It's time to buy with heart! We have over 30 different handmade pieces listed in the 75 Squares fundraiser! Each one is $150.00, and that donation is enough to serve 75 meals to those in need.
Click the image or HERE to be directed to the shop. Here's to helping others! Kyle It's time to announce the call for submissions to the 75 Squares fundraiser! This event benefits Project Open Hand; a nonprofit whose mission is to provide "meals with love" to seniors and the critically ill. In one of their larger programs, a single, healthy, well-balanced, "square" meal costs Project Open Hand about $2.00. 75 Squares is a fundraising sale of handmade scarves, cowls, wraps, and shawls that is planned to launch Saturday, September 26, 2015. As a donating artist, the "feel good" comes from contributing a piece (and the time it took to make), and watching that item be the reward for another person who makes a contribution to Project Open Hand. Then, the knowing that as the piece is loved and worn, that the wearer carries the story of how through this fundraiser they were able to help provide nutritious "meals with love" to so many. Please consider donating a scarf, cowl, shawl, or wrap that you've made to the event. Each piece will be listed for sale online for $150.00, and all the proceeds will go to feed the clients of Project Open Hand. Each item sold in this fundraiser will feature a 75 Squares label, reminding the wearer that 75 wonderfully nutritious meals were served to those in need as a direct result of their purchase. Note your interest by filling out the sign-up form HERE, and send in your work as soon as possible. All items must be received no later than Friday, July 31, 2015. Questions? Email me HERE. I had the best time spending the day with this great group of women at Bay Area Cancer Connections in Palo Alto,CA. Each one is either supporting a friend or on her own journey facing cancer. The learn to knit workshop was a success and they are all well on their way to making a hat of their very own. It sounds like they may begin an informal knitting group at the Center! Many thanks to those who donated materials, including Erin Lane Bags, Kollage, Brittany, Skacel, and HiyaHiya! Thanks also to my friend Darin who helped out all day. Back on February 4, 2014 I was the recipient of the Daily Point of Light award! What's funny is I didn't know about it until their office contacted me to get my shipping address! Founded by President George H. W. Bush, the program recognizes people or organizations who work to make a difference in their communities. Most people who know me are aware of my desire to use the fiber arts as a tool to educate and empower others with information about various issues. The project that earned this recognition was Good Deeds, Volume One: Hats, which includes knitting (and crochet!) patterns surrounded by information about breast cancer, and the incredible resource Breast Cancer Connections. 100% of the proceeds from this collection benefits Breast Cancer Connections, and the e-book suggests making hats for a charity. This honor was unexpected, and I'm humbled by the experience. (Of course, it couldn't have happened without the help of all the contributing designers and models!) In addition to the certificate, I also received this letter on President George H.W. Bush's letterhead: On the Points of Light website under my date and award number, you'll find this summary: AWARD NUMBER: 5146 Thank you to those who nominated me, and thank you to everyone who takes time out of their day to do good for others!
-KW It feels good to see an idea come full circle. My very first published knitting pattern was designed with plans to raise money for a nonprofit focused on helping people facing breast cancer. A few years later, I was able to collaborate with other designers to create the first volume of the Good Deeds series in an effort to boost the visibility of the nonprofit benefiting from the project by offering an entire collection of patterns! Folks who work in fiber (knitters, crocheters, spinners, weavers, etc.) are amazing. We use our talents and devote our time to help those in need by not only making hats, scarves, blankets, and sweaters, but also by talking about the issues that impact our lives. Good Deeds, Volume One: Hats was launched in October, 2013. All proceeds from the purchase of this collection benefit the wonderful and worthwhile works of Breast Cancer Connections in Palo Alto, CA. At the beginning of each new year, I will post the sales and donation totals for the previous year. Now that the production costs are covered, each new purchase creates a donation of $14.25 (less the cost of any ads). A total of 40 copies of the collection were sold October - December, 2013, and after expenses, that makes for a donation in the amount of $425.03 going to Breast Cancer Connections. It's a treat to be able to make this first annual donation to this great nonprofit. They provide support for people facing cancer, and even opportunities such as talks on how to be an effective caregiver for those providing assistance to others. Recently, they expanded their mission to include support for women facing ovarian cancer as well. They offer writing workshops, mindfulness meditation, and even Tai Chi / Qi Gong to their clients, and even a boutique where clients can select hats and wigs that might help them to be more comfortable as they face the rigors of chemotherapy. Projects like this thrive on the energy that comes from folks talking about and sharing the news. Thank you to the designers who donated their talents, the models that donated their time, and to everyone who has blogged and posted about the project. Here's to more good deeds in 2014!
