A couple of days ago, inspired by some other designers on Ravelry, I pledged to donate 50% of my sales to Médecins Sans Frontières to help with their work in Haiti. When I did that I thought that I was donating 50% of my usual income and felt incredibly fortunate to be in a position to be able to do that. What I wasn’t expecting was the response from knitters, which has been frankly overwhelming and humbling. Knitters have been buying up any patterns they like now, instead of waiting until they’re ready to cast on, they’ve been searching the wishlists of their friends and buying patterns as gifts, they’ve been spreading the word, designers whose businesses are much smaller than mine (and who are consequently taking a much greater financial risk) have been pledging donations, and altogether this has turned into a much larger fund-raising campaign than I’d envisioned.
Consequently I feel honoured to be able to increase my original pledge and to be able to make the kind of donation that I would never personally have been able to give. I will now be donating 80% of the sale price of all individual patterns and 50% of the sale price of all books (digital, print and wholesale) ordered through my own site or on Ravelry between the 16th and 31st of January to MSF. In addition, if you purchase one of my Twist Collective patterns please forward proof of purchase to mail@ysolda.com and I’ll add 50% of the sale price to my donation total.
It’s difficult to feel anything but small and helpless in response to such disaster as the earthquake in Haiti and the scale of the help that’s needed is truly hard to imagine, but to borrow a metaphor from the Yarn Harlot, just like knitting the small acts build, stitch by stitch into something bigger. And that’s what you have shown me, thank you.
Please, please don’t feel like you should buy patterns you don’t really want or that you weren’t going to buy anyway, but if you aren’t interested in any of mine, consider taking a look at the enormous list of patterns on Ravelry who’s designers have pledged to donate a percentage of their sales. Ravelry have done such a wonderful job of supporting this, Casey’s even made it easy to browse patterns in the list that you’ve already queued or favourited. I’ve also got a few more fundraising ideas that I’ll let you know about soon and the response of the wider craft community has been staggering, there are too many things going on for me to list, but if you know of something please do add it in the comments.
My thoughts are with the people of Haiti and with the workers on the ground who need as much support as we can give them. Thank you for helping me to help far more than I could have without you – I just donated £3766.60, that’s over $6000. Thank you for making that possible.
{ 65 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow, your donation amount is so impressive!
Wow! I’m so happy to hear this. It’s really incredible what people can do! I’m so happy for you, and happy that so many Knitters have stepped up!
Wow! Thats a fantastic amount of money to donate- you must be so pleased- and so very proud of yourself and Knitters everywhere!
Thanks very much for doing this.
That’s an amazing donation — thank you for your generosity!
Amazing and unbelievable. Thank you to you and all people that bought your patterns (and the patterns of other designers).
I’m really lost for words. People usually don’t say how much they donate but seeing the number with my own eyes, well, it just makes me speechless.
There is still some humanity left in people. Thank God.
What an amazing amount to donate in such a short time. I donated some knit washcloths I made to http://www.crafthope.com with all the proceeds from their sale going to Haiti. Thank you!
Really wonderful of you to donate some of your proceeds this way – thank you!
Yep, that was me. I just bought the Hap blanket last night. I have no idea when I’ll actually be able to cast on, but I couldn’t pass this opportunity up! Thanks for your generosity!!!
Wow. You are an inspiration to me. I am so grateful to know about your generosity and the generosity of the knitting community. I am very touched by this.
My goodness. It’s amazing what a lot of little actions can do.
Wow! It is amazing how much you’ve raised. You are very generous to increase your donation amount. You are an inspiration.
What an awesome donation amount!
I bought the Coraline pattern, and I’m incredibly excited to cast on for it soon.
Thank you so much for doing this. It is an amazing, kindhearted wonderful gift you’re giving back to the global community!
Thank you, Ysolda for sharing your talent for a honorable cause and let us all be participant of your generosity. One family, one world, one planet! Oh, Yes!
I’m so proud that THIS is my community. Going to purchase Whimsical Knits II right now!
How exciting!!! It’s been so wonderful to watch the blog world take hold of donating to Haiti!
Wow! This is incredible! Congratulations everyone!
WOW!!!! That is a lot of patterns. Knitters are so generous:)
Off to buy Coraline… Thank you for allowing all us knitters take part in helping Haiti!
Thank *you* for being so generous!
Thank you Ysolda. Just wonderful. I’m off to buy the patterns I’ve faved/queued now. Your post brought a tear to my eye.
That’s so generous, Ysolda. You’re amazing!
I have been wanting to buy WLK1 and Rose Red for along time, but I just found the perfect moment to do it :)
thank you :)
You’re great Ysolda ♥
This is incredible. Thanks for being so generous, for giving me an opportunity to help with you, and for giving me an extra kick in the pants to buy some new patterns I’ve been eyeing! :) You’re great.
This is wonderful. What a great way to be able to contribute. Thank you.
Raising nearly £4,000 in just a few days is an incredible achievement and speaks for the quality of your patterns much as the strength of the knitting community – well done!
I just love how knitters are coming together to do what we can. Thank you so much for upping the amount – 50% was already generous, so it only speaks to your kind soul that you upped it to 80%.
