Knitters with a Cause

Today, I decided in the wake of the tsunami, and all the aid that's being pledged to look at what other causes fellow Knitters are supporting.

I'm going to start with the button I see most often - Knitters Against Bush. I am disappointed as an Australian Knitter that nobody has created a Knitters Against Howard or better yet one for all Knitters, Knitters Against War.

A site I absolutely love is the Revolutionary Knitting Circle. I originally ended up there after following a link about a knitted peace sign. How cool is that? They are a Canadian based group and are currently traveling around with their "caravan" to various places. Their site is well worth a look.

Next up is Knitters Without Borders. Yarn Harlot started this off, it's for knitters to donate to the Doctors Without Borders organisation with whom her brother-in-law works. At the time I write this donations (Yarn Harlot is keeping a tally as people update her on what they've given) is $29 250.
Interested in making a donation yourself? I believe this is the place to go if you are interested - Medecins SansFrontieres Home. Here you can find links to the organisation in your home country and also about it's works.

Abby of The Knitlette designed the button for Knitters Without Borders so I of course popped across to her blog to have a read. And found yet another Knitter with a Cause. This one I know myself even if I do undertake it I probably have a better chance of failure than success.....I need to buy yarn to finish a current project. This requires me to go into the yarn store - I'm doomed! Yarn Diet for Charity - the aim is to start and finish 20 knit projects before buying more yarn and hopefully also make a cash donation to a charity of some description each month this diet lasts. This I should do, use up some of my ever growing stash, only trouble is some of it I only have half the yarn required to make a project because I haven't got around to buying the other half yet. As they require two different colours. If I knit all the other stuff up, there's at least 20 projects out the road, if I include all the UFO's very close to 20 and I can buy more yarn without wondering what I'll do with my stash.

There is Think Pink - A knit-along for breast cancer awareness. This I have found personally to be one of the most common cancer's that people I actually know have had to deal with. There are patterns on the page itself and there was also in the Fall Issue of Knitty a special Mini-Issue to support breast cancer awareness.
I'm sure I have some pink yarn, there we have a possible project - 19 to go.

I'm sure there are far more, but I can save them for another day when I'm looking for "good works", but in case I don't find anymore I should probably knit some more scarves, after all Hell might one day actually freeze over.

What has really prompted all this thought provking goodness and desire to help others? I spent $20 on Cleckheaton's Faux Fur yarn yesterday to knit up a hooded scarf and with all the talk about the tsunami and all the money being raised and what's needed to help them, I was grateful that I had $20 to spend on yarn and that there was still yarn for me to buy. Some people drink, some do drugs, some people gamble - I have knitting. Which is far better for you than any of those other things and besides once you take it up you can't afford any of those other things. However, having said that there is always money for chocolate.....

Knit On and Be Excellent To One Another!