While so many fiber folks are posting, sharing, and commenting about their fluffy finds at Rhinebeck, I'm here in the studio working on layout and final edits for the upcoming ebook: Good Deeds, Volume One: Hats"! The project is almost ready, so I better get back to work. I just wanted to say "Happy Rhinebeck!" to everyone who is lucky enough to be there. While you're perusing the fiber, perhaps you'll pick up a couple skeins of yarn to knit a hat for charity? I knit for many reasons. I knit because it's creative, relaxing, fun, inspiring... I have discovered through my knitting that it is also a great way to start conversations. When I knit in public, people seem curious about what I'm making; they ask about the techniques, the patterns, the yarn... This is part of the reasoning behind my series of patterns that are designed to raise awareness of different issues. This pattern, CURE, features a "virus" motif, one red ribbon, and was created to encourage HIV/AIDS awareness. Beyond the knitter gaining access to the included information sheets about the virus, transmission, testing and various online resources, I hope this information is shared with others while the project is being knit, or perhaps the fact sheets are included with the hat as a gift to someone. Being able to share facts and resources is one of the greatest gifts we can offer our communities! In addition to these wonderful benefits, 100% of the net proceeds from the sale of this pattern are donated to Project Open Hand; a non-profit organization offering “meals with love” to people living with HIV/AIDS and other serious illnesses and to seniors in San Francisco and Alameda Counties since 1985. Learn more at www.openhand.org. Following this pattern, it’s easy to create a custom hat supporting HIV/AIDS awareness! Knit one for yourself, make another for a friend or charity! Share the knowledge you gain with those you love to help raise awareness about the virus and how it is transmitted, and feel good about your purchase; knowing that you're helping Project Open Hand do the wonderful work they've been doing for over 25 years! If you're interested in knitting the hat, click the "buy now" button below and complete your purchase for an instant download. Another way to show support? Click the buttons at the bottom of this post to share this post with your friends on facebook or twitter. Encourage your knitting group to each purchase a copy of the pattern and do a knit-a-long. Thank you for your support!! 100% of net proceeds from CAUSE hat pattern donated to Living Beyond Breast CancerAs an additional note, the other pattern designed to raise awareness, CAUSE, benefits Living Beyond Breast Cancer. 100% of the net proceeds from the sale of this pattern go to an amazing nonprofit in PA. Founded in 1991, Living Beyond Breast Cancer offers specialized programs and services for the newly diagnosed, young women, women with advanced breast cancer, women at high risk for developing the disease, African-American and Latina women as well as programs for caregivers and healthcare professionals to help them better meet the needs of women affected by breast cancer. Learn more at www.LBBC.org. To purchase this pattern, click the "buy now" button. Thanks for helping to spread awareness of these important issues while helping me to raise money for these worthwhile organizations. The Cause hat pattern was released in January, 2011 as the inaugural pattern in the series of projects designed by Kyle William to raise awareness of important social issues. After many hours of deliberation about the best group to benefit from the sale of this pattern, I am proud to announce a collaboration with Living Beyond Breast Cancer! Celebrating their 20th anniversary, this amazing group of individuals is dedicated to offering assistance to individuals, whether newly diagnosed, in treatment, recently completed treatment, years beyond or living with metastatic breast cancer. They also give assistance and knowledge to family members, caregivers, friends and healthcare providers by providing breast cancer information and support. I am HONORED to name Living Beyond Breast Cancer as the official charity for the Cause hat, and proud to donate 100% of the net proceeds from the sale of every pattern to this worthwhile organization. Please visit them on the web: www.lbbc.org to learn more about their efforts and what upcoming events may be of interest. If you have yet to purchase the Cause hat pattern, now is your chance! Visit the SHOP and purchase the pattern today for $4.00. Included with each pattern is a fact sheet about breast cancer which may provide life saving information, and as mentioned before, the color of the ribbons can be changed to support any cause you choose! NOTE: Crafty Andy created a crochet version of this pattern! Please visit his website HERE to view and purchase the crochet pattern. I'd love to hear from you - if you have ideas for other groups or organizations that might benefit from being included in this series of patterns, please fill out the form below: It's not the most beautiful photograph ever, but the scarves and hats that my friends sent in for Operation Gratitude are GORGEOUS! I think I counted over 30 pieces - and you all took time to write notes to the soldiers - these aren't your every day hats and scarves - some of them are intarsia, cables... beautiful fibers - it's really a treat to get to bring these to Operation Gratitude for them to be sent out to the soldiers. THANK YOU for your contributions! OTHER NEWS: Lots of things are going on - most importantly I'm working on getting rid of things, and doing my best to knock my yarn stash into a reasonable size... here are some of the bins of yarn that are random and sorted by color: piles and piles of yarn - reds, oranges, greens, blues, whites, blacks, browns, all kinds of colors - fancy crazy yarns, eyelash yarns, ribbon yarns, cashmere yarns, lace weights, DK yarns, bulky yarns, hand spun yarns, hand dyed yarns, silks, all kinds of yarns! Therefore, I will be offering yarn grab bags by color - stay tuned!
Help me reach my goal of donating 100 scarves, hats or neckwarmers to our troops through Operation Gratitude! Download the flyer below and share it with your fiber friends. Have a blog? Please repost! Twitter account? Tweet away. Facebook to your heart's delight... and THANK YOU for your contributions! If you do happen to repost or decide to donate, please post a comment letting us all know - I know there's power in numbers - and I have a feeling we'll be able to make a big impact this holiday season with our efforts.
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