 WHAT AN EXPERIENCE! I have so many things to say... but all of them translate to THANK YOU - to my supporters, both online and off, family, friends, co-workers... each and every one of you who listened, supported and contributed to the joy I am feeling as a result of completing the 25th Los Angeles Marathon! On Sunday my alarm went off at 3AM (not a mistake!) - I got in my clothes, including some PJ bottoms that kept me warm while waiting for the race to start... I had a garbage bag with a hole cut in the top for my head to keep my upper body warm - it's not a gorgeous look but it works... met up with my running pals and we waited for time to start. At the starting line, along with over 25,000 other people, I pulled my PJ bottoms off (exposing my running shorts!) and tossed them on the fence by the side of the course, they were collected along with hundreds of other pieces of clothing and donated to charity - Running is not impossible or painful. Training for this day was easy with the National AIDS Marathon Training Program. It took just over 5-1/2 months... weekly runs, maintenance runs... it's all attainable. Raising money for AIDS Project Los Angeles was an honor, and with your help I currently have raised $4,494.54!!! - I am STILL working towards my goal - I promised $5,000.00 and I intend to reach it. If you haven't donated or want to give more, visit HERE - as of right now, I am 10th highest fundraiser out of 250 runners who participated in the LA marathon training program this season! The day of the race, my training pace group got together, set a plan for one or two of us to keep time and pace, and off we went - slowly working our way through the amazing new "stadium to the sea" course... In the beginning it was easy - running around Dodgers Stadium... mile 1... mile 2... mile 3... it felt like any other training run except for the energy being shared by spectators... and the bands and events on the sidelines keeping us entertained... I think I started getting tired around mile 11 - it was time for a salt packet (you know; the kind you get at fast food places) - eating this packet restores sodium levels... and it is necessary.... Mile 22 was the breaking point... the "wall" as it is called... but the coaches from my program kept showing up (out of nowhere it seemed) and jogged along with us - asking what we needed.. gave some inspirational thoughts... like less than 1% of all people on the planet ever run a marathon... or that a marathon is around 52, 400 steps... 26.2 miles... or that the good we did raising money has made such a difference in the lives of those who REALLY needed it... that we should complete the marathon with pride because we are heros... The last mile was a joyous thing - running along the Pacific Ocean towards the finish line, hearing all the hundreds of people lining the street cheering us on, calling out "You can do it!" - holding up signs "Don't Give Up" or "Never Quit" - it brought tears to my eyes - and for those last few hundred steps, I ran in, remembering those who couldn't run the marathon... thinking of all my friends who supported me and helped me believe I could do it... and being thankful that I have completed this goal - I RAN A MARATHON! - How long did it take? 6 hours, 40 minutes and 5 seconds... a LONG time. I never said I was fast... I did finish. My legs were in pain the next day - I literally couldn't walk the next day - the second day I was in pain but could at least get to work... today, I'm back to almost normal (still hurt but smiling) - So... thank you for your support - for helping me raise a LOT of money for those in need... for helping me to prove to myself that I can do anything I set my mind to... and for believing in me... The other good things that happened as a result of my decision to do this: TWO friends decided to change their eating habits... they each have lost near (if not over) 50 pounds... both working towards healthier lifestyles... another friend actually JOINED me on the marathon training quest - she took the steps to realize her own personal goal of running a marathon... so not only have we raised lots of money, we have directly impacted the lives of 3 specific people... (and me... that makes 4!) - Now that the marathon is behind me, I'll be focusing on lots of other things... ceramics, weaving and of course KNITTING.... more about these things later - for now, I hope you'll indulge me and allow this post to just be one big THANK YOU for everything you have done and the support you shared. I could not have done it without you!!! Kyle.  After finishing the 25th Los Angeles Marathon - a sense of pride... exhaustion and accomplishment...
Congratulations, John Niegowski of Flint, MI - YOU are the winner of the polished Aluminum yarn bowl! Yes, it's true - thanks to your generosity and a little bit of luck (and the help of random.org to select the number) YOU, my friend, are the winner of the highly sought after polished aluminum yarn bowl!!!
