A Holiday Yarn (25 page)
The Seaside Knitters Knit-a-Square Projects
Nell, Izzy, Birdie, and Cass and dozens of Sea Harbor knitters joined together to knit hundreds of eight-inch squares for orphaned (and vulnerable) children in South Africa who have been infected with AIDS. They found they could knit the colorful squares easily and anywhere--in Harry's Deli, at Coffee's, or sitting on Nell's deck. Then they sent them off to Aunt Ronda and her team of volunteers from Soweto to make into warm blankets for the orphans. The project is one of many created by KasCare, a wonderful nonprofit begun by an amazing Australian family, the McDonalds. Please visit their Web sites to learn more about their projects, to see photos of blankets, and to see the beautiful children they keep warm. The Web sites will also provide information on how to send your own squares or other knitting projects to South Africa.
Simple Knit-a-Square Pattern
(But you can be as creative as the Seaside Knitters and their friends, adding cables, patterns, borders--as long as your finished piece is an eightinch square. Have fun!)
Materials
* Worsted wool and wool blends or acrylic. One square usually uses a 3.5-ounce ball of yarn or mix-and-match scraps
* 1 pair size 10 needles
* Darning needle
Instructions
1. Cast on 32 stitches.
(Measure your gauge to be sure this equals 8 inches. Adjust as needed.)
2. Row 1: knit.
3. Row 2: knit. These two rows form the garter-stitch knitting pattern for your square.
4. Continue knitting as per these two rows until you have knitted a square.
5. To ensure that your knitted piece is 8 inches square, either use a tape measure or form a triangle by folding one corner of your square over to meet the opposite corner. If all sides are equal--then you have a square!
6. Cast off. (Be sure to leave a 11/4-yard length of yarn attached to the square to be used to join your square to other squares.)
7. Sew in yarn ends using a darning method.
Knit-a-Square Bunting
*
Courtesy of Anne Powell
*
These tiny buntings will keep infants warm and cuddled. Experiment with color and stripes, but use a close weave, such as a garter stitch, to avoid gaps and guarantee warmth.
Finished dimensions: 25-inch circumference, 25-inch length, including ribbed cuff
Materials
* 14 ounces (4 skeins) soft worsted-weight yarn
* 1 29-inch size 13 circular knitting needle
* 1 stitch marker
* 1 pair size 13 straight knitting needles
Instructions
Knit with 2 strands of yarn held together.
1. Using circular needles, cast on 68 stitches.
2. Knit 2, purl 2 for 5 inches.
3. Place stitch marker on needle for beginning of first round.
4. Join the ends of the ribbing together and knit in the round (garter stitch) until KasCuddle is 24 inches long from top edge of ribbing.
5. Using straight needles and beginning at marker, knit 2 together onto straight needles to end of row (34 stitches on needle).
6. Knit next row to marker.
7. Next row: knit 2 together on the straight needles to end of row at marker (17 stitches on needle).
Remove stitch marker.
Cut yarn, leaving a 10-12-inch tail. Thread yarn needle with tail and pull through remaining 17 stitches.
Draw up tight and secure. Sew in loose ends.
Check
http://www.knit-a-square.com
for mailing instructions and more ideas.