Shelda - please send me an email.

Shelda from the comments (who wants to knit the Campanula-for-the-Cure sock pattern for a friend with cancer): I have no contact info for you.

The comments have your name but there's no link to a blog profile or email address. Please email me at "mezzodiva-AT-sympatico-DOT-ca". If you provide an email address I would be happy to send you the pattern for you to make a pair for your friend. I wish it were under better circumstances. And please join the KAL (I will send an invitation using your email address) to share your story here and let us know how your friend is doing. And let your friend know we all send her our warmest wishes, love and support.

Knitterly Regards
XO - MezzoDiva

Welcome to our Campanula for the Cure KAL

This knit-along evolved from a foot-related fundraiser, a pretty lace sock pattern called Campanula for the Cure which I offered to my sponsors for the 60-km walkathon The 2007 Weekend to End Breast Cancer.

Click here to be redirected to the post with more details. To get the pattern, just sponsor me by donating any amount. Then grab a button from the sidebar, get your needles and your yarn and knit yourself up a pair!

Please CLICK HERE TO SPONSOR ME FOR 2008 since I am (insanely) getting ready to do it all over again!

I’m also going to come up with a new pattern for next year.(Sheesh! Okay, getting my thinking cap on). This KAL will continue for all of us who are still knitting our Campanulas, so please go ahead and knit up a pair and share them with the knit-blogging universe.

If you're a new sponsor and still want THIS pattern, please let me know by putting CAMPANULA in the message line of the donation. If you want the NEW (forthcoming) pattern, please put NEWPATTERN in the message line.

Knitters for Knockers in 2008!

The 2007 WEBC is over, but the fight continues.

Last year, 5,521 walkers, the largest number in the event’s five year history, and several hundred wonderful volunteer crew and support people, participated AND raised more than $17.3 million for breast cancer research and care!

The 6th annual Toronto Weekend to End Breast Cancer benefiting Princess Margaret Hospital is planned for September 5-7, 2008.

I have already registered for next year AND I am just now working out the final details for a new sock pattern to use in my fundraising campaign. If you want to get in ahead of the game click here to sponsor me and I promise to send you the pattern as soon as it's ready. (If you want to be a testknitter, please leave me a comment here.)

I am also starting a team to walk with me in 2008: "Knitters for Knockers!" Everyone is welcome: knitters and crocheters, weavers and spinners, and even those who are not fibre-fanatical (though we can’t promise not to attempt to lure you over to the yarn side).

As we train through the year, we’ll set up a flexible buddy system so that faster walkers can go at their pace and slower ones at theirs, but everybody will have someone with them throughout training and the walk for both company and safety. I'll definitely be planning some extended yarn-crawls… downtown like last time but then also to the beaches, etc.

60 more in 2008! click here to join us for this profoundly empowering life-altering experience. Let's work together to make cancer history!

"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world."
-- Anne Frank (12 June 1929 – ? March 1945)

Getting started

I've had my pattern since the beginning of the month, I then went in search of the yarn, I wanted a rose color.
I was a bit intimidated by the short row toe, heel thing and could not fathom it when I looked over and read the instructions. After overcoming my crisis of faith (I dove in), I am now on my way and I have to say I LOVE this pattern.
Working both socks, here is my progress. I am working on a few other projects as well.

A Little Contest!

I'm having a little contest on my blog to celebrate my one year anniversary! Come on over and play!

Lisa L.

Campanula - FO

I finally finished my Campanula's yesterday - YAY! I love them - they are so pretty and delicate - the stitch definition is lovely...

It's kinda hard to take pictures of your own ankles...

see a matched set...

I'm thinking of dyeing them pink for the Walk for the Cure in April - what do you think?

It's Finally Done!

I finished the socks. Finally. It only took me about a, ahem, year.

They are knit up out of Appelaine yarn. This stuff is beautiful!

Campanula #1 complete

Merry Christmas everyone. With all the Christmas knitting, my Campanulas have been languishing in my knitting bag for a while - but I finished the first sock and I love it - this is Bernat's Cool Cotton and I love the stitch definition - and they are really soft and comfy. I can't wait to finish the second sock - Our Walk for the Cure will be in April - so I'm sure they'll be finished by then...

