The last few days the news from Japan of the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster has touched me deeply. Growing up in Southern California, a seismically active region, I have experienced several large earthquakes in my lifetime, but nothing as devastating as what is going on in Japan right now. Sometimes we are shaken (literally) out of our complacency, our comfort zone where the worst thing we have to deal with doesn't even begin to touch the heartbreak others are dealing with. This is just such a time for me.
I am very pleased to be showing off my new shawlette pattern - Eiki (strength)
$6 through Ravelry - all profits through April 30, 2011 go to relief efforts in Japan. Donations will be made through
Japanese Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders and American Red Cross
Eiki means great wisdom, strength, willpower, and energy in Japanese, all things I wish for the Japanese people at this time - and from now through April 30, 2011, all profits from sales of this pattern will be donated to relief efforts in Japan. So if you've got a skein of fingering weight yarn and would like to make a quick shawlette, while also donating to the Japanese relief efforts, Eiki might be just the shawl for you. And if Eiki is not your cup of tea, I hope you'll consider donating to the relief efforts in Japan through some other means.
3.21.2011 ETA: You can follow the progress of the donations in the top of the right hand sidebar.
Love, love, love the design and the meaning behind it. Going over to ravelry right now to make my purchase. Strength to those in need!
Posted by: Jen | March 15, 2011 at 08:58 AM
Just purchased it. Thank you for the lovely pattern. I'm going to cast on right away and knit thoughts and prayers with each stitch for a country dear to my heart.
Posted by: kt | March 15, 2011 at 02:35 PM
Beautiful shawlette. Great sentiment.
Posted by: Brandi Schoch | March 15, 2011 at 11:09 PM
Love this shawl and its cause. I'm glad I can help out this way and have something beautiful to work on with thoughts of Japan while doing so. Thank you so much.
Posted by: JoAnn | March 16, 2011 at 07:02 AM
What a wonderful thing to do for the Japanese people. I'm purchasing right now. Every time I watch the news I see how generous the people of Japan are. My husband & I were watching one night & Diane Sawyer was walking down the street talking with people & a man walked up to her offering her food. We looked at eachother & I burst into tears. Now THAT is thinking of others before yourself. The man has no home to go to but he had food for himself & his family & he was more than willing to share.
Posted by: Michelle | March 16, 2011 at 10:11 AM
This is beautiful! I'm a native Californian myself and my heart is heavy with everything that has happened. I purchased your pattern and hope to knit it in handspun. Thank you!
Posted by: Laura | March 16, 2011 at 11:01 AM
Thank you for the generous donation of your work and the thoughtfulness behind it.
Posted by: Michelle | March 16, 2011 at 08:20 PM
Thank you so much for a beautiful shawl and thoughtfulness! I just bought it and cannot wait to cast on!
Posted by: TripletMom | March 16, 2011 at 08:45 PM
Thank you so much for this. You and all of the other talented designers helping the relief effort. It is with great sadness that we go to the airport in a few hours to pick up my son who has been working in Tokyo as a Research Fellow. He did not want to leave, but the work he was doing is not possible at this time, and the dangers are unknown still, and resources are scarce. Through all of this, the Japanese people have been amazing taking care of him. I will knit this, thinking of them.
Posted by: Frances | March 18, 2011 at 11:57 AM
Thank you so much for this beautiful pattern. I just bought it and I can't wait to cast on and get started. I too, sat and watched with disbelif at what I was seeing and how many people were lost in this diaster. This is something positive that I can do to help the good folks in Japan. Thank you for your generosity and may God bless you.
Posted by: Margaret Thomas | March 19, 2011 at 06:07 PM
Janel, thank you so much for doing this! I am trying my best to support all of my friends and others who are participating in relief efforts. It seems so little, but drop by drop, we will together fill the bucket of help and hope for the victims of this tragedy. Our humanity demands we do no less. I am blessed by being joined by so many others in this effort. On my way to Rav to buy the pattern. It will perhaps be a gift sent to one of the charities for distribution to someone in need; that way it will be a double contribution.
Posted by: Elaine Terdal | March 20, 2011 at 01:17 PM
I am requesting permission to link this on my facebook.
I found you pattern via Rosemary Hill on her blog.
Jamie Lea
NoCal
Posted by: Jamie Lea Baker | March 21, 2011 at 07:12 PM