I appreciate everyone's donations more than I can say - in total I received 21 donations totaling $174.92 as a result of this contest!!! - that money goes right to AIDS Project Los Angeles and they'll use it to provide essential care and services to those affected by HIV/AIDS! Tomorrow, I'll be running 7 miles (a recovery run from last week's 14) and I can't wait to tell my fellow runners how generous all my friends in the knitting community were with this contest! THANK YOU to everyone who participated and took time out of their holiday schedule to play along. I plan to hold future contests to continue raising money for APLA and in hopes of reaching my fundraising goal of $5,000.00! Happy Holidays, everyone! What have I been up to? Lots. Seriously. School 3 nights a week, working full time, preparing for the training for the LA Marathon... playing with all my animals, and oh yeah... knitting... ceramics... and even some painting. Here's a quick overview of some of the things I have been doing: Organized knitting I have been haunted by unfinished projects. Bits and pieces of sweaters sitting in part of my studio, and other pieces half completed were stuffed in my closet. There were unknown “WIP’s” in bags with other knitting, and some projects that were so lost that I forgot they even existed! After a few hours of organizing last Sunday, I was able to eliminate most of the mixed up projects and get them organized so that I know what is what – and where most of the pieces are. I took a deep breath and frogged a big part of a sweater that I started a few years ago (because I am unsure if I have enough of the yarn to complete it!) and ripped out a scarf that was coming out too wide – re-rolled the yarn and put it back in the stash. I feel good about these changes and it helped to take inventory of what projects were in progress. I’m a big fan of the plastic buckets holding my WIP’s – I wish I had bought all of them at the same time so that they weren’t so different in style, but they do the job… one plastic bin = one project… pattern, yarn, notions – it’s a good way to stay organized and to place projects in and out of hibernation. I have been busy knitting, but this will be a long post, so I'm giving the Reader's Digest Condensed Version - more about most of the other knitting I have been doing soon... (with any luck some of those pieces might even be finished objects by then!) but it woldn't be the kylewilliam.com blog without a little knitting, right?  Seahorse Cardigan After a year of experimenting and being frustrated, I finally was able to get close to gauge on the famed “Seahorse Cardigan”~ I was hoping for 6 stitches / inch and got 5.5 stitches / inch – it seems to be working so far, since one size was *almost* too small, the change in gauge should make it fit perfectly! The intarsia is a bit frustrating at times with so many repetitive color changes in one row… but I was able to get through the first part of the sleeve and now it’s smoothe sailing to the sleeve cap in one glorious (boring) color and stockinette all the way! - I am anxious to see how this one turns out; loving it more and more with each stitch!  Painted kitchen The kitchen needed a bit of a makeover. The biggest issue we had was the chairs around the breakfast table… to put it mildly, they were falling apart. The chairs were also digging into the wall, so something really needed to change. Since the walls were damaged, and since the kitchen hadn’t been painted for 8 years, we selected a new color and dove headfirst into a kitchen mini-renovation this past weekend! We patched and painted the walls, edited some of the accessories from the walls and counters, and replaced the old table with a new taller table and stools from Ikea – Stainless steel with a dark black/brown wood top which will soon be covered with glass. We are pleased with the results.  Ceramics Working diligently on ceramics, I am continuing my experiments with combining clay with the fiber arts, expanding these projects to the include crochet. I plan to have a few pieces up for sale in my etsy shop soon, and I am also working on pieces for a couple upcoming exhibits. No photos of this stuff yet... it's all "in the works!" Yarn Bowls The first series of cast metal yarn bowls are in finishing and should be available fairly soon. I decided to post these on etsy and will be notifying those who added the yarn bowls as a “favorite” on my ravelry page (my ID is kylewilliam) as soon as they’re posted. Be sure to purchase quickly if you’re interested in one – I’m unsure of how long it’ll take to get the next set ready! I'm expecting to get these photographed and up on the site next week!  