Choc, Kathy, Erin, and I have found a variety of charity knitting possibilities (see post from 3/10/06). Over the weekend, I came up with a thought: Since we have knitters in several communities, perhaps we should set up a challenge in which we knit things for different communities/charities. Like preemie hats for the Ketchikan hospital in April (and send them to Ketchikan Choc to distribute), hospice hats for chemo patients in Juneau in May (and send them to Kathy), squares for the Keep America Warm Project in June (and send them to Erin to put together), items of your choice for the Dulaan project in July (and send them to Kathy,or just send in). We could make up a schedule that would take us through the end of 2006, if you’d like.
What do you think? My experience with a preemie hat is that it takes me about 4 hours to make one from start to totally complete, with ends sewn in. A pretty small amount of time out of a month, really. I think the other projects would also be equally short to do. We have 15 people on this team, so if almost everyone made just one hat, we’d have over a dozen to contribute! We could post photos, and if someone didn’t have time to contribute one month, they could always make something for another month.
Please comment, and perhaps we can get this going for April. Or even March – there are still 1 1/2 weeks left in this month, which would be enough time for me to knit a preemie hat.
I’ve been knitting hemp bath mitts in the past few weeks. I found a very nice weight of hemp, in four colors, at a fiber shop (The Rookery) on Shelikov Avenue in Kodiak (I was in Kodiak a couple of weeks ago on business), They’ve been turning out really well, and take so little “yarn” that I’ll probably be making them for everyone in my family for birthdays this year…I bought 8 hanks, and each one is enough for at least three mitts…
Oh, one more charity project that I just heard about: The Recycled Lamb, a fiber shop in Lakewood, CO is sponsoring knitters (i.e., supplying the yarn) to make "individually hand-painted, grown and milled in Colorado alpaca shawls which will sell for between $75.00 and $100.00 each" (they'll be auctioned off) with ALL proceeds going to Race for the Cure (Komen foundation). They need to be knit by Labor Day, in September.
Good knitting, and let's hear your thoughts about how we should move on!
Linda
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9 comments:
Your plan sounds great. I checked with the charge nurse in the nursery about this plan. They would love to have some hats. As the 1 to 2 pound premies are not born here if at all possible, hopefully the mom is sent somewhere else before the birth, the hats most useable would fit four pound babies. No explanation as to what is done with the 3 pounders.
Choc
This sounds like a great plan. I've started looking into a likely target group for chemo caps and will report on that as soon as I get some info. Shall we just start knitting teeny caps for Ketchikan? Do you have a particular pattern? Suggestions? I tend to be a natural fiber snob, but I s'pose we want to be sure these are machine washable?
kathy
I think that opinions vary regarding fiber. Choc, could you double check for us on what they'd like the hats to be made of?
I did find some washable cotton at KnitPicks last night. Fun colors. I might order some of that and give it a try.
The hats I made during the Olympics were made of Jamie acrylic, and turned out quite well. As far as patterns go, there are quite a few available on the internet. I can post some URLs, if you don't already have one that you like.
Linda
When I talked with the nursery's charge nurse, Katrina, about yarn type, I prefaced my question with a comment that they probably would want us to use something other than wool due to possible allergies. Katrina said that it would probably be better for us to use a yarn the wasn't wool. The pattern that I found calls for Jamie baby yarn. Is that what you used Linda?
Choc
Linda,
Would you share some URLs for patterns? The pattern I have is knit 2, purl 2 for 40 rows on 68 stitches using size 3 US needles and worked flat. Gauge is 6 sts and 8 rows to the inch/2.5 cm. Then the decreasing starts. Let me know if anyone wants the rest of the directions.
Choc
Choc, that sounds like the pattern I started out with. I quickly varied it to knit in the round, using double pointed needles, because I wondered if having a seam might be uncomfortable on little heads, and I also find it easier and faster to knit in the round. After knitting two hats, I started to vary the design, and made a spiral rib, rather than a straight rib. Then I did a preemie version of a stockinette stitch hat with a little ruffle around the edge. I'll try to get a list of URLS for free preemie patterns together by this evening, and actually post it on the blog, so everyone can see it easily.
How big *is* a premie head?
I'm determined to finish a sweater that's been on the needles almost 9 months. After various digressions, the end is finally within reach (Just in time for spring..) Once it's done I'll get started on a premie hat. We're thinking April for these, right?
k.
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