The Proof of the Power Within

June 19, 2017
2 Comments

I’ve said it enough that it’s beginning to just sound trite when I say it, but auctioning off these six shawls for charity really may be the best idea I’ve ever had. During each shawl auction, I felt so optimistic and buoyed by everyone’s feedback, by each share and like on Facebook, by each and every bid, and by the very feeling that I was at least doing something. I was so encouraged as I experienced first-hand the profound impact an individual can have in this collective world full of others.

Yes, I had the idea to auction my shawls; I did the knitting and photography; I chose the causes for each shawl to benefit; and, I wrote a blog post about each one. Yes, I did that.

But that’s where my role ended and the rest of yours began.

This idea would have never worked had it not been for the hundreds of people who paid attention, shared my posts, put in bids, won bids, and then donated the pledged winning amount to the chosen cause. If not for each of you, my idea would not have worked. Gratefully, my idea didn’t fail; instead, it took off–and for that I am so, so thankful!

Because of each of you, whether you won a bid or not, my six shawls collectively raised $1,460.

$1,460!!!!

That money went directly to causes I now know definitively that I’m not alone in caring about: Planned Parenthood, ACLU, IRC, NRDC, The Trevor Project, and SUWA.

I am absolutely speechless with gratitude.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to all of you who participated in my Shawl Auctions, either directly or indirectly. This became so much bigger than just one person auctioning off six shawls because of the engagement from so many of you. In doing this, I have made connections, formed friendships, and felt support from a much bigger circle than I ever thought possible.

Perhaps I will do it all again. Or perhaps I will have another idea. Regardless, I am proud of what we all did together. Thank you.

Woulda-Coulda-Shoulda

by Shel Silverstein

All the Woulda-Coulda-Shouldas

Layin’ in the sun,

Talkin’ ’bout the things

They woulda-coulda-shoulda done…

But those Woulda-Coulda-Shouldas

All ran away and hid

From one little did.

Here is a recap of each shawl…

Our Call to Share:

$150 to Planned Parenthood by Maria, who gave her shawl to her mother-in-law, a woman who dedicated her professional life to helping women and children as a Pediatrician. I am so grateful to Maria for jumping into this journey first with me and getting this whole adventure started.

 

The Deepest Thing Inside:

$250 (plus a matching bid of $200 by me) to the ACLU by Marjukka, who after receiving her shawl, told me “I love it and it will always remind me what’s important.” It has made my heart happy to see Marjukka wearing this beautiful shawl since winning her bid.

 

 

At Its Essence:

$140 to the International Rescue Committe by Soley, who bid on almost every single shawl (I think she only missed one?!), and is the only bidder I haven’t gotten to hug yet, since she lives in Colorado–but she’ll get that hug soon enough!

 

The Utmost Care and Kindness:

$300 to the NRDC by Sheri, who extraordinarily bid on this shawl to give as a birthday gift to a very dear friend, a woman who has dedicated her life to advocating for and defending our environment on Capitol Hill. I am honored to be a part of their story.

 

Whoever You Are:

$220 to The Trevor Project by Stacy, one of the most passionate, active advocates I know. Everyone deserves to have her in their corner. It was perfect that her donation will benefit some of the most vulnerable in our world.

 

 

 

 

Requiem to the Red Rock:

$200 to Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance by Louise, who also bid on almost every single shawl and finally won at the very end. Her kind heart and connection to this place we call home made her the perfect grand finale to this amazing experience.



Without

by Gary Snyder

the silence

of nature

within.

the power within.

the power

without.

the path is whatever passes–no

end in itself.

the end is,

grace–ease–

healing,

not saving.

singing

the proof

the proof of the power within.

Thank you once again, everyone!

