Thank you so much for joining Puddles and I in the Landfall challenge! The official count is in and you all raised 5 patterns for Birdie ?.
To conclude our focus on the eco principle of charity, I searched around my indie friends to see what they were up to. Here are my top three favorites – near and far!
Jessica Anderson and the Batcave Charity Project (in her own words)
The whole way home from the experience, I found myself having to wipe away the tears as my poor heart kept asking, “but what about the moms?” As a momma myself, I just wanted to wrap ALL the mommas in a hug and cry with them because nothing breaks my heart more than sick or suffering children. There was no way I could ever be there every-single-cave experience ever (although that would be fun, wouldn’t it?) BUT I knew there WAS something I could do- I could create a way to make a forever hug for those mommas and those sweet families, something they could always wrap themselves in when they needed a hug, and something that would remind them of that special time they had at the Batcave.
I knew I wanted to design a shawl (and then another shawl and another shawl…..) but I also needed the RIGHT yarn, I mean, it needed to be Batman themed. So I searched, and I looked, but nothing was quite right. So, I sent an email on a whim to a dyer I had previously work with on a project for my book. Somehow I just knew that she would be the person for this monumental task- and boy is she! Abby Owens of Twisted Owl Fiber Studio created not just one, or two Batman colors, but a whole great big bunch of them! AND not only is she selling the yarn, but she is also donating a percentage of the yarn sales to the Colten Cowell Foundation along with me.
I just released my first design in the series, To the Batcave! AND 60% of all pattern sales for all the Batman patterns will be donated to the Colten Cowell Foundation. Twisted Owl Fiber Studio and I have teamed up for an epic, Bat-Tastic KAL. We are asking any knitters that feel so inclined to send me their finished shawls so I can take them to the Batcave so they can present them to the families at the end of their time at the Batcave. (I’ll be taking the first two to the Batcave personally on March 11 to donate to Colten’s mom, who is the co-Founder and Executive Director of the Foundation, and the mom of the family who is being sponsored for their superhero evening.) To make it even more fun, one knitter that donates a shawl will be chosen every 2 months for the next 6 months to win a huge gift basket featuring goodies from Twisted Owl Fiber Studio, Jessica Anderson Designs, KnitPicks and many more amazing sponsors.
Ready to join the Batcave Challenge? Check out Jessica’s pattern here: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/to-the-batcave
Christine Guest and Sparrow Bag
Christine Guest designed the soon-to-be-released Sparrow bag 4 years ago for an ebook to raise money for pediatric oncology research. The editor’s daughter underwent chemo and it damaged her heart. Due to her daughter rejecting the donor heart, the e-book was canceled. But still cognizant of the original purpose of the bag, Christine decided to self-publish and will donation to her local children’s cancer program. The release is coming soon! In the meantime, follow Christine on Instagram and see this story unfold more.
Shhh It’s a Secret and Echeveau Solidaire
To round out the collection of challenges, something especially for you Euros ?. The Echeveau Solidaire website is in French and the designer who told me about it is being kept a secret. Each month a secret designer will be revealed along with the pattern she designed for the initiative. The cause is a good one and the designs revealed thus far are lovely!
Using google translate: the association this project is supporting is “Overcoming Fibrous Dysplasia” – a rare genetic disease that causes chronic skeletal pain, deformities, and extremely fragile bones.
Thanks for tracking along this term as we focused on charitable knitting! What are some of your favorite yarn related charities and challenges?