Odds and Ends

Granny square mug cozy

I've been thinking of small projects to make with granny squares lately and happened to find a free pattern for a mug cozy by Earth and Sky over on Ravelry. I whipped one of these up with some oddments of leftover yarn in bright colors. My battleship gray work cubicle is now a little cheerier.

What else is on my hook?

I finally started making the Cast Off Chemo Crochet Wrap by Cari Clement that I bought on Ravelry to support one of my favorite charities also called Cast Off Chemo. I'm not much of a pink person, but this is a happy color for spring. (Notice in the photo that other harbinger of spring at Casa Greenhook - a dandelion. Such a cheery little flower, right!?)

I wrote about Cast Off Chemo in an earlier post. New patterns have been added to the fundraiser since that then so check them out over on Ravelry. Maybe you'll find the perfect pattern for your next project. Every little bit helps to bring us closer to the day when we cure breast cancer and other cancers without having to go through chemo hell.

Oooh! Look at this one! The Amagansett Shawl by Susie Allen. Pretty! I think I'll make a purchase!

Cast Off Chemo

As the last hours of October fade away, I want to put in a quick plug for a worthwhile charity. Many of you probably know that October is Breast Cancer Awareness month otherwise known as Pinktober to some of us who have had an altercation with that disease. I'm sure those behind this campaign have good intentions, but some of us are tired of seeing pink ribbons slapped on just about anything and precious little progress toward a cure. Stage IV breast cancer is incurable and fatal. Awareness is important, but research into a cure is at least as important. 

I have found at least one breast cancer charity that I can support. It's called Cast Off Chemo and was established by a group of yarn industry professionals to support the research of Dr. David Krag. Dr. Krag is working on using the body's own immune system to fight breast cancer potentially eliminating the need for chemotherapy. This work could also help in the fight against other cancers. Many women, myself included, have already benefited from Dr. Krag's previous work in developing the sentinel node biopsy procedure. Because of that, I still have most of my axillary lymph nodes, and I don't have lymphedema in my arms. 

You can purchase crochet and knitting patterns in support of Cast Off Chemo on Ravelry. The easiest way to find all the patterns is to do a pattern search for "Cast Off Chemo," but here's a link to save you the trouble. Two of the patterns, a crocheted wrap and a knitted scarf, were designed by Cari Clement for the charity. 

          

While at the Knit and Crochet Show in July, I purchased 2 skeins of the Wool2Dye4 yarn used in these patterns at the Cast Off Chemo booth. One skein will make the knitted scarf, and 2 skeins will make the crocheted wrap. 

Some of this yarn may still be available. There's no shopping cart on the charity's web site but it can be purchased by check. Contact Cari Clement at Cast Off Chemo, 5 Emmons St #2, Montpelier VT 05602. It's $25 for one skein plus the pattern. For two skeins, the price is $45.  All proceeds go directly to the project.