Requiem to the Red Rock

April 10, 2017
17 Comments

To be whole. To be complete. Wildness reminds us what it means to be human, what we are connected to rather than what we are separate from.
–Terry Tempest Williams

At least once a year, my family treks down to Southern Utah. We reason that we’re going down in order to hike, take pictures, go to one of our favorite bookstores, and lay like lizards on the warm rocks. These are all valid reasons for making the four hour journey south, but our real reason lies beyond words, beyond justification.

Southern Utah is a special place that transcends simple description. Its very existence defies reason; its unique landscape and visual proof of the passing and power of time serve as a reminder of just how small I am. Being among that which has survived thousands of years grounds me; witnessing the results of what the constant force of water and wind can do humbles me; appreciating the life that finds a way to grow out of dry, hard rock inspires me.

This land, this place, deserves our respect and protection. Although I will not assume I know the best way to preserve this land while respecting the rights of those who live there, I do trust those who have chosen to advocate for this land.

The Southen Utah Wilderness Alliance is such an organization. Since 1983, SUWA has been “the only independent organization working full-time to defend America’s redrock wilderness from oil and gas development, unnecessary road construction, rampant off-road vehicle use, and other threats to Utah’s wilderness-quality lands.” The mission of the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance is “the preservation of the outstanding wilderness at the heart of the Colorado Plateau, and the management of these lands in their natural state for the benefit of all Americans.”

I am offering up this shawl in support of Southern Utah’s wild red rock land that needs our protection. This shawl, like the land it represents, is more than the sum of its parts. In many ways, this is the simplest of the six shawls I have auctioned, although its simplicity lends to its undeniable beauty. It is knit out of dk-weight Bluefaced Leicester wool that has been organically dyed gradiently, so each color beautifully transitions into the next. This shawl is a classic long triangle with simple eyelets and an i-cord border. It is earthy, unique, and lovely.

Requiem 
by David Lee

More than a high-desert sun dog shimmering
above thin lines of the Canyonland’s open throat
or the sift of October-flushed aspen
on a gnarled Pine Valley, Utah, morning.
More than the pink fleece of a lost primrose
bathed in twilight by a graveled roadside
or the shadow of a cornstalk petroglyph
leaning into its basalt winter.
Beyond words sliding from hollows of memory
that hold image and time in stone cups
is the yearning, the bending to morning,
the huddled ache that can never be soothed
by moonlight or spring rains or crimson oak,
only by tomorrow’s sunrise.

Please feel free to share this post with anyone and everyone, because the higher the bidding goes, the more impact this one beautiful shawl can have.

  • The opening bid starts at $50 and begins NOW.
  • Please bid in whole dollar amounts.
  • All bids need to be within the comment thread of this blog post in order for everyone to keep track of the highest bid.
  • I will close the auction at 5:00 PM MDT on Saturday, April 15.
  • When the auction is over, I will send the winner an email; the winner must donate directly to Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance within 48 hours and then forward the confirmation email to me as proof; I’ll coordinate getting the shawl to you by April 24th.
  • If the winner lives away, I will cover the cost of shipping the shawl via Priority Mail.
  • Once again, 100% of the proceeds of the winning bid will go towards the cause, this time to SUWA.

Much love to all of you…and happy bidding!

Whoever You Are

March 19, 2017
19 Comments

Wild Geese
by Mary Oliver

You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting–
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.

I believe every person deserves a place in this world. Every person, regardless of religion, race, sexual orientation, and gender identity, has a right to be happy, free, equal, and safe. I do not assume to know all that there is to know about these issues, and I know I carry certain biases that I may or may not be aware of having, but I do know that at the kernel–at the very core–I feel love.

With this shawl, I am shouting out my love to those whose very identity is questioned, devalued, underrepresented, and judged. This wonderfully bold, amazingly bright shawl is my proclamation that I SEE YOU!

To those of you in the LGBTQ community, I have your back. I will fight for you. I will write and march and call–and I will offer up this shawl in support of the most vulnerable in our community.

You are not alone.

This week, I am auctioning my Exploration Station Shawl by Stephen West in support of The Trevor Project, the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) young people ages 13-24.

