Charity Knitting: Scarves for Special Olympics

A good friend sent me a link to this VERY cool project organized by Red Heart and the Winter Special Olympics -- scarves for all the participants!  I know this is a VERY hectic time of year for us knitters ... we're busy finishing gift-knitting for family and friends.  I know this is a VERY hectic time of year for us designers ... we're busy finishing commissioned designs and drafting new submissions and generally up to our ears in work.

But a scarf doesn't take that long ... and if each one of us makes just one ... that will be many more than they would have had!  So won't you take a minute ... look up your state and the requirements ... and make a scarf for one of the athletes, families or volunteers who annually make the Special Olympics a reality? 

My state of Virginia needs the scarves by January 6th (mailing by December 30th) ... wouldn't that be perfect for post-Christmas dinner knitting?  And it only needs to be 6" x 54" or 60". 

Please let me know if you decide to participate ... and what state you're in.  If you'll send me a picture of the finished scarf (or SCARVES!), I'll be happy to post 'em on here ... THANK YOU for your help in this project of love and perseverance!

Happy knittin'

Mary C. Gildersleeve

By Hand, With Heart -- hand-knit designs
bhwh.mary@gmail.com

Baby Knitting: Easiest Ever Gift!

A very good friend is being induced this morning with her 5th baby -- this always happens as her babies always need a little noodge to greet the new day. But, when that baby does arrive I have the perfect new baby gift.

I wanted to make this 5th baby something special -- often the more babies someone has the less the new babies get. I remembered a pattern that I'd designed for my first "book", Glory of America Knits. I called it "Raggy Maggy" as it looks like a traditional rag doll ... with a bit of a twist.

So, here is a tutorial for making your own "Raggy Maggy" or teething doll:

First, as far as materials needed: #3 US knitting needles, worsted weight cotton yarn (the doll pictured here was knitted with Coats & Clarks Aunt Lydia Denim in ecru), 5 elastic hairbands (large) with no metal (you can see them in the picture, I found set of different brights from Conair).

Gauge: this is not ultra-critical but I got a gauge of 5st x 7rs. You want a tight-ish feel to the fabric. The final rectangle will measure about 13 x 20.

CO 100 sts and work 4 rows garter. Then, keeping first and last 2 sts in garter, do a stockinette center for approx. 12 inches. Finish with 4 more rows of all garter (on last round, reduce 10 sts evenly across so you'll be binding off 90 sts).

Now, for creating this little doll:

Here is the finished rectangle -- approx. 13 inches by 20 inches. Notice how it is on the table on it's short side which will be the "hem" edge (the CO edge is on the right, BO edge is on the left).

[NOTE: I used Conair's "large, no metal hair bands - a pack of 32 cost $2]

Fold the rectangle in half, with the RS out and the hems lined up. From the remaining yarn, wrap a TIGHT, two-inch ball for the head.

Place the "head" in the center of the top fold and wrap a hair-band of desired color (we know this baby is a girl so that's why I used deep pink -- you could use ANY color). You can move the fabric around a bit to get a smooth "face" while tucking the folds around the sides.

For the limbs -- do the left leg first by measuring 6" from the hem up the left side and half the hem (6-1/2"), grab this section and wrap a band around leg portion tightly. Grab the remaining 4 inches and make the arm. Repeat for the right side. Play with these wrappings a bit until you have Raggy Maggy just as you'd like her.

This makes a GREAT teething doll -- easy to grasp, cotton that softens as it washes, and easy-care: just take off the bands, remove the head and wash the rectangle and re-make. The cotton soaks up the burbles and droolings of a baby and looks just as good the 300th day as on the first day.

CAUTION: occasionally check the hair bands for any signs of fraying -- replace immediately!

Greater Love Hath No Mother ....

... than she'll stop ALL knitting projects to make something for her 16yod's Homecoming!

And a black shrug, made with Coats & Clark's "Soft Yarn", is the perfect little item to cover a pretty plaid dress with just straps!

When you have a baby boy ...

... it's never easy to find cute but manly baby things. Even though I haven't had a baby for almost 5 years, I really wanted to design something for a baby boy -- something that would be baby-ish but not girly, y'know?

So, here's what I came up with:

A beautiful, though "manly", blue blanket (approx. 30 x 30) done with a heart lace pattern using TLC Heather in "Blue Moon" and US 11's. That same pattern is repeated in a bonnet (using a smaller needle -- a 2!)

Why is his smile so big?

Because he FINALLY got his own sweater, custom-designed just for him, and knit by his mama's own hands. Should keep him cozy, don't you think?
I designed a traditional fisherman's jersey but used Coats and Clark's "TLC Heathers" in Blue Moon -- which gives it the look of wool without the scratchiness (and it's machine washable!). It knit up beautifully and only took three skeins.

Cozy as a binky ...

... but can be worn ANYWHERE (once the temp goes below 70!). VERY SIMPLE stockinette poncho and cozy-sized hood knits up quickly with Coats and Clark's Red Heart Grande.

Here's a pic where StringBean has her arms out so you can see the arm length:
We're ready for some cold weather, now!

Just in time for next Fall ...

... or our next snow here in Denver! These were done using TLC's Heathers and Foxy (both from Coats and Clarks). Kinda cool for my first gloves,huh?

Spring Sweater -- Edelweiss

I finished this sweater last Spring, but this is the first really good picture of it so I thought I'd post again. I call it "Edelweiss" as it uses Austrian lace patterns and the silver buttons have edelweiss flowers on them. I used Coats & Clark's TLC Cotton Plus (an acrylic/cotton blend that knits up beautifully!)

New FO's to come off the needles ...

this week include:

• A carpet-bag style felted bag that's big enough to carry your knitting, library books or shopping! Done in Dale of Norway's "Heilo" -- with two strands held double throughout -- the bag goes together quickly on size 10s and felts wonderfully. A small pocket is hidden inside and the bottom has a knit-covered cardboard to keep the bottom shaping and allow the bag to "stand up". Really not too hard a project, even beginner knitters could do this one.
• A cozy lap blanket (38x38) and coordinating throw pillow in Coats and Clark's "Red Heart Grande" knits up quickly on 13s and is done in all garter stitch, so even a neophyte could handle this project. The blanket is knit in one piece (I HATE seaming) and the pillow front is knit on the bias with the solid navy blue back knit on as you go. A great first-time project for the daring.