My Heart Belongs to Daddy: Stitch Red = Heart Health

I've always been my father's daughter.  We loved the same kinds of foods; had the same passion for life; were both Type-A personalities who started our own businesses. But one thing that I'm determined not to have in common with my father is heart disease.  When he died at 79 of congestive heart failure, I decided then and there that I was going to take very good care of my heart. He would have wanted me to.

So I lost 25 pounds, found an exercise routine that I truly loved (NIA and yoga), started eating more fruits and veggies (see one of my favorite root veggie bake recipes below) and am almost a vegetarian. I also dumped my addiction to cookies and chocolate and discovered that my acid reflux no longer exists!  One more thing: I take time for myself (hot baths, quarterly vacations to the beach so I can float mindlessly in the Gulf of Mexico, massage therapy and a struggling but growing meditation practice. Oh yes, and I laugh a lot!   

When Leanne Pressly from The Wool Wide Web, a social media marketing consultant to the yarn industry, first told me about Stitch Red (it was TNNA 2010), I knew that this campaign to promote women's heart health to the stitching community of knitters, crocheters, spinners and weavers was for me! My father would have been proud!

But the big question was: How was I going to do this?  Who could I reach and how? 

Cotton Clouds' website (www.cottonclouds.com) reaches over 2,000 readers a day, our newly updated and fastly growing Facebook page is approaching 3,000 friends, our monthly e-newsletter goes out to over 5,000 dedicated Cotton Clouds' customers.  I take personal interest in each of my customers and care not only about meeting their fiberarts needs, but in their general welfare as well.  Some customers have been a part of the Cotton Clouds' family for all 34 years we've been in business. They are friends. If I could wake up just one person to the warning signs of a heart attack and heart disease my mission would be a success.

Cotton Clouds launched our own online Stitch Red campaign. On January 10, 2012 our Stitch Red e-newsletter went out to over 5,000 readers.  Click Here to read a copy. If you do only one thing, please Click Here to watch the video “Just a Little Heart Attack” by Emmy winner Elizabeth Banks. It might save your (or a loved one’s) life! Do it now!

But we didn't stop there.  As a way to celebrate women's heart health, Cotton Clouds has designed five Stitch Red kits for:

Knitting (A Ruffle Scarf in TuTu)

 Crochet (A Market Tote in Cotton Classic)

  Weaving (A Red Chenille Scarf)

 Rigid heddle weaving (A Multi-Textured Scarf)

   Spinning (A Hand Dyed Red Sliver & Spindle)

Of course they're all in Red!  Each kit includes a Czech glass heart bead that can be sewn on the finished project.

We really wanted to make a difference, so we are donating the requested 5% of sales and another 5% on top of that to The Heart Truth from sales of these kits. 

If my Stitch Red campaign saves just one life by alerting my customer to good heart health, I’ll consider my efforts a huge success. Together within the fiberarts community we can support each other and live long, happy and productive lives.

What gets my heart racing? I love that feeling of hiking up a really steep hill and upon reaching the top, looking out over a beautiful vista and feeling my heart furiously pumping in my chest. It's the combination of "I did it", the physical sensation of blood pulsing through my body and the beauty of nature that surrounds me. I guess you can say what get's my heart racing is mind, body and spirit wrapped up into one!  It's great to be alive! 

- Irene Schmoller

My favorite heart healthy recipe: To the Root of It Veggie Bake

2@ large carrots

1@ large rutabaga

2@ medium turnips

1@ medium sweet yellow onion

1@ medium sized yam

1@ tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1@ tbs garlic powder

1@ tsp sea salt

1@ tbs fennel seeds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Peel and dice vegetables to approximately 1” cubes.

Mix vegetables together with olive oil, garlic powder, salt.

Add fennel seed.

Line a baking pan with tin foil or parchment paper.  Spread vegetable mixture evenly on pan.

Bake for 15 minutes.  Stir. Bake another 15 minutes until vegetable are soft.

Serve hot as a side dish, or add cold to salads.