There is so much hate and misunderstanding being directed towards the LGBTQ community from the current administration, it is my hope that this week, we counter all that hate with a lot of love.

Please join your voice to mine as we shout out our support to youths in the LGBTQ community by adding your bid, knowing that 100% of the proceeds of this shawl will go to help provide a voice on the other end of the line when someone in crisis reaches out.

This shawl is knit out of four colors of Madelinetosh Merino Light, a luscious handdyed in the US 100% merino yarn. It is very large and yet extremely lightweight. It is squishy and soft, vibrant and striking.

It is a gorgeous shawl!

Please feel free to share this post with anyone and everyone, because the higher the bidding goes, the more impact this one beautiful shawl can have.

  • The opening bid starts at $50 and begins NOW.
  • Please bid in whole dollar amounts.
  • All bids need to be within the comment thread of this blog post in order for everyone to keep track of the highest bid.
  • I will close the auction at 7:00 PM MST on Monday, March 27th.
  • When the auction is over, I will send the winner an email; the winner must donate directly to The Trevor Project within 48 hours and then forward the confirmation email to me as proof; I’ll coordinate getting the shawl to you by April 3rd.
  • If the winner lives away, I will cover the cost of shipping the shawl via Priority Mail.
  • Once again, 100% of the proceeds of the winning bid will go towards the cause, this time to The Trevor Project.

Much love to all of you…and happy bidding!

The Utmost Care And Kindness

February 26, 2017
36 Comments

Eagle Poem

BY JOY HARJO

To pray you open your whole self
To sky, to earth, to sun, to moon
To one whole voice that is you.
And know there is more
That you can’t see, can’t hear;
Can’t know except in moments
Steadily growing, and in languages
That aren’t always sound but other
Circles of motion.
Like eagle that Sunday morning
Over Salt River. Circled in blue sky
In wind, swept our hearts clean
With sacred wings.
We see you, see ourselves and know
That we must take the utmost care
And kindness in all things.
Breathe in, knowing we are made of
All this, and breathe, knowing
We are truly blessed because we
Were born, and die soon within a
True circle of motion,
Like eagle rounding out the morning
Inside us.
We pray that it will be done
In beauty.
In beauty.

 

It is with great anticipation that I launch this particular Shawl Auction. This week, I am auctioning one of my most intricate, delicate lace shawls to benefit the National Resources Defense Council, which helps protect our very delicate Earth. The NRDC “works to safeguard the earth—its people, its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends.” I feel particularly invested in this cause, because if we do not have a sustainable Earth on which to live, it is undeniable that none of the other issues really matter.

 

 

In order to have life, we need pure water, clean air, and protected land. We need to ensure we protect our climate in order to sustain all lives who call Earth home. Protecting our land, water, climate, and air should not be a partisan issue. How is caring for our home a political act? We all live here, love here, die here. Our Earth is vulnerable and we need to do everything we can to ensure its survival.

 

 

The only shawl I have knit worthy of such an important cause is my Fragaria Shawl, designed by Alina Appasova. It is truly delicate, light as a feather, with intricately beautiful stitchwork. I knit it out of Jaggerspun Zephyr, a laceweight 50% Merino/50% Silk in the gorgeous Jade colorway. It is one of the smaller shawls I am auctioning, but it is plenty big to wear in a variety of ways or would look stunning accenting a special room. Because it is so lightweight, it is easy to bring along with you in a purse or bag to throw on when you feel chilled or just want to look and feel fabulous.

 

I can honestly say I love this shawl.

 

 

But I love our Earth more.

 

I am hoping this shawl will go to someone who cares equally for this Earth feels drawn to make a donation to help ensure its protection. In return, I will gratefully pass this shawl along to you.

Please feel free to share this post with anyone and everyone, because the higher the bidding goes, the more impact this one beautiful shawl can have.