Such a cool way to contribute and such an impressive sum in such a small time. I’m sure the people of Haiti and MSF will put it to good use.
Honorable, indeed. Congratulations on your donation and your general success. Those with big hearts deserve such things!
Ysolda, that’s amazing!! Well done for doing what you can, and to everyone else who is as well. I’m so impressed by the big-heartedness of this knitting community!
Wow! That’s amazing. So incredibly generous. It’s given me a big kick in the backside to buy your patterns I’ve been eyeing up for a while. Thankyou.
This is incredible. Thank you for your generosity. Off to purchase Gretel…
Wow, when I bought the books, I had no idea I’d be a small part of something that big – good for you!
Wow – incredible. Thank you for what you are doing. It’s very inspiring.
Ysolda,this is incredibly generous of you. I have bought some of your patterns which I had queued on Rav, but the donation is yours, not mine!
This is wonderful, I’m a very young designer and my contribution seems really small in comparison, but I have already increased my sales on Ravelry, the response to this is impressive!
I have just read about an initiative of “Craft Hope”, which opened an Etsy shop: “All proceeds of the Craft Hope Etsy shop will benefit Doctors Without Borders in Haiti”
Here is the link: http://www.etsy.com/shop/crafthope
It’s so heartening when you read about how so many people like yourself are being so generous in this time of great need. Most of what we see on the tv, radio and in the newspapers is bad news about bad, greedy and immoral people, so it’s nice to be able to see the nice side of society for a change! Thank you. Oh, and this was just the prod I needed to finally get around to buying myself ‘Ishbel’ – something I’ve been meaning to do for ages!
Fantastic result Ysolda. I like the idea of buying patterns as a gift, will definitely have a think who would appreciate one of your patterns.
How wonderful that you have been able to donate that amount. I am indeed humbled to think I am part of such a honored community. May God bless everyone that has given and those whose lives that have been thrown into such tragedy.
That’s just phenomenal. Thank you.
Wow – it’s wonderful what you and others are doing. I never imagined that it would add up to so much.
Thanks for making this possible. I just purchased two patterns =)
That’s a huge chunk of change! Thank you.
Thank you! I have been holding several of your patterns in my ravelry queue, what a great opportunity to give back.
That’s amazing. Thanks for making it possible!
Thank you for your generosity. It is so great to be part of a community of people who give so willingly of what they have to help other people.
Thank you. I’m so glad that people are responding this way.
I know as soon as i heard about the donations, I looked at the Ravelry list and bought some patterns to make next wonter.
Knitters are seriously the nicest people and you are no exception. Your generosity touches me deeply.
That’s amazing and wonderful, Ysolda! It must have felt so good to make that donation, and by sharing it with us, we get to share in a little of that warm feeling. Thank you!
WLK1 & 2 arrived today. Very speedy! Just wanted to say thank you and that they are absolutely gorgeous books. Can’t wait to get started.
Bless you. Wish I could have been as selfless at your age.
That’s awesome, congratulations! You are being so generous
My copy of WLK2 arrived and I’ve got plans for it already!
Come on over to my blog – I’m having a competition open to anyone who has donated any amount, large or small.
I think you qualify for large:)
Wow – that’s amazing! Bless you!
Thank you for contributing so much – I was inspired to buy all of your patterns I’ve wanted but have been putting off. Congratulations on such a successful fund raising campaign. Bless your heart!
Thanks for posting the specific amount of the total donation. It’s encouraging to know how much an individual small donation can multiple when many of us act together. I didn’t realize it could add up to so much!
I was skeptical, Ysolda. Buy something to give something sounds so self-indulgent, but your points about who buys and when have turned me around.
Thank you for this attitude-changing post!
this is fantastic! thank you (and other designers) for contributing… what a blesssing…
Amaizing amoun! And great to be part of this, both e-books ordered.
Thank you–I’ve always admired your patterns but held off purchasing. Your generosity makes it seem like I’m doing a good thing! I bought 3 patterns.
This is so true! I don’t usually buy patterns because I’m such a sloooowwww knitter and already have a queue from magazines, but I’m one of those who’s been looking through patterns by designers they like who are donating proceeds to the relief effort in Haiti and making lists of patterns to buy. You and other designers are doing such a kind thing, and I’m glad that you’re not losing 50% (or 80%) of your income for this month!
Thank you for such generosity, Ysolda! I’ve just bought a whole bunch of your patterns that I’ve had my eye on for ages. Like the commenter above, I’m a rather slow knitter (and I’ve already got my hands full with WLK2!) but this is too wonderful an opportunity that you’ve created not to be a part of it. Thank you!
Thank you so much for alerting me to this…I hadn’t looked into Ravelry for a week or so and had completely missed it. I’m a slow knitter, with a thousand other things to do as well, but this made me buy your two books and some other beautiful patterns on Ravelry, from other generous people like you. I’m once again amazed at what can be achieved when people work together. Thank you. :)
Wow! Now I’m doubly glad I bought the patterns that were in my shopping cart so long.
Thanks for the book format! Great Idea. Must check into that myself.