Beth Durden

When I joined Ravelry, the very first person to friend me was Beth Durden. I had no clue who she was, or why she friended me.. and I decided not to ask. The only reason I didn't delete her was because she was a student of midwifery, and that is something I find fascinating.

Ok... she's also a spinner & knitter. Bonus points .

So.. it seems that Beth has taken on a 2 year mission. One of the things she has asked for is care packages and encouraging notes. I think I'm going to drop Beth a card every now and then, and perhaps knit a baby hat or two.

I'm asking you to do the same.

I have copied the following from her blog profile:


What it's all about:

~*Beth Durden*~
Vancouver, WA, United States
I'm a student midwife who is living in Davao City, Philippines for 2 years to learn and work in a birth center that serves women living in poverty in and around Davao City. My mission and calling is to reduce maternal and infant risk, protect and defend the dignity of women, by demonstrating Christ's love, compassion, and mercy in action. I am interested in coming alongside indigenous midwives in developing countries in order to glean from their wisdom while also empowering and equipping them with skills to better serve the women in their communities. I hope to be a part of starting birth centers in resource poor areas to help fight needless maternal/infant mortality and morbidity, and to help give moms and babies the love and care that they deserve. I hope to become a CPM by 2012, then intern in a fistula hospital in Africa to learn how to repair obstetric fistula. This blog is about my journey into this calling.

View my complete profile

My address in the Philippines:
Want to send care packages or encouraging notes? I heart you.

Beth Durden
c/o Mercy Maternity Center
P.O Box 81227
Davao City 8000
Philippines


The school I attend:
Newlife International School of Midwifery



You go, Beth Durden. The world needs more like you. I'm going to think about mercy in action for a long while.

(hey knitters... could you pass this link along? i believe our community can do something spectacular for her)

It's that time again...

Fund raising... (any missing pictures will be updated tomorrow)

I have to offer (all prices in Candian dollars, and do not include shipping):

4+ lbs of cormo hogget #840 fleece, 2009, from Sue of US Cormo Farm. Paid $110.00 US shipped, and will sell for $75.00. I washed and carded a small handful, and it is awesome, as always. Click on link and scroll down to see a photo of the (up to) 4.75" staple.

Indian Princess type spinning wheel for spinning art yarn. Complete with one massive bobbin. This wheel is quite rustic, but functional. $75.00, but must be a local sale.

Strauch Finest chain driven drum carder. Used once (for real! I carded some shetland and i'm still spinning it), and all parts are included except the original box. $600.00 CDN. I cannot ship. This is a fantastic deal!

2 skeins of Noro Aurora, in colourway 6A. One has had the label removed and some yarn wound off, and back on again. Both for $15.00

3 skeins of Ornaghifilati 'Gong', in colourway 988-76079. Mercerized cotton, sport weight. $10.00

2 skeins of Crystal Palace Kid Merino, 240yds/25gm. Colour: Nightlights. $7.50

2 skeins of Artyarns Ultramerino4, fingering weight. Colourway 101. $15



From the 2008 Year of Lace:

December 2008 kit, including the Snowdrop Shawl pattern by Nancy Bush, and a cake of natural merino lace yarn. We had just got an electric ball winder at the shop and this skein got away from us. My scale weighs it at 206 grams. The pattern calls for 100 grams, so you have an extra shawl there. $50.00


June 2008 kit, including the Berry Blue-tiful Summer Stole pattern by Joan Schrouder, and 100 grams of Lorna's Laces 'Helen's Lace' in the colour Berry Blue-tiful. $50.00

You may know that I worked at Make One during the year of lace; I just wanted to let you know that I was one of the first people who joined the year of lace; quite some time before I started working there. I don't want you to think that I got these packages for free and I'm taking advantage.


2009 CycleOps Fluid Trainer. Used a half dozen times. It's great.. just not my deal. Paid $400, will take $300 including a climbing block.

Fiber meets puppy

I bought this from Pigeonroof Studios on Etsy. It's a BFL (my favorite...)/Silk blend. Not my usual choice of colours, but really pretty I thought.



I spun just more than half of it, and left the balance of the fiber on the arm of the couch while I went out to do an errand. (Would you have guessed that it would spin up blue? Me neither)



It was roughly in the shape of a ball.



When I came back, I found this:



And here is the guilty party. Any attempt to resist his powers would be fruitless.



(I managed to spin most of the fiber.. it ended well)