  • The opening bid starts at $50 and begins NOW.
  • Please bid in whole dollar amounts.
  • All bids need to be within the comment thread of this blog post in order for everyone to keep track of the highest bid.
  • I will close the auction at 7:00 PM MST on Monday, March 6th.
  • When the auction is over, I will send the winner an email; the winner must donate directly to the NRDC within 48 hours and then forward the confirmation email to me as proof; I’ll coordinate getting the shawl to you by March 13th.
  • If the winner lives away, I will cover the cost of shipping the shawl via Priority Mail.
  • Once again, 100% of the proceeds of the winning bid will go towards the cause, this time the National Resources Defense Council.
  • In addition, all donations to the NRDC will be matched for a limited time, so the winning bid for this shawl will have twice the impact!

Much love to all of you…and happy bidding!

At Its Essence

February 12, 2017
8 Comments

Knitting may not, on the surface, seem relevant to engines that run the world, but at its essence, it is actually quite vital. For knitting, which can express so many emotions, most often expresses love. And when all else is lost, love is what most often stays with us.

                                                                                              –Melanie Falick

To console someone who has experienced loss, to celebrate a new life, to nurture someone who is ill, I most often turn to knitting. Usually it is when life is at its most intimate and vulnerable that words fail to express how much I care. And so, it is in the act of selecting the project, picking the perfect pattern and yarn, and sitting down to create something for someone that knitting becomes the only thing I can think of to do.

Every single stitch becomes infused with the love I feel for that person. Thousands upon thousands of stitches culminate into one entity. All my disjointed thoughts, worries, intentions, wishes, and love come together into this one thing. In the case of a shawl, this one thing becomes the literal embodiment of a hug.

Reading the news and following the horror that is real for millions of refugees and immigrants around the world, I ache for a way to help. There are millions of people in crisis right now, and I am just one human. What can I do? Fortunately, there are people and organizations in place to provide appropriate, immediate help.

It is my goal with this next auction to offer one shawl to help raise money to benefit the International Rescue Committee, who “helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover and regain control of their future.” It is my hope that my small offering will contribute to a greater good, that it will provide tangible assistance to those in crisis.

The current shawl up for bid is the Color Affection shawl by Veera Valimaki. It is knit out of three colors of a spongy-soft merino wool/nylon blend yarn that is hand-dyed by a local Utah artisan, The March Hare. It is bright, squishy, has a lovely drape, and is easy to wear.

Please feel free to share this post with anyone and everyone, because the higher the bidding goes, the more impact this one beautiful shawl can have.

  • The opening bid starts at $50 and begins NOW.
  • Please bid in whole dollar amounts.
  • All bids need to be within the comment thread of this blog post in order for everyone to keep track of the highest bid.
  • I will close the auction at 8:00 PM MST on Wednesday, February 15th.
  • When the auction is over, I will send the winner an email; the winner must donate directly to the IRC within 48 hours and then forward the confirmation email to me as proof; I’ll coordinate getting the shawl to you by February 27th.
  • If the winner lives away, I will cover the cost of shipping the shawl via Priority Mail.
  • Once again, 100% of the proceeds of the winning bid will go towards the cause, this time the IRC (please click on link to watch video).

Much love to all of you…and happy bidding!

My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together.                 

–Desmond Tutu

The Deepest Thing Inside

January 29, 2017
25 Comments

Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside,
you must know sorrow as the other deepest thing.

–from Kindness, by Naomi Shihab Nye

This week, I have been overwhelmed as I’ve watched and experienced our democracy in action. I have never been a particularly political person and, except for the year I lived overseas, I have never really appreciated or acknowledged what being an American means to me. Very quickly and very clearly, though, I am now recognizing what is at stake.

Instead of hiding behind fear and confusion, I am learning to lean in: I am asking questions when I don’t understand; I am engaging in honest, open dialogue with everyone, even those who disagree; I am marching for what I believe in; I am trying to avoid hyperbole; and always, I side with what is kind and just. I respect others who do the same.

