they visited Louisiana, witnessing recovery efforts from hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The Gift of Hope is the result of those travels. Eloquent prose and evocative photographs gives testimony to the resilience of the human spirit. The Gift of Hope in the Wake of the 2004 Tsunami and 2005 Hurricanes can be preordered at Village Earth's web site: http://www.villageearthpress.com. One-third of the purchase price will be donated to Habitat for Humanity and Give2Asia, organizations working with residents to reclaim their lives.