Interweave Knits' WebWatch

Have you seen this? Knitty's techniques columnist Theresa Vinson Stenersen has started the Bunny A Long, just in time for easter.

You might know me and my hub have a bunny. That's her. We love our bunny -- she's our little furry child. We knew nothing about the bigger pet abandonment issues when we got her many years ago. Soon after, we learned about the House Rabbit Society, which sounded like a cute name for people like us. But what it is, in fact, is an organization that works to save abandoned rabbits. Cause, see, people buy and give baby petstore bunnies to their kids at easter -- meaning well, of course -- and don't realize that when these bunnies hit their teens just 6 months later, they will begin to destroy their house and be much less adorable than the fluffy handful they'd bought. A good number of these "easter" bunnies get dumped, back at shelters, or worse -- outdoors where they can't possibly survive.

The HRS works to educate people who want to live with rabbits. The main issues are spaying/neutering at the appropriate age [this is essential if you don't want your female bunny to die of uterine cancer in later life, and to keep your male bunny from driving himself and you mad with his unsatisfyable urges], and bunnyproofing your home so you and your rabbit can live together happily and safely for a long time. There's much more on the HRS website. If you are thinking of caring for a rabbit, read it all, please.

We adore our fuzzybun. She requires different care than a cat or dog would, and gives us very different rewards. A bunny is a surprise and a delight at every moment. The fact that she allows us to be part of her life, knows her name, tells us where she'd prefer to be petted...all of these things are part of the joys of living with a bunny. The thought of the countless rabbits in shelters who have no homes and may not ever find them...

So don't give a living rabbit for easter this year. Join Theresa's Bunny A Long and give a fuzzy knitted friend. Then after you've done the reading, if you're sure a rabbit is the right friend for you or your kids, find the closest HRS chapter and adopt a rabbit who needs a home.

Thanks for listening.

Posted 7:26 AM PST

I bet you're looking for the goods
I can't blame you. So let's get right to it. Links from the spring issue:

- the Sex and the Knitty issue [no nudity, but adult-themed garments are featured in this issue]
- Southwest Trading Company, home of Soy Silk, Silk Latte, Bamboo, Ingeo and much more
- Habu Textiles, where you'll find the stainless, linen, silk and plant materials I wrote about
- Diana Rupp's Make Workshop yarns...sign up for her mailing list so you'll know when she's ready to offer them for sale!
- Axelle de Sauveterre keeps a blog here, and a handy list of her beautiful colorways here. She takes orders by e-mail.
- Adrian Bizilla's Hello Yarn continues to inspire. I'm looking forward to when she starts spinning silk [hint hint], but in the meantime, she's spinning larger dyelots of her gorgeous, inspired colorways.

Posted 2:59 PM PST