Marathon Update The date is getting closer to begin training for the 25th LA Marathon (which happens in March, 2010) – The kickoff party was yesterday, and I am pleased to report a friend from school has decided to join me in this adventure! I’m still a bit frightened that I decided to tackle this quest but it has been on my “list” for quite a while. I have never taken time to write an official “bucket list” – you know; the list of things you want to do before you die, but when/if I do ever write one, running a marathon will be on there. (and come this time next March, it’ll be crossed off!) Thank you to the people who have been able to donate! I am amazed at the level of generosity I have discovered through my online friends. If you have yet to donate or can spare a few more dollars (remember, it’s all tax deductible!) please visit my website and make a donation. The proceeds go to AIDS Project Los Angeles who desperately needs the money. Times are tough for all of us – but a few dollars can make all the difference. I made a commitment to run and love it every time I see someone donate – not only is it that you’re giving to a great cause, you’re also supporting me! Training (actual running!) starts October 11th – just under 2 weeks away. Standing here, today, I feel like running 26.2 miles would be impossible. I am confident that throught this program and with your support, I will be able to complete this task! Raising the funds to help support APLA means a lot to me, especially after listening to the message they shared at the kickoff party, stating that the recent CA state budget cuts slashed their funding by over 1 Million Dollars! I won't be able to fix the problem, but the few dollars I can offer will certainly help. I know that come March, crossing that finish line, I will be a different person (and I can’t wait to share the journey with you!) Hunting for Charities
Please email me with any information regarding non profit organizations in the United States that might be interested in auctioning off a blanket made from the extra squares from Jason’s blanket {LINK TO POST} – I’m hoping our efforts will help raise much needed money – the squares are created, they just need to be joined and donated. I’m glad to make this additional effort but prefer to do this with charitie(s) in mind. If you know of a group that could benefit, let me know. With the squares that were donated, I believe we can make 4 throws. I would like to donate 2 of these throws to charities as listed above, and I’d like to gift 2 of these throws to knitters in need – if you know a knitter or person in your life who might appreciate a blanket crafted with squares from knitters around the world, please email me {EMAIL} with the story and your contact information – I’ll review these stories and select two individuals to receive the throws. It’s not always about raising money… sometimes; it’s also about giving back to our community. I believe these throws might mean more to fellow knitters but invite everyone who might be interested to submit their stories. One last note – if your person is selected, I hope I will be able to post their story on the blog along with the blanket that was made for them – People who made these squares sometimes read this blog, and I think it might be nice to hear the story behind the person receiving a blanket made with our squares. Sharing these stories gives us power and helps us all to heal. Happy October, everyone!!  Most of you know about the blanket - I wrote about it HERE when I first started to talk about the idea of making a blanket for him - the response was overwhelming - people posted on their blogs, printed flyers, shared the news by word of mouth to their local knitting family. It's difficult to accept the challenges Cancer has brought to our lives - I lost my father to Cancer - a coworker's mother is currently facing the battle... friends from all over spoke of their triumphs and tragedies relating to the disease - and all the while, we all wanted to do something for our friend, Jason, who is in his early thirties and has been told by his Doctors chances are he has less than the summer to complete his short life. We all are frustrated into action by this news - not knowing what to do, I made the decision to ask everyone to do what we do best... knit!  We carefully laid out each square - attempting to place them in an order that offered no defined pattern - paying close attention to the colors - trying not to put the same color next to itself - and not to put a similarly textured or patterned item near another... it took an hour or two of arranging but once it was finalized, the rows were stacked (1-9) and the squares in each row were joined - one by one - to each other - I did this with the help of Doug Laughlin (of West Hollywood, CA) and Ivar Asplund (visiting from Sweeden) - over the weekend we got most of the pieces assembled, then they took the blanket home to finish assembly, and create the crocheted border. I washed, blocked, and photographed the blanket and it will be mailed, Federal Express to Holland tomorrow morning - to hopefully arrive at Jason's door on Wednesday, June 10, 2009. According to Jonathan, Jason's family is scheduled to arrive at the same time, and while I know there is a lot to think about, with any luck, there will be some time for everyone to read our cards and admire the hard work and love that has been poured into this project. maybe they'll all take turns reading the cards and letters aloud to Jason - letting him just hear the love that's coming at him and his family from all over the world... Again - the idea that everyone just banded together to help is what makes me the most proud - not that we were able to do it, but that we all dove in, head first - selflessly creating beautiful pieces - trying out new techniques, ripping out and re-doing - making the best squares we could to contribute to this offering of love. It's there too - the love... the blanket just glows with the care and compassion we all have for not only Jason, but for everyone fighting their battles... I