Wishing you all a wonderful holiday!

Merry (belated) Christmahanukwanzakah!! (or Diwali/Deepavali, Yalda, Eid, Dong Zhi...whatever!) Happy Winter-Solstice Festival(s) of your choice! (I've decided to enjoy them all, please pass the nog.)

Oy to the world!
Love to all, XOX - MezzoDiva

Campanula FO

My Campanula socks are finally complete. I used Tofutsie and I must admit I don't think I would use this yarn for this pattern again. However, I am not sure how fair an assessment that is since I don't believe I will ever use this yarn again for anything. I don't really care for it. I do believe, though, that the pattern needs a wool yarn. Having said that, I am pleased with the overall fit but I don't think it will do such a good job of holding up the shape in this yarn.

One of these days I am going to have to re-knit this pattern again in a wool yarn.

socks for a good cause

HEY ALL - just joined , better late then never - recieved my pattern from ramona today - will pick out the yarn, can't wait to start

pat j

So far behind.

To everybody who is waiting for a swap-package/contest-prize/blog-post acknowledging your magnanimity/email/answer (and perhaps a word or two about my knitting) - please please PLEASE accept my heartfelt humblest apologies and assurances that it's all still underway or on the way.

I am having a little trouble (*ahem* - understatement) digging out from the (literal and figurative) avalanche of obligations and the piles of debris (not to mention the basic life-supporting chores) that were dropped when I was sick and then compounded by the recent spate of concerts.

Soon, my friends. Soon.

New to KAL...

Hi! I just got my pattern, and two skeins of Knit Picks Gloss in Woodland Sage. I'm really looking forward to casting on and knitting these socks up!

First Toe-Up Heel

I turned the heel on my first toe up sock and I think it's a pretty neat heel - I'm really happy with it and this soft comfy cotton yarn too...

Campanula Progress

I'm just about ready to turn the heel on my first Campanula.

I'm using Bernat's Cool Cotton in white and they are so pretty and lacy - they'll be perfect for next spring/summer. I may even be tempted to wear them with sandals - something I never do...

Contest #4 - Pay it Forward - Winners!!!

I am finally here to post the winners for contest number 4. Since only four people actually posted their contest entries, I decided that all four should be winners of this contest. Thank you and congratulations to H-star, Carol, Lisa L, and Affectioknitter. Winners - please contact me at mezzodiva AT sympatico DOT ca with your mailing address so that I can arrange to get your prizes to you ASAP.

Though only four of you posted here regarding your "pay it forward" projects, I hope many of you were somehow inspired by this contest to think about what you can do and look for opportunities to make a difference in your world in your own way, whatever it may be.

My Cure "Pay It Forward"

Ramona has been kind enough to encourage us to share our stories here. I thought I'd take her up on the invitation and post a video link. My surgeon contacted me a few weeks ago to ask if I'd be willing to do an interview for a local news station related to breast cancer. They wanted to find someone who had been diagnosed through mammography. I decided to go ahead and really "go public". If it encourages even just one woman to pick up the phone and make an appointment, it will be worth it.

So here I am, new short CURLY GRAY hair and all!

http://www.fox23news.com/mediacenter/local.aspx

Click on the link and then go to October Buddy Check Reminder.

Lisa L :-)

Moving Right Along

My goal this past weekend was to get the heel turned on the second Campanula sock. Ta Da!

Nothing happened on it today, I'm afraid. I'm shampooing the carpet and I'm wiped.

Soon, I hope, soon it will be done!

I'm Ba-a-a-a-ack!

Don't pay the Ransom! I escaped!

No, really, I wasn't kidnapped. I've just been delayed by the lingering effects of the nasty flu from which I am still recovering, and swamped with all the work that got delayed while I was sick. I have done very little knitting and still haven't entered anything on Ravelry, though I accepted my invitation three weeks ago.