Jimmy Beans Wool Hosting Unique Stitch Red Knit Night

Local Yarn Store and Dentist Come Together to Stick It to

Heart Disease With Unique Knitting Event

Knit Night to Educate Women About Tie Between Oral and Systemic Well-being

Reno, Nev. (January 30, 2012) – Jimmy Beans Wool, a local retailer of yarn and fabric with a strong online presence, and Dr. Zeny N. Ocean, a Reno dentist specializing in total body health through dentistry, are coming together to educate women about their risk factors for heart disease and how they can adopt healthier lifestyles to protect their heart health. The free event, Stitch Red Knit Night, marks the first in a series of monthly Heart Health knitting events to be hosted at Jimmy Beans Wool’s brick and mortar store located at 1312 Capital Blvd. #103 in Southeast Reno and will take place on Tuesday, February 7^th at 6pm.

The Stitch Red Knit Night is part of a national campaign, Stitch Red, which was founded by Jimmy Beans Wool and is supported by a majority of manufacturers and retailers in the Needlearts Industry. The campaign is driving efforts to draw attention to heart disease, help women understand the risk factors for the disease and encourage the adoption of healthier lifestyles so they can protect their heart health.

“Heart disease is the number one killer of women in the United States and the Needlearts industry is made up of 98% women, so we need to draw attention to this deadly illness and help make the fiber community and women everywhere aware of their risks and informed on how to lead healthier lives,” said Laura Zander, Owner of Jimmy Beans Wool.

Dr. Ocean focuses his dental practice on encouraging optimal overall health for his patients through prime oral hygiene. He has studied the links between dental health and heart disease and is adamant about educating people about how they can help prevent the illness with simple tips like flossing every day and strengthening the immune system through proper oral hygiene. “There are hundreds of types of bacteria that live in the mouth, which can enter directly into the bloodstream and greatly increase the risk for a heart attack,” said Ocean. “Flossing is one simple, key way to help prevent the transfer of bacteria into circulation – you can be extremely fit and healthy, but if you have poor oral health, your chance of getting heart disease is much greater.”

Attendees of the Stitch Red Knit Night will be able to preview and purchase official Stitch Red products for which a percentage of gross profits will benefit the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) in support of The Heart Truth^®, a national awareness campaign for women about heart disease, sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). For more information about the Stitch Red Knit Night and to reserve your spot, please call 775-827-9276 or email info@stitchred.com.

About Stitch Red

Stitch Red is supported by a majority of manufacturers and vendors in the Needlearts industry who are creating unique "Stitch Red" products for which 5% of gross profits will benefit the FNIH in support of The Heart Truth^®, a national awareness campaign for women about heart disease, sponsored by the NHLBI.  Additionally, Jimmy Beans Wool has written a book, Knit Red, which features 30 celebrity designers sharing patterns and personal stories and will be released in June of 2012. Another element of the campaign is a monthly “Stitch Red Knit Night” that will be hosted by Jimmy Beans Wool at its retail center in Reno, Nevada, along with other local yarn shops across the country. Five percent of gross profits from Knit Red and “Stitch Red Knit Night” will also benefit FNIH in support of The Heart Truth^®. 

About Jimmy Beans Wool

Founded in 2002 by Laura Zander, aka "Jimmy," and Doug Zander, Jimmy Beans Wool is a brick and mortar and Internet yarn and fabric superstore. It offers knitters, crocheters and sewers worldwide a comprehensive selection of the finest yarns and fabrics along with the latest fashion trends. Headquartered in Reno, Nevada, the store has been awarded an excellent rating from StellaService for their excellent customer service reputation and has been named three times to the Inc. 5000, Inc. Magazine's List of Fastest Growing Private Companies in the U.S. It has also been featured on CNN, NPR, Forbes and in the New York Times.

About The Heart Truth^® Campaign
The Heart Truth^® is a national awareness campaign for women about heart disease and is sponsored by the NHLBI, part of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Through the campaign, the NHLBI leads the nation in a landmark heart health awareness movement that is being embraced by millions who share the common goal of better heart health for all women.

The centerpiece of The Heart Truth is the Red Dress, which was introduced as the national symbol for women and heart disease awareness in 2002 by the NHLBI. The Red Dress reminds women of the need to protect their heart health, and inspires them to take action.  To learn more, visit www.hearttruth.gov.

 ® The Heart Truth and The Red Dress are registered trademarks of HHS. Participation by Jimmy Beans Wool, Dr. Ocean and Stitch Red partners does not imply endorsement by HHS/NIH/NHLBI.