A Little Help for Our Friends

I've been rolling some ideas around in my head of how to help our friends in Japan. Such devastation from the earth quake and tsunami. I think it's been a little hard for me to want to process it being a parent to young children. When disaster strikes, it hits so close to home. I can't even fathom what families are going through. And if I'm completely honest, I don't want to. I want to bury my head in the sand. Growing up in Sitka Alaska we had tsunami drills and once had to put the plan in to action. Terrifying. Being in the second grade marching up to the high school, through a spooky grave yard no less, always wondering if a wave was going to sneak up. Thankfully I had siblings in the high school that found me and offered some reassurance. Yeah, head in sand please. (just watched the evening news while taking a nursing break. wow. The nuclear issues on top of natural disasters.)

But I'm inspired by some many people on the internets doing so many good things for our friends in Japan. I thought I would share a few links that I've come across from blog surfing or on twitter.

PDX Knitterati is donating full dollar amount of her pattern.

Oh, Fransson! is raffling of her Tokyo quilt for donations made.

Janel Laidmen has a new pattern out, sales being donate.

OlgaJazzy is donating 85% of her pattern sales. She's actually in Japan

Here's a post of a much larger list.

Feel free to add any you know of in the comments, I'm happy to add them here and go shopping at them.

I am compelled to offer something I can make, you can buy, and I can send that money to assist Japan. I read that pink represents happiness and then I read about cherry blossoms and how important the cherry blossom festival is culturally in Japan. (what did we do before wiki?) I'm hitting the studio on Friday to create Sakura (cherry blossom). I'm not sure what yarn base I'm dyeing on yet, but it'll have shades of pink with a little red dropped in. For some reason, I feel connected by reading about a tradition and symbolism and then making my interpretation with my hands. A therapeutic way for me to process such a loss. If you have any requests on what yarn or fiber you want to see this on let me know. I'll post pictures as soon as they come out of the steam pot.

Thanks for letting me process here. And thank you to Michele for helping me process last night, brought me to pink.