My new t-shirt is here!

I’ve been blogging a long time (it’s scary, honestly). Since the beginning of my blogging life, I’ve made no secret about the fact that I am an ally of the LGBTQI community. Many years ago, after I did a post about National Coming Out Day, some sly little skank sent me an anonymous email saying something like “oh you are all in favor of gay rights but I bet you wouldn’t feel the same if your precious son was gay.”

I can’t remember whether I just deleted it because ew, bigots, but I was way more confrontational back then and probably sent a “piss off, you homophobe” reply. Today my new t-shirt came:

I hope that anonymous email writer doesn’t still read this blog (because, ew, bigots), but if they do, allow me to send you the most giant fuck-you that there ever could be. I love my kid (all of my kids) more than I can express. All I wish for my kid (for all my kids) is a happy, healthy life with someone who makes them happy and isn’t an asshole. I am honored that my son trusts me enough to be open and confident about who he is. I am (and I don’t use this word lightly) blessed to be his mother.

On a lighter note, as Pride Month opens, I’ve noticed some wonderful patterns and yarns created by the industry, many of which donate a portion of the proceeds to various LGTBQI-related nonprofits.

Check out this kit from O-Wool, featuring colors inspired by the lesbian flag.

If you’ve never knit with O-Wool yarns, you’re in for a treat. Beautiful colors, sproingy, soft, good stitch definition, and a company owned by a woman based in the Philly area. O-Wool is featuring all sorts of kits for Pride Month, with part of the proceeds going to Trevor’s Project.

Karida Collins, of Neighborhood Fibers, has dyed up some wonderful Pride-inspired rainbow yarns. She’s got sets featuring regular bright rainbows, pastel, and jewel tone rainbows, and is donating a portion of the proceeds to Baltimore Safe Haven. Speckle-lovers, here’s a great colorway for you:

YarnYay (by the uber-talented Vickie Howell) has a Limited Edition Pride Box, featuring a cool rainbow-themed skein of yarn, a tote bag, enamel pin, pattern booklet and more! Five bucks from the sale of each box goes to the ACLU to further their work for LGBT civil rights. (Fun fact: the twin brother of my law school friend is the director of the ACLU’s LGBT and HIV project.)

String Theory Yarn Shop’s Rainbow Love Shawl kit is selling like hotcakes but they are taking backorders.

Six 55-g skeins of yarn and pattern are included. Love!

If you’re looking for patterns, well, there are lots of designers who’ve got you covered. The NYCraftActivist Rainbow Shawl is a free download on Ravelry.

Emma Bermudez has a free Rav download for these Pride Socks:

Check out the Glamazon sweater, part of a collection from Julie Knits in Paris:

Go here to find the pattern on Ravelry.

Kudos to Jimmy Beans — they’ve created a collection of five patterns in honor of Pride Month. If you follow me on FB, you probably remember that I have a huge girl-crush and designer-crush on Amy Gunderson. No lie, I think she is one of the most talented designers in the industry today. This photo is the Gilbert Baker knit shawl:

There’s a crochet version, too, and kits for socks and the Both Is Good shawl, celebrating bisexual pride.

I’ve only scratched the surface with the above and feel free to share any other patterns, kits, and/or yarns that celebrate Pride in the comments below.

Note: I sincerely believe that my use of the above photos qualifies as fair use. Please contact me if you are the copyright owner and believe otherwise so that I can rectify the situation.