Help for Haiti Update--deadline extended!

Thanks mostly to Ravelry's Help for Haiti program and the extra exposure it's provided to designers who are taking part in it, Rope Knits has able to raise $420 for Save the Children's relief efforts. Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who has bought a pattern from me over the last two weeks. I could not have afforded to donate this much money on my own and it is a wonderful feeling to be able to do something.

My 400 bucks is just a drop in the bucket though in terms of overall money raised through Ravelry. Hundreds of patterns are part of the program and at least three groups have held auctions. When all is said and done the overall amount donated to good causes will be in the tens of thousands of dollars. It's very exciting and humbling to be a part (even a tiny little part) of something this big.

Sadly, though, the needs in Haiti just keep mounting. Children especially are at risk. Thousands have been orphaned and are at risk of abuse and abduction as well as disease and hunger. Save the Children and other organizations are doing everything they can to provide safe places for the littlest victims and need all the help they can get.

So I'm going to extend my Help for Haiti deadline. 100% of profits will go to StC until midnight tonight; after that, I'll be donating 50% until Valentine's Day. I'll be offering a new pattern tomorrow (sneak peek to the left) so check back soon!

So What Does Knitting Have to Do with Haiti?

On the surface of it, not a lot. But Ravelry has set up a Help for Haiti program through which designers who sell their patterns there can donate some or all of their profits to the Haitian-relief charity of their choice.

So here's the deal: Buy ANY of my patterns on Ravelry from now until the end of January and ALL the profits will go to Save the Children's emergency efforts in Haiti. Not on Ravelry? By them from my blog and it's the same deal: everything minus the PayPal fees will go to Save the Children.

Here's what Charity Navigator has to say about Save the Children:

Save the Children has worked in Haiti for 25 years with 100 staff on the ground. Will be providing food, water, shelter and child-friendly spaces. Because Save the Children's offices did not suffer the structural damage of other non-governmental organizations, other aid workers have taken refuge in the agency's compound, where operations are being run out of offices and tents.

Not interested in my patterns? There are dozens of patterns being added every hour to Ravelry's Help for Haiti list. You're sure to find something you like and you can chip in for a good cause while you're at it.

Or you can just donate directly to the good cause of your choice. Charity Navigator has a very helpful list of legitimate organizations that are doing amazing, on-the-ground work right now, as well as some good advice on giving effectively (sad to say, the ground had barely stopped shaking before scams and hoaxes were appearing--make sure you're donating to a good cause).

New Year, New Classes, New Lease on (Knitting) Life

Happy New Year!
     We had a busy but enjoyable trip over the holidays to visit just about all the relatives in the Eastern time zone. We drove out, which was nice in that we had our own car once we were there and on the drive out I got quite a lot of knitting/crochet time. On the way back, unfortunately, my husband wasn't feeling well and I did most of the driving--two full days of no knitting!
     On the brighter side, I've been seeing an occupational therapist about the soreness in my hands and things are looking much better. I got very freaked out several weeks ago when I suddenly started getting electric shock-type pains up my forearms in addition to more general soreness in my wrists and weakness in my left hand. The OTs diagnosed my ulnar nerve as being the troublemaker and gave me some stretches and strengthening exercises to do. They do indeed help (when I remember to do them). The pain is gone, my hands are feeling stronger and I'm no longer afraid that every stitch is bringing me closer to complete incapacitation. The moral of the story: Got pain? See a doctor. (Duh.)
     So now we're into 2010 and I get to start publicizing my classes again. Once more, I'll be teaching through Urbana Adult Education and through Parkland Community Education. I will also continue organizing classes and teaching at Klose Knit—more on that to come. If you have questions about the classes themselves—what we'll be doing, what materials we'll be using, etc. —please contact me (sarah at ropeknits dot come). If you want to sign up or have questions about anything administrative, please contact Parkland or UAE directly.

Urbana Adult Education
(All classes held at Urbana High school from 6:30 to 8:30pm on Thursdays)

Beginning Crochet
January 28 -- February 18

Beginning Knitting
February 25 -- March 18

Intermediate Knitting
April 1 -- April 22

Parkland Live and Learn
(All classes held at Parkland Community College from 6:30 to 8:30 on Tuesdays)

Beginning Knitting
February 9 -- March 2

Beginning Crochet
March 30 -- April 20