Got Involved

I am totally smitten with the idea of sending blankies to babies in the NICU. The babies in the neonatal intensive care unit are given small blankets to lay on in the incubator, and the family takes it with them when the baby goes home. My first one is done, and the pattern is so simple (see Sept. 21 post) that it makes for perfect tv or movie knitting. I tried to hide it, but the bottom edge was knit on different needles and looks a bit wonky. Still... made with love.

I must admit that I was inspired by the blanket project as a former blanket-carrying child. Now, as a knitter myself, I can appreciate the time and love that go into a blanket like the one below- my childhood blanket made by dear grandma.


This is the original. The beloved. It's nearly 20 years old, and has never needed mending (makes you think twice about acrylic yarns, no?) Grandmas definitely make the best blankets. Consider me a shameless grandma in training.

Get Involved!

So I've been looking for a good charity knitting project, and I found one that I quite like. The Yarn Shop in Columbus collects small blankies for the neonatal intensive care unit at the med center. I think it's a great project.

If you're curious:
Obtain 3oz of baby or sport weight 100% acrylic yarn and some size 6 needles.

CO 75 sts
Rows 1-7: K across
Row A: k6, p to last 6 sts, k6
Row B: k across
*Repeat rows A and B until piece measures 14 inches
k across 7 more rows
BO all sts

I think when the weather cools some, I may switch to hats and scarves, but for now I'm all about the super soft baby yarn and baby blankets.

Bowlicious

Ok, so this project was a series of experiments (I'm a scientist, remember). First, the yarn was dyed with blue and green Kool-Aid. After that, I knit it up as a roll brim hat. Nothing fancy, just a simple chemo cap. Then I wanted to try over-dyeing the already knit piece. So I did that with more blue Kool-Aid. Finally, I wanted to give an honest go at felting (and I have to admit, it was kind of fun.) After less than twenty minutes in the washer, it was on to the pyrex for drying and shaping. I think with subtler colors, this could have been even cooler. But it seems to work quite well as an odds and ends bowl.

Sick day = sock day!

Tomorrow I am taking a sick day. (Note to astute readers: I don't really get sick days, but my boss said it was okay to stay home, so I consider that to be roughly the same thing). I have appointments that will take up the morning and will be home from lunchtime on. I have taken this blissful opportunity to learn how to knit socks - painfully overdue!

I have chosen to learn toe-up (as opposed to cuff-down), on double pointed needles. I will save tackling (and explaining) two circulars for now. Pattern du jour from Knitty. I'm pretty sure I can handle this, as my oeuvre of techniques covers more than the basics. Pretty soon, I will be able to pay more and spend more time to acquire a pair of socks! Hooray!

Blog slump.

Okay, so it seems I've fallen victim to the blog slump. This has occurred to many before my time, and only the strong can pull themselves out. I intend to be one of those strong ones.

What I've been up to:
This will one day be a macbook sweater. The knitted piece, as you can see, is about half done. The engineering of the sewed pieces will probably take a bit longer. It doesn't quite work in my head yet, but I still have time to figure it out.


Ok, in love with my idiot-knitter. It basically makes an i-cord that's wider than the normal 4 stitches. As luck would have it, six stitches with a bulky yarn is precisely the size of a narrow bike lock. Easy fun gift for all the bike punks with an appreciation for ironic-coolness.


Tee-shirt is nearly done. Needs one more seam and some blocking and then should be good to go, I hope.

Of course, I'm still trying to design the perfect nylon grocery bag and a felted bowl thingy... update to follow.

Science is keeping me busy, but not too busy to knit. NEVER too busy to knit.