Knitted Knockers

October is almost here. Did you remember that October is "Breast Cancer Awareness Month"? That means: GET YOUR annual MAMMOGRAM, Ladies!

I previously wrote about making knitted knockers in this post Boob Inserts. And now I've come up with a new and improved version on the insert.

But wait, first you might need some background on Knitted Knockers, The Program:

...word soon spread among mastectomy patients and their caregivers, leading most recently to a news story on our knitted knockers effort that was picked up by CNN. As a result, we have been flooded with requests for knitted knockers from survivors, information on where to obtain the pattern, and advice on how to start a knitted knockers group. 

To better help the knitting volunteers and survivors find each other, and hopefully inspire more knitted knockers groups, we have attempted to organize information on the program in one location. While this portion of our website will be a work-in-progress, we hope that you find it helpful and will keep us posted on your knitted knockers!
(photo courtesy of The Knitting Experience)

Benefit for Breastless Women says
My sister knits like there's no tomorrow. Really - she can knit sitting, standing, walking, lounging, and maybe even sleeping. She sent me this story about a gal who is a breast cancer survivor, and owns a yarn shop, The Knitting Experience. Chesley, the shop's owner, was recently featured on TV for her knitting Boob-A-Thon. Her shop gathered up knitters from all around who were willing to knit boobs in front of TV cameras, to raise awareness for breast cancer, and to create knitted breast prostheses for charity. I'm starting to think seriously about knitting again. Anyone want to join me? The original Beryl Tsang pattern can be found online, and many other variations are on Ravelry. If you can't get interested in knitting knockers, perhaps you'd rather create other items, to be donated to Knitting for Knockers, an online shop that sells handmade items and in turn, "donates the total purchase price of each item sold (minus Etsy and/or Paypal fees) to Breast Cancer Action." British women have also been knitting breasts, to teach new mothers how to breastfeed. Their pattern calls for wool, but I'd skip that, for a breast prosthesis!

Another and different pattern can be found at Arpelia's Blog.

The "new and improved" model that I fiddled with uses only one side of the knitted circle. Fill the cup with fiberfill and sew a fabric circle onto the filled cup with a running stitch, using cotton fabric for the backing. This saves time because only one side of the insert is knitted, and it makes for a more comfortable fit on a reconstructed breast.

Here is my final product.

It works for me!

For Everything There is A Time and a Season

For everything, there is a time and a season. Ecclesiastes, Chapter Three:

1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

The past week has been high drama for family and friends with health crises and simultaneous emotional upheavals. I have been away from home for a while, trying to help. I don't know how much help I gave, but at least I offered distraction and prayer.

Podcasts of craftlit and pray-as-you-go and knitting, of course, are some of my coping mechanisms to help maintain mental stability. Time to just listen to meditations and time for reflection are gifts which I have been given during this time. While knitting, I have been able to offer prayers and selected thoughts for family and friends facing difficult situations.

And I've decided over the past week that for this new autumnal season, I want to tackle a different and challenging project: an (easily) knit lace shawl.

I found a complete tutorial which sounds like it would be pretty and one that I could finish within a reasonable time frame. Never mind that I still have one beaded sock and a sweater to finish before starting the shawl!

A preview of (white) simple lace knitting is shown on the right, photo courtesy of Knitters' Review.

Here is the site I found: Making an Easy Lace Scarf. It looks like all the essentails are there: an easy lace scarf pattern, how-to's, and lots of links to patterns, tutorials, books and yarns. Once I master the "making of lace" technique, maybe a shawl will be on the list for another project for the winter.

Now to decide on the yarn to be used for the scarf. For everything there is a time and a season. Maybe next season will be the time to start the referenced lace shawl.

For Donna, may God's peace be with you. For Mary, Julie and Jack, may God's will leave you with strength and purpose. For Kathy, may God's peace shine on you. For anyone reading this post, may your time be purposeful.

How to Make Air Fresheners Yourself: Go Green

Home-and-Garden says

Few people realize how easy it is to make your own air fresheners and how much safer these alternatives are compared to the store-bought versions that are full of chemicals. There are a lot of options when it comes to freshening your home for less money and with all-natural ingredients. However, figuring out where to begin can be a little bit confusing. You can make a great air freshener and linen spray very inexpensively.

So I went on a hunt for home made air fresheners that were cheap, effective and Green! Here are a few sites and recipes that I found:

Ehow gives this recipe:

Step1 Heat 1 c. water.
Step2 Add four packages unflavored gelatin.
Step3 Stir until dissolved.
Step4 Remove from heat and add 1 c. distilled water.
Step5 Add 10 to 20 drops of scented oil.
Step6 Add a few drops of food coloring (optional).
Step7 Let the mixture cool, then pour it into clean baby-food jars.
Step8 Let gel set overnight.
Step9 Decorate jars with fabric, ribbon or stickers.

Or, how about this one:

Things You’ll Need: Witch Hazel, 30-40 dried bay leaves, 4 tbsp. dried sage

Step1 Gather the following ingredients: 4 tbsp. dried sage; 30 to 40 crumbled, dried bay leaves; and 1 c. witch hazel (liquid)

Step2 Combine ingredients in a medium-sized glass jar.

Step3 Mix well and cover with a lid.

Step4 Let mixture sit at room temperature for three days.

Step5 Mix again.

Step6 Strain herb leaves from mixture.

Step7 Pour the liquid

But, MY FAVORITE air freshener is this one from Green Living:

The vanilla bean has properties that reduce odors. Try this trick to remove unwanted smells and make your home fresh and sweetly-scented:

Just put 1 to 2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract in a small cup anywhere you want air freshening. That’s it!