But please don't feel too sorry for me! I did actually manage to finish a Campanula sock that I am making for myself. That's right. You heard me. These babies are MINE!
This was photographed early last night at Knitomatic SnB and I then completed another half pattern repeat and the cuff's twisted ribbing, so all I need to do now is cast off and make another one. Despite the photographic evidence, it's actually a perfect fit. It's being modelled here by the lovely Shelna whose feet are a half size longer and whose ankles and calves are much slimmer than mine are.

I'm just a little busy for another couple of days, but I wanted to drop in here to say a quick "Hi!" to all of you and I promise to post the winners of Contest number 4: Pay it Forward ASAP (The MezzoDiva is swamped right now). Meanwhile enjoy the lovely fall weather - such terrific inspiration to knit wonderful wooly things!

Just in time for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Now that we are all awash in Pink this month, here's to helping myself to a gorgeous pair of socks!

These are J.Knits in San Jose. My first toe-up sock and I thought it was going to kill me!

AfternoonMoon http://girlinfox.blogspot.com

Silly Me

I just spent most of my afternoon working on my second Campanula. I spent so long in one position that my back started to ache!

I believe I have figured out why I kept postponing the casting on of the second sock. Somehow, I had built up in my mind that it was going to be a fiddly knit. Which it isn't. Which I would have known if I had just cast on the second sock right after I finished the first one. But no, I kept putting it off, and the bogeyman kept getting bigger. Until today. I was just sailing along. which is why I didn't realize how long I had been knitting until my back started to complain.

Silly me.

Finally Started Sock Two

So, waaaaay back in February(?) or thereabouts Mezzodiva asked me to test knit her sock pattern. I was hesitant since I had never done any real lace projects at that point. But I decided to take the plunge and knit up a lovely sock. And stopped. So I had 1 lonely sock.

Due to a chain of unfortunate events, (check my blog if you want the story) recently I found myself looking for a project to cast on. Apparently, a higher power of some sort really wanted me to finish the pair! So, I took the bull by the horns, picked up my needles and cast on.

I am now the proud mother of a toe-cap. Soon to be a sock. One hopes.

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving, all!

Pay it Forward

I've received so many blessings in my life...

I'll be taking a group of 1st through 3rd graders to Red Willow Bible Camp http://redwillowbiblecamp.org/index.asp - and I've recruited another woman to help drive. (Neither of us has a child in this age group - so don't think that you can't do things with kids if you don't have any of your own).

I'll be volunteering as Cub Master this year and will help the scouts 'pay it forward' as well. Last night a group of about 10 scouts collected litter in our neighborhood.
I'll be participating in Operation Christmas Child http://www.samaritanspurse.org/OCC.asp?MPGID=1

This one is a lot of fun and kids love to buy the little things to put in the boxes. It helps them to become aware of needy children in the world.

Contest Number Three Extension: keep on Paying it Forward!

Good Mornin', Campanula!

Well, I must say it's good to be back here in Blogland. I've missed you guys, though I have peaked in on occasion to see some lovely new Campanulas completed! I apologize for my prolonged absence, but it's been a heck of a ride here at casa MezzoDiva for the last three weeks.

Because I have been out of commission and I haven't seen very much action here for Contest Number Three, I am extending the deadline for Pay it Forward postings to October 15th.

Come on, Campanula Campers! Let's see more of your great plans to make our world a better place! Just think of three ways you can contribute to your own community. There are NO other rules than this: Get involved. Think small or think big. Do something for your family, your neighbours, your school, your country, the world. It's up to you. Pledge to make your best effort to engage in an activity or make a plan to support a cause that you consider important. And please remember to cross-post here so we can all see them. Also, while I do try to keep up with each and every one of you, it makes my record-keeping so much easier if I see it here!

And in case you need some inspiration, here's a terrific site I came across recently: My Good Deed.

Drumroll please....

TA DA! The finished Campanulas:




I LOVE this pattern. Thanks Ramona for coming up with it. Just to recap, the wool I used was Claudia Handpainted in the Baby Doll colourway