Every Year - Again

It has been a while since I begged reminded you to think outside of your close circle of family and friends and do for others.

Yes, it is the season when the Stewart household ramps up crocheting and knitting for donating to others.  She who crochets has set aside a bag that she wants filled with items.   Already she crocheted two soft machine washable hats suitable for those undergoing chemo or for young adult programs. 

And that was just this weekend.  Her hook was flying! 

I am working on my second project of the donating season.  This is a crochet mesh poncho-ish shoulder wrap called Asymmetrical Neckwarmer and is available free here.

The mesh part is being blocked before I stitch it together.  The pattern has post work around the neck part - thus the "warmer" in the name.  Whether or not to add a bulky neck for wearing in Los Angeles is the big question.  I'll let the Spirit of Crochet guide me later today.

So, what's in your donation bag????

Mixing Stitchery

Combining crochet and knit in a project makes me happy.  Years ago, there was the ribbed skirt with the crochet edging.  I still love that one and wear it every winter.  More recently, the blue afghan was a fun way to connect sections with no seaming (or ends to weave in) at the end.

This weekend, I cast my eye at a left over ball of Noro with the few orphan bits of color from other balls and decided to try a hat that has been twirling through my mind.

 The  band is TSS (Tunision Simple Stitch) worked  to a length that was about three inches longer than needed to go around my head.  TSS makes a lovely chain on the edge which is just perfect for picking up stitches for knitting.  From there, I used my regular hat pattern and let the Noro Silk Garden do its thing.

Finishing was simple.  The  band was crossed over itself and pinned for a perfect fit.  The two buttons are non-functional, but really do add a bit of style and hold the band in place.  One large statement button would work also.  

Making this took one afternoon.  But it will probably take a few weeks of procrastination before I write up the pattern.  In the mean time, this will become my new charity hat pattern for the fall.  

This & T-HAT

Do for others.  Period.  You have heard it from me in prior posts and at least once a year I ask you to provide loving hands creations for those who need a bit of extra love.

Well, as it happens the opportunity to do a little extra came my way.  The President of ESSS knitting guild mentioned that her daughter ( a labor & delivery nurse) sometimes has need for blankets and caps for extreme preemie babies.  I decided that I could use the Cherub DK from the stash to knit a few wee small blankets.

I knew that I had two balls of light pink and a skein of pure white.    The request to knit for these extremely premature little souls was "about fifteen inches."  Surely that one skein of white would make a square - would it not?

There wasn't quite as much yarn as I thought. 

Thoughts of waiting until my LYS reopened the next morning were of no comfort.  It would not work if that last little corner became pink.  Since I did not have any blue, I was hoping that the solid white would suffice for a little boy.

There is no way for me to know for certain, but I suspect that I am not the first knitter or crocheter to ransack the stash in the middle of the night looking for just a little bit more.

TaDa!  Success.    I'm happy to finish the first blanket and the remainder of this white is becoming a center square that will be surrounded by pink. 





And that's why I have a stash.  So I can help out a friend's daughter without waiting for the store to open.


Oh, and I made another chemo cap for these kind folks.

Embarrassed To The Core

My head hangs in shame. 

A few nights ago, there was a local news piece about these kind folks who are needing assistance with shipping costs.  I've done my part in whipping up hats for their distribution efforts.  Watching the news reminded me that I had not sent them hats for a while.  I know this for a fact, because I actually walk into the Post Office to  mail the package.  And it has been a whole heap of weeks since I walked into that place.

Then I got to thinking and wondering.  What did I do with those hats that I made?  Did I donate the finished work to a different organization?

And that sent me upstairs into the yarn studio  on a seek and find mission that turned into soul searching.  Right there in a straight line with the doorway was a pile of hats - five finished and one waiting for the decreases.

Here it is already June and that collection of hats was just sitting there.  Un-Donated.   Non-Contributed.  I failed to do my part for the world of care.

The two grey ones are wool and I had planned to send them to a group that works with homeless teens.  My thought was pure; my action was missing.

The purple/yellow are cotton and acrylic and the multicolored are acrylic.  Those four were designated as chemo cap contributions.  The making was a joy; the final use was to be happiness.












