Friday, July 30, 2010

Pancreatic Craftacular

My regular readers may recall that my father died of pancreatic cancer last December. In some respects, he was the classic pancreatic cancer patient: by the time he noticed symptoms that weren't vague and easy to ignore, the cancer had metastasized. He died just a few days after receiving his diagnosis. Pancreatic cancer is such a nasty disease that we actually took some comfort from the fact that he did not linger longer, suffering from all sorts of intense pain and indignities.

When I saw on Facebook that Kim Werker, former editor of Interweave Crochet, author of Crochet Me: Designs to Fuel the Crochet Revolution, and all around good gal, was beginning a fundraiser for pancreatic cancer research, I wanted to participate. Kim's family has been ravaged by this disease: she has lost a grandmother, aunt and uncle, and her father is currently undergoing treatment for pancreatic-related issues right now, although thankfully, his prognosis is good.

So I present to you the Electric Eyelet Socks.



It's a pattern that I had written a while back, and was planning on offering in PDF form, but for various reasons, it had fallen to the back of the to-do list. I am offering this on Ravelry (link here) and Patternfish (link here). From now through December 23, 2010 (the one-year anniversary of my dad's death), I will donate 50% of the purchase price to the Lustgarden Foundation for Pancreatic Research Center as part of the Pancreatic Craftacular that Kim has organized. (Be sure to check out the other participants in the Craftacular, who are offering crafty goodies with a portion of the proceeds going to this cause.)



Thanks for your support. I hope this will be a win-win situation, in that you will get a fun sock pattern to knit, while a worthwhile research center will get badly-needed funds to fight a terrible form of cancer.

5 comments:

Carol said...

Always glad to help out where any cancer is concerned. It's a lovely pattern too. Are you dyeing up some of that electric yarn too?

Selma said...

I'm going to be knitting the Pan-Can socks for my partner's mom, who lost her husband to pancreatic cancer. Thanks for doing this, sweetie.

Ali P said...

We lost my amazing brother in law to pancreatic cancer several years ago. Its such an insidious disease.
I hope sales are huge.

Lisa said...

The mother of one of my dear friends has just been diagnosed. Thank you so much for your generosity, its a great way to honor your father's memory.
xoxoxo

MsAmpuTeeHee said...

I am catching up on your blog (and working backwards, no less LOL). I just lost my neighbor and good friend to pancreatic cancer last week. He had a stomach ache, they found an intestinal blockage, opened him up to remove it, found the cancer, gave him 1 month, and he lasted 1 month to the day. Crazy disease. F@#k cancer. (pardon my french). And thanks for offering your pattern in support. Off to buy it now.