Knit Along

If you've read my blog long enough--like say, the last two days--you know I love football. And if you've read my blog long enough--like say, the last two days--you also know that I am a huge Dallas Cowboys fan.

I'm also a member of Ravelry, an online fiber crafting community. It seems to be made up mostly of knitters, but there are plenty of crocheters, weavers, and spinners there as well. Not only can you keep track of your stash and projects, you can also queue patterns you like, buy sell or trade yarn, and connect with other people who have the same interests. Stay with me, this is going somewhere.

When I first joined Ravelry, I was a bit dismayed to find that there was no group for Cowboys fan knitters. I looked all over the site for several days, but came to the conclusion that there just wasn't one. So guess what I did. I started Fans of Da Boys: A Forum For Dallas Cowboys Fan Knitters and Crocheters.

I'd link the group, but if you aren't yet a Ravelry member, you wouldn't be able to access it at this time. Ravelry is still in beta, and as such, is only open to registered members. When the site is ready to go public, anyone will be able to access it, whether you register or not.

I opened up a suggestion box in my group, to kind of get ideas to increase group participation. The suggestion that came up the most was to have regular Knit Alongs. Still with me? This is going somewhere, I promise.

Tony Romo is the head hunk--er starting quarterback-- of the Dallas Cowboys. Recently his father was diagnosed with cancer. Latest reports say he is doing well, but cancer can be sneaky--especially the type he has. A former supervisor of mine had this same type of cancer. They thought he was doing well. He'd been cancer free for about 4 years, then one day he started bleeding out of his eyeballs. The cancer had spread to his brain, and he passed away less than a year later. An old family friend of B and J has the same type of cancer. He thought he was in remission until last month when he went back to his oncologist. That's when he found out he is stage 4.

It makes me fear for this young man--fear that he may lose his father.

And relate to him, as my own father died of cancer. Not the same type, but cancer nonetheless.

That's why I made the executive decision that our first KAL would be to knit chemo caps and donate them, in Tony's name, to a Dallas area cancer center.

I even found some yarn in Cowboys colors:

Anyone care to join us?