I am pleased to report that the deed is done.  While it is true that I do not personally have access to facilities that distribute warmth and head hugs, I do have access to those nonprofits that take care of spreading the joy.  These six are now in the pipeline of love.

Top It Off

The final days of 2013 were spent getting a jump start on Charity 2014.  I tell you this not to brag about my humble contributions, but to encourage you to consider how you might bring a bit of joy in the coming year.  Let it be a hat for anyone from a premmie to an adult or perhaps a lap blanket for a senior or the every popular cage liner for your local no-kill shelter.  There is always a need - right around the corner.

For a few weeks I was caught up in the top of hats.  Making something different for the crown became a journey to answer the eternal query "where should the decreases be placed this time?"

  Here is the Odessa Hat from Grumperina.  With or without beads, it is a perfect pattern for charity work because it fits a wide range of sizes.  Isn't that swirl fantastic?  I love it. 

The pattern is a series of decreases and YO increases that make a swirl all the way to the top.  If you are looking for a hat that is slightly more than a beginner level but not so complicated as lace work, give Odessa a try. 

This is the crown of another hat.  This one is just a variation of my 8 X 80 hat pattern.  Eight decreases are worked evenly around the crown.  With proper blocking, it would probably look like an octagon on the top.

The sides of the hat are just a series of rounds of knit or purl stitches - aka alternating stockinette and reverse stockinette bands. 

The hat squishes down naturally but expands to fit different head shapes.  The green might look rather nondescript but the pattern give it a bit of a jaunty feel.

 This one shall for ever be known as the Xcellent Hat.  The name comes from the crown that results from four mirrored decreases.  Not only does a nice X result, but the round knitting is magically turned into a square at the top.

Again, this is my typical 8 X 80 hat pattern.  The ribbing is made extra deep so that it can turn up.  The yarn is Universal Yarn Classic Shades Frenzy.  It stripes quite well but in a somewhat unpredictable way at my gauge.  Frankly, I like the lack of symmetry.  The thing about this yarn is that it is described as a bulky yarn.  I had absolutely no problem working it down on a US 8 needle and it is not at all heavy or tight.  The final hat is a bit larger than the green one above but it fits a large male head just fine. 

After these three hats - one a published pattern and two of my own design - I am still searching out different ways to top off charity hats.  The next few weeks will bring a diversion, but 2014 charity work just might be a journey toward crowning glory.

The Knitting Dimension

Finishing the afghan square for the group effort charity project consumed me.  A breezy afternoon combined with stupid television programs that did not require much attention and VOILA!

The texture that was developing from the alternating rows and the crisp mitered corners made me want to keep going to find out how it all would turn out.  Working from the outside inward meant that each round took progressively less time.  And then, almost before I was ready, it was time to work a bit of weaving on the live stitches to make the center star.

All in all this was a wonderful and relaxing few hours of knitting.  These square patterns would be great for learning or practicing techniques.  There are decreases, double increases, slipped stitches and just a wee bit of counting. 

Are you fascinated?  The booklet can be downloaded here.

Slightly Ahead Of My Time

This annual post is a few days early.  But that's OK.  It is never too early to ask, "what have you knit or crocheted for others?"  That's right.  This is my recurring reminder that doing for others is the best gift you can give to yourself.

For this week, I have put aside the chemo caps and am working on a group project.  Twenty knitters - with a wide variety of skill levels - have linked needles to make a blanket for a local organization that provides support for women who need a little extra care.

The blanket is pink.  We are each knitting a square - a pink square.  The pattern is familiar to me because I have seen others complete the designs.  And if they can do it, so can I. 

The squares are all selected from  the Leisure Arts publication Sculptured Squares.  The squares are worked by casting on the outer edge and working in the round toward the center.  That's right.  One knits in the round and produces a square.  I find that absolutely hilarious. 

The organizer of our endeavor has assigned me to make the "X Star" square.  The only difference between my square and all the others will be the way that the center is worked and how the final weaving of live stitches is done.   It will be a new experience for me. 

Don't you just love it?  I get to learn something new, practice getting gauge so as to match other knitters' gauge, and donate a blanket to someone who needs a little extra love. 

Life is good!