Subversive Knitting

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Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and I'm trying to get these posts uploaded before the end of the month. Since tomorrow is Halloween, I'm coming in just under the wire. Here are some great links to websites that combine knitting with breast cancer awareness and charities:

This Girl Knits. On this fun and funky knitting site, designer Jenna Adorno features designs that have appeared in Stitch-N-Bitch, Stitch-N-Bitch Nation, Knitty, and on Knitty Gritty on DIY TV. The pattern for "Hopeful", a sweater featured on Knitty Gritty, is for sale on her website. To honor her partner of 11 years who recently was diagnosed with breast cancer, Jenna will donate 120% (yes, you read that right) of all proceeds from the sale of this pattern to the Susan Love Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Lion Brand. On their yarn website, Lion Brand features a story about a customer, Judith Christensen, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in January. During her treatment, Judith knitted 100 scarves, sold them for $35 each, and donated the proceeds to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute where she was treated with the most advanced treatments available, and where she also participated in a clinical trial for a new low-side-effect hormone treatment. Today Jenna's "cancer tumor markers have all improved, she feels good and is living a normal life because of the nature of her treatments." The article includes links to Jenna's scarf patterns.

Needle Arts Book Shop. Knit for the Cure - Scarves of Hope, is a small book with five scarf patterns by Canadian designers. For each book sold, $1.00 is contributed to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. Make your purchase go further in the support of charity by knitting the scarves and donating them or selling them and giving the proceeds to your favoirte charity.

Tit-Bits. Another Canadian website, Tit-Bits sells hand-knitted prosthetics that are more comfortable than commercial products and can be worn with a regular bra. They come in a variety of colors and sizes, and each one can be made with or without a bead or shell nipple piercing. If you want to make some yourself, the pattern is available at Knitty.

And She Knits Too. This article, on a knitting blog, is not about knitting at all, but about the way the media represents breast cancer in a sanitized manner. Very interesting reading if you are a writer or if you are concerned about the way important issues are covered in the media. While you are at the site, check out the knitting content, too!

Vogue Knitting. The Holiday 2005 issue of VK showcases the winners of their Breast Cancer Scarf Contest. These designs are flat-out gorgeous. The winning scarves will be auctioned on e-Bay in February 2006, and the proceeds will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, so make sure to keep an eye on the VK website so you don't miss the auction. I know I'm going to bid on one or two of these scarves. All of the scarves that didn't win were donated to the Women's Information Network Against Breast Cancer.

The issue also has a review of Celebrity Scarves 2 by Barbara Edelman that includes scarves made by 20 celebrity knitters from their favorite scarf patterns, all featuring pink yarn. Five percent of the proceeds from the book sales go to the Avon Foundation to help find a cure for breast cancer.

Knit Picks. Celeste Culpepper, fromBritish Columbia, Canada, designed the Sweet Mary Jane Cardigan in honor of her mother, Mary Jane, who had breast cancer. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the sale of this lace bed jacket pattern are being donated to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Celeste also donated a portion of her designer fee to breast cancer research. Knit Picks is looking for other charities to contribute to in 2006, so if you have a favorite charity, send an email to charity@knitpicks.com and make a suggestion.