100% of proceeds from sales of VERSACIKNITS masks are donated to charities!
I am so excited to report that In June we donated over $3,750 to Vinalhaven Community Outreach, bringing our donation total to almost $7,000.
Hello Friends!
I’m here today to THANK YOU all for supporting VERSACIKNITS masks. It is so rewarding to see something that grew out of concern for my daughter working at a NY area hospital into a way to give back to those affected by the economic devastation of Covid-19.
Someone asked me this week how many masks I have sewn and truthfully I don’t know. What I do know is that nearly 500 masks have been sold and I suspect that more than that have been donated. And while I continue to sew masks for sale, I also continue to send masks to healthcare practices in need, mostly so that patients leaving clinics and hospitals have masks at home. So a huge THANK YOU to all of you who have supported me in this effort!
I also want to let you know that I am not just sewing makes. I have a new design in the works, MODERN NAUTICAL (due to release in 2 weeks), featured in the fantastic photo by Gale Zucker shown above (and just so you know, the models are sisters and roommates, so no need for them to socially distance). The photos of this sweater are so cute, with the two sisters, Nadia and Martine, romping around a beach in Connecticut. You may not realize, but one of the huge obstacles to launching patterns right now is the logistics of photography. Gale did a great job with social distancing and I sent coordinating masks for a bit of extra safety for everyone working on the shoot! Ah, designing in the time of Covid-19! I am so grateful to Gale for pulling this off and will have the sweater out in the next few weeks!
If you are interested in getting ready for the launch, MODERN NAUTICAL is shown here in both Kelbourne Woolens‘ Mojave (60% cotton, 40% linen) and Andorra (60% Merino wool, 20% Highland wool, 20% mohair). The bright colors are so much fun to play with: the Mojave is shown in MC Coral (3 skeins for a cropped size medium with short sleeves) with stripes in Slate Gray, Sky Blue and Seafoam Green; The Andorra is shown in MC Sunshine Yellow (5 skeins for a traditional size medium with elbow length sleeves) with stripes in Cloud Gray, Haint Blue and Ink Black. But I have to say there are just so many fun color combinations to be had. Follow VERSACIKNITS on Instagram or FaceBook to see the one I am currently knitting for myself!
So, now I am going to talk about mask wearing little bit! If you are sick of the subject, I just want to share one thing I saw on Instagram this week:
BREAKING NEWS: A novel treatment has been discovered that reduces the risk of Covid-19 by over 70% and it has no side effects!
To me, that is about as compelling a reason to wear a mask as anything. I am not trying to be political about this, I simply don’t want you or your loved ones to get Covid-19. I speak from experience, you do not want to get this!
So, the first step is to wear a mask, and clearly, any face covering is effective, but it has been proven by a number of research labs now that 2-layer quilting fabric masks are extremely effective face coverings. Here is a study published last month:
Visualizing the effectiveness of face masks in obstructing respiratory jets
Source: Physics of Fluids 32, 061708 (2020)
So, if you need a 2-layer quilting fabric mask (or two or three or 6), I have been busy sewing. You can follow this link and scroll through the selections. There are masks in sizes for adult, children 5-12 and toddlers 2-4!
VERSACIKNITS masks are hand-sewn, made from the highest grade, 100% cotton quilting fabrics with 100% cotton webbing. The good news is that 2 layers of quilting fabric has been found to be among the best of 2 layered cloth masks for preventing the spread of Covid-19.
All fabrics and materials are sourced from local retail outlets within miles of where the masks are made in Princeton New Jersey. Each mask comes with instructions for caring for your mask and information about “how to” and “how not to” wear face masks.
So head over and see what appeals to you. And don’t forget your kids and grand children. Again, all proceeds are donated to charities!
While I am trying to “balance” my knitting business and mask making, I have acquired a number of fun new fabrics that should be available in a few days and some of the old Kaffe favorites are back in stock…
And here is one of my favorate recent orders!
And again, this is why I like tied masks…
- First, I find that I put it on and leave it on. It is so tempting to pull your mask down to talk or scratch or breath better, but this means that you are touching your mask (probably the front of it) and getting those germs on your hands!
- Second, for me they are more comfortable (the tug behind my ears really bothers me. But these can be tied behind your ears, if you like that feel better and it is probably a good idea if you really do need to remove your mask periodically — but remember to remove/open your mask by holding the ties, not the front of the mask.
- Third, they just seem to fit better, with the ties complimenting the folds so that the fabric covers from well under my chin up over the bridge of my nose.
- And finally, they are so easy to wash and iron to be used again and again!
Stay safe, wear a mask!
You can always learn more about VERSACIKNITS on the blog and follow us on facebookand Instagram!
Happy knitting and stay healthy,
Lori