Knitters can Support Doctors without Borders

Knitters/spinners/crocheters who spend any time on the internet will be (or at least, should be!) familiar with Ravelry. As they say on the website, "Ravelry is a place for knitters, crocheters, designers, spinners, weavers and dyers to keep track of their yarn, tools, project and pattern information, and look to others for ideas and inspiration."

Free and easy to use, the folks on Ravelry definitely inspire me. I find out what others have done with the yarn I have and what yarn others have used to complete projects. I can ask questions, get answers, give and get opinionsabout practically anything under the sun, but especially knitting and yarn.

But last night, as I was seeking inspiration, I discovered that some generous creators of knitted patterns have donated their patterns to be used to raise funds for Doctors without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontiers), an "international medical humanitarian organization working in more than 60 countries to assiste people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe." For instance, by October 31 (according to their website), they have treated close to 3,600 Haitians with cholera symptoms.

Back to those pattern creators: they have donated patterns to a fantastic knitting fundraiser called "pennies per hour of pleasure" or for short, p/hop. On that site, you can download knitting patterns for free. All that is asked is that you freely donate pennies for the time you get pleasure from using those patterns. I was able to wish p/hop a happy second birthday today and write on their blog--you can read it here.

My church has an annual "Quilt Sunday" on which the PPQ (the Purple Paisley Quilters) display quilts, serve brownies, and have a service based somehow on quilting. Yes, quilting--but since so many of us PPQ folks are ceaseless knitters as well, the talk I gave a couple of years ago focused on the way both quilters and knitters are workers for social justice. It doesn't take much investigation to find out that knitters use their artistic talents to provide comfort and warmth to premies, cancer survivors, soldiers, the elderly, etc.

If you are a knitter, join me--download a pattern (and there are many great ones--I especially love Susan Pandorf's shawls (thank you Susan)--and donate! p/hop is at 73 percent of their goal of $5000--let's make it 173 percent!

Cast on Lace! Cast off for San Jose!

So, it will be a summer/season of lace! Just had to buy the Wine Tasting Lace Sampler from KnitPicks--what's not to love--wine-colored lace yarn, lots of alpaca and merino! And I cast on Misty Garden from Scarf Style to carry with me on the plane to San Jose.

Sad to say, it's a working trip and not a vacation. But thanks to the wonderful people on Ravelry, I know where the best and closest LYS (local yarn store) will be to San Jose State, where I'll be meeting with folks from all over the country involved in transportation research and education. Since I'm a facilitator at a couple of sessions, I won't have my yarn and needles in my hand except on the plane.

I also discovered Ravelry on that at the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles, there's an exhibit called Beyond Knitting: Uncharted Stitches! Since I'm a quilter, too, that will be a must stop during my few free hours!

Had to spend this weekend cleaning--I'm obsessive about trying to take care of messes that should have heen taken care of weeks ago when I'm going to go on a trip. The only thing that made this weekend fun was the chance to visit a new cria (baby alpaca) only hours old, at my brother's farm Big Meadow Creek Alpacas. Alpaca mothers are very protective of their young, and Derica was no exception. As I was carrying the new baby to get weighed (a nice, healthy 17-pounds), Derica walked along beside, talking the entire time to the cria--and to me--not sure of what was going on. After the cria was weighed, I just put him down and the two of them went back up to the pasture. It's so much fun watching the new babies walk--every step or two they sort of stumble a little as they

But, I better go pack clothes to go along with my knitting for the trip!

WWKIP and snow in same week!

Did I say spring? Well, on Tuesday, June 10, I was up early enough to see it start snowing! We have had snow in Moscow every month so far in 2008! This is not normal! Usually, after the first week of May, we head into lovely weather, and by June, there is hardly a day without bright, blue skies! This is a closeup of my allium in the snow!

The snow didn't last long--the advantage of spring snow--but it did snow enough for someone to take some great pictures of the University of Idaho campus and post them on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3Y0RoMykk8

But yesterday--Saturday, World Wide Knit in Public Day, it was beautiful and sunny and lots of folks showed up at the Moscow Farmer's Market to knit in public. I had learned about it on Ravelry and suggested to our Woolgatherer's group that we participate. Cathy, a real go-getter, got permission from the Farmer's Market folks, made some signs; I posted the information on the WWKIP main website and on our Palousefibers.org. But it was still surprising to find a variety of folks show up. Some came and went; some stayed almost all four hours. Folks showed up from the Woolgatherers. from Stitch-n-Bitch groups in Moscow and Pullman, WA, a few men showed up, and we even had a grandmother from Spokane! It was great fun!