Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Robin's Wings - A New Pattern for a Cause


All proceeds from sales of Robin's Wings will
be donated to my Aunt Robin's Fund to help her
cover medical and living expenses as she is
recovering from chemotherapy for breast cancer.
Check out my newest design, Robin's Wings! You can make it in Lace or Fingering Weight, Long (as shown) or Short. Inspired by my Aunt Robin. I wanted to 'give her wings' to wrap herself in comfort, as she recovers from surgery and chemotherapy for breast cancer.

When I first started designing shawls, she asked me to design her a large, light-weight shawl to use in her meditation practice. But it wasn't until after she was diagnosed that I found my inspiration.

One morning, as I was making my morning mocha in my studio, I was thinking about how I wished I lived closer to my aunt so I could help her more. I was looking over my wall of yarn and suddenly had the inspiration to design a shawl for my aunt, and donate all of the proceeds from the sales of the patterns to her Fund.
I wanted something to represent the feathers of a bird's wings. I grabbed my sketchbook, and began sketching, interlocking feathers, increasing from the center out to create a curve that would stay in place. I figured pineapples would make perfect feathers, with just a little bit of tweaking to get the look and shape I wanted.

By the end of the day, I had 2 large swatches (in lace and fingering weight), and had contacted the dyer at Black Trillium Fibres to arrange to get yarn dyed in my aunt's favorite color. Both their lace weight Silken and fingering weight Lilt are beautiful blends of superwash merino and silk, and I wanted the design to be written with options to use either weight yarn. As a knitter and all around crafter herself, I knew my Aunt had a preference for fine merino yarn.


Last month I spent several days with my Aunt in California, just after her last chemo treatment, and I was able to gift her the Long Lace Weight version in Moonlit Periwinkle (shown above). I have also made a shorter version (in Wash) that uses half the yarn, which I must admit is my new favorite shawl, and I will be wearing it all summer.

As a therapist and teacher of meditation and mindfulness, my aunt does not get paid vacation or sick days. She has continued working through this experience, as much as she has been able to. But she has missed a lot more work that she had hoped to and the medical bills will continue to accumulate.

All proceeds from the sales of this pattern will go to Robin's Fund. I spent nothing on development so it will all go to her. My usual tech editor is a breast cancer survivor herself and volunteered her services. One of my contractors volunteered to make the fingering weight sample. And Black Trillium Fibers supplied not only the yarn for the samples, but an additional couple of skeins for me to do raffles at future events.

So, please consider purchasing a copy of the pattern for yourself or a gift! Or if you do not need the pattern but want to help, you could donate directly on her YouCaring.com page.
Click Here to Purchase Pattern
If you happen to be local to the Vancouver, WA area, we are starting a Free Crochet Along of the Shawl at Blizzard Yarn and Fibers, every Wednesday 5-7pm, starting tonight! You can purchase the pattern at the shop and get help directly from the designer!

Special thanks to my Photographer Guy Holtzman and my beautiful model Shayna.

4 comments:

  1. Beautiful shawl, Laurinda. I hope it's a source of healing for your aunt.

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  2. Your Robin's Wings Shawl is lovely, as is the story behind it. I hope it brings comfort to your aunt as she wraps herself in your positive thoughts of healing and love.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you. I love having a special reason to design something new.

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