think we helped open avenues of communication for some knitters as well... and I know a few who are either fighting their own fights or supporting others who are... felt this was a good way to focus the love... Keep tuned for more blankets - remember, you gave more than we could use for one blanket - so the next one(s) will be made smaller, and I'm looking for organizations to donate to or sell to benefit for... If you know of somewhere - a Cancer charity... or center that needs the money - an organization that has an annual auction or benefit... get in touch with me. And if you have a loved one who you have lost to Cancer and wish to add their name to the comments, it'd be an honor to think of them as well while creating the next series of throws... I'm starting the list off with the memory of my father, William Franklin Kunnecke - who I lost to cancer just a few years ago - I know he would be proud of this blanket and to know that his son was able to organize what I believe is the first blanket knitted almost entirely by male knitters from around the world (with a few amazing women tossed in for good measure!) I'll close this post with images from the creation/assembly of this blanket - I hope that the idea catches on and we all can use our craft to help comfort others - I will continue to make blankets like these - if you'd like to help by contributing more squares, please email me- and again, thank you for being an example to the world - showing that love and compassion still exist. -Kyle Jason1978 from www.menwhoknit.com has shared with his knitting community his struggles with cancer (testicular, now apparantly other forms) and we are all feeling like we need to do something - so I created a .pdf file that explains the details of how we will go about creating a comfort blanket. Note that we need 72 squares - I hope everyone will save the file to their computers, and print/post as needed - on your blogs, websites, distribute to local yarn shops or stitch and bitches.. have everyone write notes of support for Jason and include them with the squares. We must move swiftly on this - time is of the essence... so let's make it happen! I look forward to spending time assembling the blanket and getting it sent to Jason and his family. I have posted it on www.menwhoknit.com - I hope others (whether you know Jason or not) will take time to make a square or two and write a note of support. This is a difficult time and hopefully our notes of support will be helpful. 
 The little baby on the left is the newest addition to our family... she's probably about 3 months old and maybe a mix of Jack Russell and chihuahua - we got her from a local pet shop that just changed owners and went from being a puppy mill shop to one that rescues from the high kill shelters and sells only the best of the best that would have otherwise be euthanized. We love her (she comes home Wednesday) and visit her at the shop every day... (she's recovering from her being spayed and getting over a little case of kennel cough) but tomorrow we get to bring her home... she does not have a name yet... so suggestions are welcome (post them in the comments!) The little baby on the right was adopted as well... these two are super close friends (they really love each other!) and I am sure they're going to miss each other... but they're both on their way to loving homes... and our little one gets to share the home with Wink and Willow!!!  The results of this firing - the two knitted forms in the back slumped drastically... (too hot? too heavy?) - but the vase in front fired beautifully! there were a few other pieces in this firing that turned out well, and 3 that completely dissolved... it's all a big experiment for me and while I'm frustrated a bit, I'm learning the limits of the processes as I develop this series... the only thing I wish I could change (I can handle disspointment) is that the semester is almost over and for the summer there will be no access to a kiln... I might have to prep and take home some of the materials so that during the summer I can make some pieces and get them ready for firing right away this coming fall... so that's the news. I'll put up photos of completed pieces as I get them on etsy or gift them ... here's one that is a gift:  I threw this little bowl for my Biology professor (who is also a Post Doctoral Researcher at Cedars Sinai) - as a thank you for the letter of recommendation she wrote for me - she took the time and it is really appreciated - so I wanted to make her something. This bowl has my saying (outside) "One day we will look back and wonder" (inside) "What life was like before the cure" - it's my hommage to diseases in general, but specifically cancer (which took my dad and is in the process of challenging a number of close friends and relatives) -- it's also the saying that will be incorporated in a sweater I'm designing... (soon, you'll see!)  Lastly, here's a closeup of the inside of another student's (Nico) shell - she had glazed it pink and didn't like it... so she put a type of glaze called "luster" on top and it crackled (awesome!) - fired it - then put another iridescent glaze on top of THAT... the shells have been going on for the entire semester - they're about 30" across and gorgeous! I want to use this mixture on something - I love the crazing!!! |
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