10% + 10% + 10%

UPDATE: I’M EXTENDING 10%+10%+10% THROUGH THE END OF APRIL!

How’s everyone holding up amid the sudden isolation? Schools are closed here in New Orleans and every square of toilet paper is sold out, but the weather is absolutely beautiful and we’ve started taking family walks along the lake.

With due respect to the suffering this pandemic is causing, can I be a little lighthearted and say that this social distancing is a knitting introvert’s dream come true? All social obligations cancelled and I have to stay in my house and knit? This is exactly what my stash has been waiting for!

I never planned on running promotions with my patterns since I try to keep them inexpensive from the start and already have discounts for bundles on Ravelry. But times are a little crazy right now and I have an idea I’d like to implement until at least the end of the month, if not longer. While we’re all on pause in our own little spots, I’d like to propose the following 10%+10%+10%:

10% for you

I’ll be taking 10% off all my patterns – purchased through Ravelry or Etsy – to help you get started on a new project. Hopefully you have a stash of yarn already waiting to go in the closet. Sérac and KiYO are written for any yarn weight. Don’t have enough on hand for a blanket (or don’t need a baby blanket)? Message me and I can help you size it to be a scarf instead!

If you find yourself alone and without yarn (poor you!!) check in with your local yarn shop. I’ve seen a lot of them offering free shipping on their websites, taking orders over the phone if they don’t have a website, or even offering to drop it off on your doorstep themselves. It seems like a great way to give yourself an unexpected treat and make sure they stay afloat too.

10% for science

Did you know I already pledged to give 10% of any profit made from pattern sales to biomedical research? This was something I put in place when I first launched Chicory Sticks. My day job is in infectious disease research so it felt relevant then and definitely feels relevant now.

But let’s also be honest – knitwear design is never going to be something that makes much of a profit. And it would be foolish to expect it to, we’re all engaged in this craft simply because we enjoy it so much. So in light of that …

10% for COVID-19 research

I’ll donate 10% of the original sale price from all online pattern sales (Ravelry, Etsy, LoveCrafts, YarnCanada) specifically to COVID-19 research. This won’t be the last pandemic we face in the 21st century and it’s very possible that the next big one will also be a coronavirus. The more answers scientists have about this virus and our immune systems, the better prepared we will be for the next outbreak. Answering those questions takes money and every little bit helps.

So let’s try this 10%+10%+10% for the remainder of March. I sincerely hope that everyone finds a silver lining this week through the disruptions and uncertainty – mine will be a spot with fresh air, sunshine, and a knitting project!