Those old eternity blues.

Wow, it’s almost June. How’d that happen?
These fingerless gloves and beanies are going to a mental health support group, women’s shelter or soup kitchen in Lismore, New South Wales.

I really love the Charity of the Month concept, and always have these great plans for what I’m going to send, but by the end of the month the donation pile is embarassingly small. Maybe I should knit one or two items per month, save them up and then send them off once or twice a year.

For now, for Lismore, this is what I have. I hope they make someone happy.

Kiva

As previously mentioned, I am working on a series of simple but interesting accessories specifically for charity crafters. My aim is to make them available as a set and donate the proceeds to kiva.

The first in the series was inspired by such garden-variety catalysts as my current longterm project (a cushy cabled & ribbed cardi) and the change in the weather. The morning walk to the bus stop has become uncomfortably chilly, and more than once the mad scramble looking for last year’s hat and mitts has gone unfruitful. Something had to be done, and the fuzzy bunny‘s gorgeous green handspun begged to become my new best bud in the mornings.

The pattern is a purposefully quick project, knit in the round on a circular needle from the brim up, to a crown shaped on double pointed needles (the magic loop method could also be used). Pattern features five identical cables interspersed by ribbing, and the crown shaping is much simpler than it looks.

Circumference: a very stretchy 14-22″/ 35.5-56cm
Height: 7.5″/ 19cm (brim to top of crown)
Needles: US 7/ 4.5mm or size to get gauge
Yarn: less than 160yd/146m sport/DK-weight yarn
Gauge: 16 stitches to 4″/ 10cm in 2×2 rib

$2.50 USD

Sweater knitting.

During the post-Ravelympics giddiness that befell me in March, I happily agreed to knit my sister’s boyfriend a sweater similar to his favourite store-bought garment, a cable-and-ribbed V-neck cardigan, in a different colour. So, I ordered yarn and added the cardi to my list of things to do. And then the said cardi was accidentally fulled in the wash, thus moving up in the queue.

I’m knitting it bottom-up, with great plans to use seamless simultaneous set-in sleeves similar to those in Ysolda‘s ingenious Little Birds pattern from the autumn 2008 Twist Collective.

Wish me luck!

I'm for damage.

Etsy have made some changes to everyone’s favourite user-curated gallery programme, the infamous Treasury.

In the past, securing a coveted spot among the treasury’s limited number of temporary galleries required obsessive patience, luck and/or erratic sleep patterns. No more!

Treasury East imposes no limit on the number of galleries created, either by an individual or by the etsy community as a whole. The galleries have no inbuilt expiry–they can be retired gracefully by their creators, mixed up at any time, or left alone to immortalise single moments in time and creation.

As someone who loves to love, and appreciates contrast and happy juxtaposition, I am thrilled at this update. I think it exemplifies what have always been the best things about etsy: the thrill of discovering something new, the endless inspiration to be found, and the joy of sharing these gems for the love of the passion and wonder behind the handmade.

You can find my latest, and all other treasuries, here.

I’m for damage.

Etsy have made some changes to everyone’s favourite user-curated gallery programme, the infamous Treasury.

In the past, securing a coveted spot among the treasury’s limited number of temporary galleries required obsessive patience, luck and/or erratic sleep patterns. No more!

Treasury East imposes no limit on the number of galleries created, either by an individual or by the etsy community as a whole. The galleries have no inbuilt expiry–they can be retired gracefully by their creators, mixed up at any time, or left alone to immortalise single moments in time and creation.

As someone who loves to love, and appreciates contrast and happy juxtaposition, I am thrilled at this update. I think it exemplifies what have always been the best things about etsy: the thrill of discovering something new, the endless inspiration to be found, and the joy of sharing these gems for the love of the passion and wonder behind the handmade.

You can find my latest, and all other treasuries, here.

Warming hearts.

While women weep as they do now, I’ll fight; while little children go hungry as they do now, I’ll fight; while men go to prison, in and out, in and out, as they do now, I’ll fight. – William Booth

This time of year always brings out the charity knitter in me. The slightest chill in the air, and I immediately want to warm anyone who’s cold, clothe the naked, rug up the exposed, cheer the lonely. I want to use the best of what knit and crochet can be, for the very best purposes.

Thankfully, the Australian knit4charities has a charity-of-the-month system that pre-empts this craving and allows crafters to plan ahead for a particular month, charity or project that suits their particular sympathies, schedules and/or knitting habits.

For May’s charity I’m thinking cowls, hats and fingerless gloves. In fact, I’m thinking of designing a series of simple but interesting accessories specifically for charity crafters, making them available as a set and donating the proceeds to kiva, a genius microfinance not-for-profit organisation that links cash-poor entrepeneurs and creative philanthropists via the wonder of the internet.

Microfinance is a wonderful concept in general, but once I twigged that the financing is a loan to be repaid rather than a gift, with repayments potentially reinvested over and over again–I was left in awe. It’s such a Big idea, and totally addictive.

As of a few weeks ago, all Herbivore Knits patterns for sale (now and in the foreseeable future) will have all proceeds invested in Kiva–or another charity of your choice (just email me after your purchase if you would like to indicate a preference).

Hugs x

These things get louder.

The New Pornographers have always been unabashedly articulate, if cryptic, and on their fifth album Together they’ve brought in new and varied sounds to complement their lyrical layers. The result is giddily, joyously rich: there are many moments of deep, satisfying musical perfection on this album, and grown-up riffs to sink your teeth into.
Check it out here.