With this focus in mind, I am ready to launch my second shawl auction. For this auction, all proceeds of the winning bid will go to the ACLU. I am also committing to matching the winning bid with my own donation to the ACLU up to $200 (but, of course, I’m open to bidding going higher…). 🙂

This shawl really is one of my very favorite shawls I’ve ever knit. It is the Amulet Shawl, by Helen Stewart. It is knit out of Madelinetosh Merino Light, a 100% merino wool, and I used gold glass beads. It is easy to wear, just the right size, and has lovely drape and just the right amount of lace. It would look equally lovely draped around your shoulders or accenting a favorite armchair.

Please feel free to share this post with anyone and everyone, because the higher the bidding goes, the more impact this one beautiful shawl can have.

  • The opening bid starts at $50 and begins NOW.
  • Please bid in whole dollar amounts.
  • All bids need to be within the comment thread of this blog post in order for everyone to keep track of the highest bid.
  • I will close the auction at 6:00 PM MST on Friday, February 3rd.
  • When the auction is over, I will send the winner an email; the winner must donate directly to the ACLU within 48 hours and then forward the confirmation email to me as proof; I’ll coordinate getting the shawl to you by February 14th.
  • If the winner lives away, I will cover the cost of shipping the shawl via Priority Mail.

Here’s hoping this idea takes flight… Much love to all of you…and happy bidding!

The lovely Maria, in her new Jujuy Shawl:

Our Call to Share

January 9, 2017
21 Comments

“We are called upon to use our gift, our gift we have to share with the world.”   –Terry Tempest Williams

Here I am, ready to begin this year with renewed focus, an open willingness to take risks, and great optimism about the impact many small actions can have.  As a knitter, I am well-versed in what a million different tiny stitches, created one at a time, can create. I have many sweaters, hats, socks, and shawls to show for it in fact.

As a result, I have found myself in a position of abundance. Quite honestly, I have more shawls than I could ever hope to wear. Creating these gorgeous wings of wool, I’m finding myself feeling weighted down by the sheer number of them. I’m ready to let some of them take flight and find new shoulders to warm, new bodies to embellish.

It is not enough for me to give them away, though, or even just to sell them. As I knit, I feel a deep sense of purpose, clarity, and peace. To sell them for profit negates the beauty of the shawl for me. Instead, I want my knitted shawls to continue creating that peace in this world, carrying with them all that I felt while knitting them to the recipient and even to the broader world.

My idea is this: I will auction off one shawl at a time, committing to auctioning six shawls over the next three months, and all the money will go towards a charity or cause of my choice. Once the winner has been notified and donates the winning bid to that charity, I will pass the shawl along into the hands of the kind winner. If the winner lives away, I will cover the cost of shipping the shawl via Priority Mail.

Every shawl I auction will be knit out of the very best yarn, will be free of errors, and filled with good karma.

The first shawl is the Jujuy Shawl. This shawl is knit out of Dream in Color Smooshy with Cashmere, a gorgeous blend of merino wool, cashmere, and nylon. I knit this shawl along with an amazing group of women in coordination with my first ever Knitalong. Because this shawl embodies the strength, comraderie, and kindness of women, all proceeds of this shawl’s winning bid will go towards Planned Parenthood.

Please feel free to share this post with anyone and everyone, because the higher the bidding goes, the more impact this one beautiful shawl can have.

  • The opening bid starts at $50 and begins NOW.
  • Please bid in whole dollar amounts.
  • All bids need to be within the comment thread of this blog post in order for everyone to keep track of the highest bid.
  • I will close the auction at 7:00 PM MST on Monday, January 23rd.
  • When the auction is over, I will send the winner an email; the winner must donate directly to Planned Parenthood within 24 hours and must forward the confirmation email to me as proof; I’ll coordinate getting the shawl to you by February 1st.

Here’s hoping this idea takes flight… Much love to all of you…and happy bidding!