Great Mammories….

Knit-A-Tit rocked!

Saturday was perfect.  Not only a perfect, sunny day; but perfect friends, perfect fiber, perfect support.   I would knit tits every Saturday with this amazing group of knitters and supporters.  There were men, women, and children coming and going all day!  I want to say THANKS again to all the wonderful, generous, supportive yarn or fiber spinners, dyers,  purveyors, crafters of all things lovely who generously donated awesome yarn, fiber, door prizes, patterns, etc., all in the name of breast cancer.  Lisa Ellison, owner of One City Market and hostess of Knit-A-Tit, is an amazing person, and I implore you to visit her amazing shop in the Ozarks–you won’t be disappointed!  Just plan on spending several hours there. . . .   Please show these wonderful supporters (listed in no particular order) some love when you purchase fiber:

South West Trading Company
Westminster Fibers
Blue Moon Fiber Arts
Cotton Clouds, Inc.
Dream in Color Yarn, Inc.
Mountain Colors
Webs
Ozark Handspun
Crystal Palace Yarns
Namaste Farms Wool and Fiber
Handwerks Textiles
Berroco
KnitPicks
Vintage Knits Wool Shoppe
Knit One Crochet Too
Brown Sheep Company
Stephanie Land (StephL on Ravelry)
Imperial Stock-Ranch Yarn
Wild Wind Naturals
Leisure Arts
Lydia Gessele (DakotaRose on Ravelry)
Miss Babs
Fairy Yarnmother
Wellesse (Vit. D)

Thanks everyone for the Knit-A-Tit love!

More Knit-A-Tit Yarn and Fiber Heroes!

Fiber love [sigh]!

If you could see this pile in person, you would swoon.   This picture does not do the incredibly large amount of fiber justice.  These are big boxes and I have them stuffed!

My dream job would be a yarn or fiber rep!  How awesome would it be to travel the US (or the World!) extolling the virtues of beautiful, luxurious, soft, gorgeous yarn?   Well, in a sense I am a yarn rep at this moment.  Below (in no particular order) are the amazing, generous, kind, supportive yarn or fiber spinners, dyers,  purveyors, crafters of all things lovely who have generously donated awesome yarn, fiber, door prizes, patterns, etc., all in the name of breast cancer.  Thank you for supporting Knit-A-Tit.  You gals and guys are every breast cancer survivor’s heroes.

South West Trading Company
Westminster Fibers
Blue Moon Fiber Arts
Cotton Clouds, Inc.
Dream in Color Yarn, Inc.
Mountain Colors
Webs
Ozark Handspun
Crystal Palace Yarns
Namaste Farms Wool and Fiber
Handwerks Textiles
Berroco
KnitPicks
Vintage Knits Wool Shoppe
Knit One Crochet Too
Brown Sheep Company
Stephanie Land (StephL on Ravelry)
Imperial Stock-Ranch Yarn
Wild Wind Naturals
Leisure Arts
Lydia Gessele (DakotaRose on Ravelry)
Miss Babs
Fairy Yarnmother

This last supporter is not a fiber lover, but as we all have heard from news reports, Vitamin D (or lack thereof) has a supporting role in breast health.  I have issues in that Vitamin D levels in my body, no matter how much milk I drink or sun I worship, stays at an unhealthy level.  I take calcium and Vitamin D every day.  So, here’s my Vitamin D of choice, and should be yours as well:  Wellesse.   They are always so kind, whenever I contact them, to send me samples for various cancer fundraising events–you guys rock!

Thanks everyone for the Knit-A-Tit love! Great karma definitely coming your way!

Knit-A-Tit

© 2005 Beryl Tsang

Oh, you read that right!

Knitters and persons who support fundraising for breast cancer are my favorite people!  Combine the two and wowza: Knit-A-Tit!  The knitting of soft, comfortable fiber prostheses (a Tit-Bit) was “invented” by a breast cancer survivor some years back.  Beryl Tsang was a 37 year-old breast cancer survivor who inspired a legion of knitters to help their fellow sisters not only in the fight against this horrible disease, but the right (and privilege) to wear something soft and comfortable, as opposed to rubbery and bulky, against their skin.  Now women are knitting sweet, sassy, cool Tit-Bits, Knit-A-Tits, etc.   I encourage you to visit Tit-Bits and read Beryl’s inspiring story.

Now what is even more inspiring to me are the women and men holding knitting parties wherein they make and give away dozens and dozens of these awesome, made with love, knitted prostheses!

If you are anywhere in the Ozarks on October 8, please visit the über cool yarn store One City Market in Rogersville, Missouri.  Starting at 10 a.m. you will witness approximately 100 women (and men!) knitting away for women they don’t even know. . . .  How cool is that?

Want to help, but won’t be in Missouri October 8?  Grab your needles and check out the pattern on knitty.com!  I guarantee there is a woman in your life who would be honored to wear your tit!

Major, major karma points.

Death and Garlic

It all started with one bulb.

He was elderly with no family.  He gave me, direct from his garden, one bulb of garlic with specific directions to separate the bulb into cloves, plant on (exactly) September 4, lightly water throughout winter, and reap the benefits the following summer.

I was a little late on the planting date, but I got it done.  I couldn’t wait to show him my bounty last summer, but was unable.  He killed himself.  He had cancer and couldn’t bear the pain anymore.  He was alone and tired of asking for help.  He left a garden full of lovely vegetables, and a lot of questions never to be answered.

I was just someone he met through a fluke, and I loved listening to his stories.  I looked forward to his visits and flirted with him shamelessly.  He was buried in Arlington Cemetery but no one who knew him attended the service.  It was his greatest pleasure to be recognized as a Veteran.  He bled red, white and blue.  In his youth he’d been a cocky pilot during WWII.

I cried for hours when I was received the call.  If it hadn’t been for my horrific former boss, I would have still been able to be there for him.  She sure wasn’t.  He was just another person for her to use and discard when he quit giving her money.

I used the garlic last summer and saved two bulbs.  I gave one bulb to a friend (with instructions that upon harvesting, she too must pass on good karma and a bulb to be replanted) and separated the remaining bulb into cloves, planted them a little later (sorry Mr. M) than September 4, watered carefully, and again, am reaping the benefits of Mr. M’s generous gift.  I’ll always replant Mr. M’s garlic, and you can bet that every single time I use one of his cloves I say a silent prayer of thanks for knowing, albeit a brief time, this kind gentle man.

Maybe the title of this post should be Living and Garlic. . . .

Ozarks Flood and Tornado of ’11

Pray. Just pray. Then donate.

The people of the Ozarks are resilient, but how much more can they take? We had over 30″ of rain at our house in about a week, but we’re the lucky ones.  These pictures are our neighbors:  two boat docks and a neighborhood all within “shooting” distance from our windows.

Now the people of Joplin are devastated.  Literally and figuratively torn apart from their homes and loved ones.  A tornado touched the edge of our property about four years ago while we were huddled in the only room in our house without windows: our hall closet.   A day after the Joplin tornado, we watched as another tornado skirted the skyline, crossed the river and, thankfully, never touched down.  God have mercy on the people of Joplin.  I cannot even begin to imagine the pain. . . .

“Thanks” to flood gates, the lakes are going down while the flooding on the river commences.  Will people rebuild and repair?  You bet they will.  They say time heals all wounds and no doubt this will be the case with this latest series of disasters.

Now, please pass on some good karma and donate no longer needed clothing, kitchen supplies, etc., to shelters to help those less fortunate.  Even better, pick up a new shirt at the store and drop it in the donate bin.  Mother Nature can be wicked; this could be you.