OpportunityKnits

05/04/2020

04/30/2020

I'll let Piper speak for herself here, but I do want to add that thinning out the jail population is especially critical in the time of COVID-19. ⁠
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From Piper Kerman:⁠
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I’m supporting , which is fighting mass incarceration by paying bail for thousands of Americans every year. Will you join me? Donate today at bailproject.org/donate because .⁠
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My bail was set at $50k & my entire story would be different today if my family had not been able to pay the $5k necessary to buy my freedom for the 6 years before I was sentenced. Nearly 25% of incarcerated women in the U.S. are in pretrial detention . Pretrial incarceration accounts for nearly 100% of U.S. jail growth in the past 20 years & cash bail is the culprit. Nearly half a million people are in jail cells across America, a huge majority because they cannot afford bail. I’m donating to because nobody should be in jail due to poverty.⁠
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Remember that people who are eligible for bail have NOT been convicted of a crime. & a punishment, & it punishes poor people most of all. Only the U.S. & the Philippines allow for-profit bail corporations at all – the rest of the world recognizes this profiteering off poverty as fundamentally unjust. is a $2-billion industry in the U.S. with the insurance corporations behind it. 🍊🖤🧡 uses 100% of online donations to bail people out of jail who cannot afford to buy their freedom. They have provided bail assistance to more than 7,000 people in 17 cities around the country, all in just over a year. If you can, please help by donating at: bailproject.org/donate

04/29/2020

Would you call this a statement scarf?

It's beautiful fabric, with a smooth hand and lovely drape.
Maybe your favorite white shirt or that little black dress need some pizzazz . . . because we will emerge eventually.

You'll find the scarf here: etsy.me/2uiCWC1

04/28/2020

New England is covered with thousands and thousands of miles of stone walls. My dad (a true Jewish Yankee) sorted the stones and rocks he found in the yard into small, medium and large so he could quickly find exactly what he needed for wall repair and other projects. ⁠
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No telling how old this wall is, but the peak of stone wall construction (by hand of course) was in the 1880's.⁠

04/27/2020

Mother's Day is coming. Many of us can't spend the day with our moms for all kinds of reasons, not only because of the pandemic.

Many mothers and their children will be separated by incarceration on Mother's Day.

What does this have to do with a scarf?

Not a lot, directly . . . but any purchase from my shop helps to support men and women who are transitioning from prison to employment.

A nice gift for mom (or for you!) can help ease that transition and increase the odds of success.

Find a scarf for mom here: etsy.me/2uiCWC1

04/27/2020

I'm so lucky to get to visit this beautiful place every year. I hope we'll make it in 2020.

04/23/2020

TBT: last summer in Brinnon, Washington on Hood Canal. We had a wonderful stay in a sweet little houseboat at the Pleasant Harbor Marina.

I'm generally doing fine with sheltering at home, but I do hope we'll be able to travel this summer.

04/22/2020

Dandelions with a Bit of Bling . . . a soft emerald green rayon scarf accented with gold and hot pink might be just the thing to lift your sheltered spirits.

This scarf and other spring and summer styles await you here: etsy.me/2uiCWC1

04/21/2020

You know what to do, and you know what to sing.
Be smart, be safe, stay healthy.

04/20/2020

This is one of the packages I put together at Books to Prisoners when I was there last. It was a particularly satisfying package; I was able to find several things that met what was requested - which doesn't happen often enough.⁠
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It's hard to think about the men and women who are waiting for books and will now have to wait even longer because of COVID-19.⁠
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If you're doing any decluttering while sheltering at home, please consider putting some books aside for your local books to prisoners program. Among the most-requested items are dictionaries, thesauruses, genre fiction and instructional manuals. ⁠
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You'll find a list of programs around the country here: http://bit.ly/36ocoR3

04/19/2020

How many names are there for this yellow? Mustard, butterscotch, gold, butter, honey, canary . . . what would you call it?

The scarf has been popular, but there are two more available. A nice treat for you or a gift for Mother's Day? The fabric is lovely and lightweight!

You'll find it HERE: etsy.me/2uiCWC1

Every purchase from OpportunityKnits helps to provide personal hygiene items for women and men transitioning from prison to employment. They will need our help more than ever when the world gets turning again!

04/18/2020

"Yoga reminds me of who I really am. Sometimes we forget and we slip, but in yoga class, I can get back on the path". --YBB Student at Monroe.
PHOTO:

Isn't that true for all of us? Sometimes we slip . . . and we all deserve another chance to try again.