The Red Thread Sock

A couple of months ago, I got a call from Stephanie Steinhaus. She owns Unwind, a rockin' yarn shop in Burbank California. She had an idea for a very special custom color and project.

Unwind's owners adopted their daughter, Mia, in China in 2002. Mia's Chinese name translates to Magnificent Meadow, and her wit, wisdom and energy are a constant reminder of the babies in China who wait for families.

Half The Sky is a Berkeley-based non-profit that serves children in China's state-run orphanages. HTS trains infant-care givers and preschool teachers;
builds school facilities and foster home villages; and provides
educational scholarships for older girls who wait, sometimes their
entire lives, for a family. Without HTS, the lives of these children
are bleak. HTS ensures that each child touched by their programs is
loved and nurtured.

The Red Thread Sock is a collaboration between Lorna's Laces, Cookie A
and Unwind to raise funds for Half The Sky Foundation. The team focused on the
red thread fable from Chinese lore -- the idea that each child born has an invisible
red thread connecting her to all of the important people in her life.
As these connections are fostered, the thread becomes visible leading
the child to the life she was meant to have.

Cookie A designed the sock evoking vintage seamed stockings with a
wandering rib design that highlights our individual life paths. The
red thread may be knit in a continuous piece to show the continuity in
our relationships.

The two colors, custom dyed by Lorna's Laces are the cornerstone for
the design. "Magnificent Meadow" brings to mind the rolling, green
meadows of Chinese brush paintings. It is contrasted beautifully by
"Red Thread." The colors are currently available in Shepherd Sock,
Shepherd Worsted and Angel yarns.

We are proud to be part of bringing this exclusive design and custom colors to the
knitting community. Half the Sky Foundation will receive 20% of the retail price of Red Thread Sock kits, patterns and custom yarns.