Helping Haiti: Proud to be LSG

I don't think a soul on this Earth hasn't been touched by the tragedy that has recently befallen the beautiful land and people of Haiti. Outpouring of support has come from so many people and places, and I'm proud this moment to be a knitter, a Ravelry member, and specifically a member of a particular group on Ravelry called Lazy, Stupid, and Godless.



LSG to some may sound like a group to be ashamed that you're a part of. But LSG, despite the name, is full of hardworking, incredibly intelligent, occasionally spiritual, and (more now than ever) the most compassionate and generous people that I have ever had the pleasure to call my friends.

From nearly the moment the Earth started to shake under Haiti, the ladies and gentlemen of LSG mobilized. They set up a goal and goal counter and urged their members to give until it hurt. And give they did. By day one the $5,000 goal had been obliterated. Red Cross, Doctors without Borders, and many other organizations were all targeted, and the outflow of cash from these men and women, some of whom have been laid off recently or had other family or financial tragedies in recent times just kept coming.

The bar was raised, and $10,000 was the new goal. Of the over 5,000 current members of LSG, some of those who run Etsy shops, businesses, or sell patterns started pledging large chunks of their profits to the cause. Those totals haven't even been tallied yet, as purchases are still being made by generous folks of LSG, Ravelry at large, and even those outside the knitting community. The group made quick work of breaking through the $10,000 mark. Members posted on their blogs, websites, and other outlets to keep urging each other to give. The bar was yet again raised, and $15,000 was the new goal this fantastic group set forth to demolish.

This one small group has banded together to show the people of Haiti we care, and to show the world that you don't have to be a multi-million dollar corporation to make a huge difference in the suffering of fellow members of the largest group of all- mankind.

So now, I, a PROUD member of a group that may be potty-mouthed and dirty-minded at times, and with tears of pride and heartbreak for Haiti in my eyes, urge you to give. Help as you would want to be helped. Below are links that I truly wish you'll take a look at. The links lead to blogs of fellow LSGers with links to patterns and items for sale that have pledged profits, and to lists of organizations I hope you'll give to.

Ravelry members can visit the LSG-A-Thon for Haiti thread here. You'll find the counter for the current $15,000 goal (we're at over $12,000 so far!), and links to many organizations providing relief, as well as links to patterns and items for sale that have pledged profits to the cause.

A fantastic designer, LSG member, and all around incredible woman named Kristen Rengren has a blog post here with the most comprehensive listing and links to patterns and items for sale that have pledged profits (including her two latest (fabulous) patterns, Bob the Dog and Harlow, which she's pledging 50% of sales in January, and my Pinwheel Ruffles Hat, which I've pledged to donate $2.00 for every pattern sold in January and can also be bought in my Etsy shop, as well as from the 'Buy Now' button below the photo of the hat in my 'Without Further Ado' post).

Shameless Holiday Self-Promotion

I know I promised the new pattern by now, but life just sneaks up on me sometimes. It's coming, and soon!

For now though, I have a quick and dirty shameless plug for my Etsy shop (all stitch markers on sale!) and my Ravelry pattern (also available on my Etsy)! The Pinwheel Ruffles Hat I've been going on and on about is a fast knit, and perfect for the holidays when done in appropriate colors. See? (I'll get a modeled shot soon, I swear!)

And now I'm off to finish decorating the house for the holidays. I promise some photos of this year's holiday crafts, including the precious gingerbread house my son and niece created!

Without further ado....

I present my newest pattern!





This is the Pinwheel Ruffles Hat. I had much internal struggling over whether or not to charge for this pattern, but in the end I decided that I had put a lot of work into designing this particular hat and even more work into designing the PDF pattern, and that with all the hard work of the pattern testers who helped me edit this pattern and make sure it was clear, easy to read, and error-free that at this time a (relatively small) price tag was the way to go. I was given lots of great advice, and it all pointed to this hat being worth the price, and I really hope you'll all agree!

The sizes included for this hat are 6 - 18 months, 2T - 4T, and 4T+. The pattern comes with an additional page of embellishment options and sizing information. I'm very excited about the whole thing, and I hope you all are too! It was extremely fun to design this hat, and all accounts are that it's just as fun to knit!

The pattern is available for purchase on Ravelry as well as in my Etsy shop.

And just to show you all that I still believe in sharing patterns with you all for free, coming soon to my blog will be a new FREE pattern!

So all that said, I only have one final thing to share with you. Aren't my son and niece adorable? :D

The streak continues

In yet another surprising turn of events, I actually managed to accomplish more off of my 'to do soon' list! You'll recall I hinted before about another pattern to offer, and I've finally completed it. It's in testing right now, but will be polished up and available sometime in the very near future. Chances are it will be available in my Etsy shop as well as on Ravelry.

As a bit of a tease, here is a photo of the completed Pinwheel Ruffles Hat. I'd love to know what you all think! Drop me a comment and let me know!




I'm desperately looking forward to the upcoming season and holidays, as well. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for upcoming posts on all the autumn and Halloween goodness, including a recipe for a to-die-for dessert I've stumbled upon and many other surprises!

Accomplishments!

Yeah, okay, not really. But I have managed to accomplish a few things recently. After a bit of a learning curve, I managed to post my first few lots of stitch markers on Etsy. This is essentially the biggest leap ahead I've taken in months, so it truly is something I'm proud of, and would love some feedback.









My shop is here, so go ahead and take a peek and tell me what you think! I've only got a few things listed, but if all goes well I'll have some more soon, including some earrings and other jewelry I've managed to complete but still need to photograph.

Another recent accomplishment is the near completion of the second free pattern I've been promising for a few posts now. I'm just getting some modeled shots and finishing up the PDF to be edited, and I'll post it as soon as I get that done.