Ravelry advertisers to patronize

As a way to support my fave social network for knitting, I hope to buy some stuff someday from these Ravelry advertisers :-) my priority is those selling organic cotton yarn.

1. KnitPicks--already bought some yarn from them before. Maybe will buy some needles here, especially those I'll need for knitting hats (circulars and DPNs).

2. ArtFibers--hmmm, they have organic Egyptian cotton, ecologically dyed. They also have nice-looking linen yarn.

3. Lantern Moon--Known for their handcrafted knitting needles. I also badly need stitch markers. I can buy them via Paradise Fibers, which also sell linen yarn on cones. Or maybe over at Verra Yarns.

4. Yarn Mountain--carries lovely handpainted linen yarn by Claudia.

5. Verra Yarns--sells interesting organic and socially conscious yarn from the Mirasol project. I dunno though when I'll have to buy wool yarn again, since I'm currently destashing for my current charity knitting projects. Fortunately Mirasol also has organic cotton yarn.This online store also sells fair trade organic yarn, Rowan Purelife. Here's another online source for Mirasol yarns.

6. Yarn Market--sells Himalayan Aloo yarn as well as Louet Euroflax yarn, etc.

7. Fiber Organics--also sells Mirasol Sampa yarns, based in California.

Charity knitting plans for 2012 (Updated)

Currently I'm just knitting wool squares for KAS, but I also want to knit hats for charity. I'm going for an international flavor this year, destashing my wool and acrylic for these projects.

1. Knit-A-Square (KAS)--South African AIDS orphans

2. Eastern European and Russian Orphanages Project (EEROP)--handmade items for poor orphans in cold climates in Europe

3. Hearts for Warmth--for the US. I like this since collection point is in Connecticut, where my older sister also lives. Just a matter of finding someone going to her in CT.

4.  Stitches from the Heart--donates handmade items for premature babies to over 1,200 hospitals/charities in the US, with office based in LA.

Also forgot my plans to knit handcloths/face towels and sell them, to raise funds for charity. I'll be using the expensive but earth-friendly Qoperfina yarn from Peru, if ever I get to fulfill my wish list this year. In the meantime, I'm stuck with using up my current stash of cotton, cotton blend, tencel, hemp, and linen yarns.

Updated Feb. 17, 2012

Added two more charity undertakings

5. Hearts of Love--makes chemo caps for cancer warriors. Challenge for 2012 is to knit one chemo cap a month. So now I'm back to using tencel yarn and knitting one chemo cap a month. Will give it for free to whoever needs it :-)

6. Afghans for Afghans--I donated to them before, when my sis Marie returned to SF after a visit here in the Philippines.


Updated Feb. 19, 2012

Added two groups that accept squares
7. Afghans for Pine Ridge Reservation--for Native Americans in South Dakota
8. Love-squared--Creating afghans for America's homeless children one square at a time

Yarn Wish List, Jan 2012

All organic, natural, and mostly ecofriendly. I'll prioritize cones and large skeins, where available :-) ha ha, I practically ordered most of the colors available for the Pakucho cotton.

ECOBUTTERLY ORGANICS

1. Rich Cinnamon Chocolate Pakucho Organic Cotton Yarn (Worsted) Skein

2. Vicuna Qoperfina Organic Cotton Lace (Cone)

3. Deep Green Qoperfina Organic Cotton Sport (Cone) 

4. Cafe Pakucho Organic Cotton Fine Flamme Sport Yarn  

5. Moka Chocolate Pakucho Organic Cotton Yarn (Worsted)  

6. Deep Golden Brown Qoperfina Organic Cotton Sport (Cone) 

7. Sage Qoperfina Organic Cotton Sport (Cone)









PARADISE FIBERS

1. Louet Euroflax Linen Yarn Sport 1/2 lb Cone

Colors: Willow, Crabapple Blossom, Pewter, Violet








2. Louet Euroflax PARIS Linen Yarn Lace Weight 14/2 1/2lb Cone

Colors: Island Moss, Aqua, Sandalwood, Terra Cotta

3. Louet HAND DYED Euroflax Sport Linen Yarn 100g Skein


Color: Nature








GREEN SHEEP SHOP

1.  Hemp for Knitting AllHemp3 - Brick

2. Hemp for Knitting AllHemp3 - Deep Sea

3. Hemp for Knitting AllHemp3 - Raspberry

4. Hemp for Knitting AllHemp3 - Cinnamon

5. Hemp for Knitting AllHemp3 - Sprout

6. Hemp for Knitting AllHemp3 - Lilac










7. Hemp for Knitting AllHemp6 - Marble

8. Hemp for Knitting AllHemp6 - Wineberry

9. Hemp for Knitting AllHemp6 - Pumpkin

10. Hemp for Knitting AllHemp6LUX - Olive











QUINCE AND CO.

1. Sparrow--Organic linen yarn, undyed

A productive year, so far

What I like most about my current knitting projects is that they knit fast and easy, ha ha.

Done: one wool square for the Knit-a-square project in South Africa, in garter stitch, and two hand towels, both in stockinette. For weaving in ends.

On the needles: second wool square and two hand towels (one in seed stitch, the other in stockinette). When done with the second square, will snail-mail already.

Hand towels are also square, between 8 to 9 inches, more or less. I think some will end up rectangular :-)

Saw a pattern for knitting a square in the round, and I think I'll try to master that. Trying to get the right gauge for an eight-inch square was rather challenging, but I finally got it :-)

Wish list for 2012

1. Destash--I'm still using up my wool yarn that I bought in 2005 at a store in Divisoria. Will knit squares and hats with them, all for charity. Once I use up most of them, I'll use up my acrylic. As for my cotton, tencel, and hemp, will knit hand towels.
        I'll probably buy more yarn when I reach 25% supply for my wool, which I'd rather knit than acrylic. Unless I find acrylic that's soft, and thus kind to the hands. As it is, knitting with cotton is already tough for me, and that's already using metal needles.

 2. More needles--I want to have more circulars and DPNs, metal and wood, for my hat knitting.

 3. Local charity project--I have some ideas but at the very least, I will knit squares that can be made into blankets.