Crafting Weather

Cooler, rainy weather is the breeding ground for knitting creativity. The last week or so has been cooler than normal, and quite rainy, which is been good for getting knitting projects done.

I am also more productive when the weather is cooler, especially when I am making a larger project (such as a blanket or a sweater), or using wool.

For the last few years, I have been wanting to move to a place that has cooler, wet weather throughout the year (Inside Passage of Alaska), beings that I don’t tolerate hot weather well.

I have been working on several personal projects using fishermen’s wool, for winter and cold weather wear.

Facebook Page

Hey all!

I created a FB page for my blog a while back, so I can add even more pictures from my adventures, DIY projects and projects related to living a better life! I’d greatly appreciate it, if those of you who like my blog would also “like” my FB Page.  There is a widget on the left hand side of my blog if you scroll down.

Blanket for a Baby

A little over a week ago, a friend of mine became a foster mommy to a precious 8 week old baby girl. This friend and her husband also have sons, whom they adopted about a year and a half ago. Both of them had become my second family, when I went off to college 7 years ago, and they are still like older siblings to me, to this day. I was (and still am) super happy for them when they got their two boys, and now that they get to have a little girl too, for however long they get to have her (I’m praying for the long haul, but I know that realistically that is not likely with the foster care system), is a blessing.

Beings that they have two boys, and the youngest was two and a half when they got the boys, they have had to get more in the way of clothes and baby items for the baby. Having nine months to prepare for a baby is hectic enough. Beings that this friend is like a sister to me, I decided to make her a baby gift. Whether or not, or even how long they get to keep her was not a factor in what I was going to give her for a baby gift. Every baby should get at least one handmade baby blanket in their life, and this precious little girl just got her’s today!

The day after my friend and her husband got their foster baby, I got to work on her baby blanket. A week later, I had a finished product. I made a run down to the area where I lived and went to church while I was attending college, in order to give this gift to my friend.

Below is a picture of the blanket that I knit up this past week:

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If you were a follower of my old blog (living in the wild west), please click the follow button, and follow this blog, and do the same for my adventures blog (tab is at the top along the tabs bar). I’d greatly appreciate it!

The All Important Yarn

Over the past thirteen years that I have spent making sweaters, I have used a lot of yarns, and various different brands of yarn. When I also taken into account the hats that I have knit up, that opens up to more types of yarn used for making projects for kids. There is some yarn that knits up better than others.

When it comes to knitting projects for children, I prefer to use and work with Red Heart Super Saver Yarn. It is what I would consider standard 4-ply acrylic yarn. Depending on what craft stores you have in your area, the price of this yarn will vary. Where I am, I can easily find red heart yarn for $2.99 for a 7 oz solid or 5 oz multi skein of yarn. If my local craft store is having a sale on this particular yarn, I can get it for less expensive. I also like working with Caron one pound skeins of yarn.

These two brands fall within the guidelines for yarn that is specified for these projects because they are sturdy, warm, soft, and will hold up for a while even with how kids wear clothes. The fact that the two brands I have mentioned are also machine washable and dryable, so they have easy care instructions, and will hold up with many washing’s.  Standardizing that yarn that is used for these projects also helps ensure a uniform sizing and gauge for knitting.

These yarns are easy to knit with, and I, personally have had few problems when knitting with them in terms of the yarn splitting, or being mill end type consistencies.

To anyone who is interesting in getting involved in the knit for kids project, or something similar, I highly recommend using the Red Heart Super Saver line of Yarn (economy, regular, and jumbo skeins), or Caron one pound skeins of yarn.

Here are some yarn combination ideas that I found online that I liked, and might have to use sometime for a sweater. If anyone else likes them, feel free to use any of them yourself, and feel free to check out the projects I have completed and use the combinations or patterns yourself.

Not for the Attention

The following question came to my mind, that I’d like to address.

“Why are you keeping a blog and facebook page if you don’t want to really take credit or bring attention to yourself for what you are doing?”

As much as I don’t want to be like “look at me, look at me”, I want to reach out to others and inspire others to consider someone else besides themselves. The Lord gave me the talent that I have to knit, and he also put in me a passion to use that talent to help children who have been impacted by adverse situations, and they need someone to help them as well as advocate for their needs.

I love knitting, and I am compelled to use that for a greater good. There is nothing better than making something that will bring warmth to a child who would otherwise be cold. For many of the children who receive these sweaters I’m sure, it must be like Christmas, getting something new that is just for them.

I also want to share the projects I complete, so that it may inspire someone else. I know I have tried looking up sweater ideas, to get new ideas for future sweaters. If I can give someone else ideas, to help inspire them to get involved to help the kids, then my job in part is done. I don’t mind if others create a sweater similar to what I have created, a sweater completed, means one more child will be kept warm, and that is what I care the most about.

Projects To Date

Since I began knitting projects for kids in need, I have completed 52 Knit for Kids sweaters and at least 97 hats for children in need. I just completed another sweater last week. Beings as I have knit up 26 hats and 11 sweaters this year alone, I am taking a bit of a break to work on a few more personal projects that I have in the works.

I have a couple baby blankets going, one of which is just sitting for a bit, beings that the friend of mine who I am making it for isn’t due until January, and focusing on the blanket for another good  friend of mine who just got a foster baby a few days ago. Beings that the foster baby is already here, there is a bit more urgency to get the blanket done and to my friend as soon as I can. I also have a wool scarf in the works, that is also just sitting for the time being, for the same reasons as the the baby blanket for the friend who is due in January. Beings that one of the blankets is for a foster child, I don’t feel quite as guilty for taking a break from sweaters and hats.

In keeping this blog, I am hoping to help raise awareness that there are ways to help children who are living in poverty and who have been affected by natural disasters. The sweaters that I knit are sent to the World Vision Distribution Center in Pennsylvania, before being sent out to their final destinations. According to the World Vision website 40% of the knit goods are kept here in the US and the other 60% are shipped around the world.

Reformatted Blog

For those of you who found my new knitting blog, I thank you. The focus of this Blog is on knitting, and the projects I am involved with to help children in need. I know keeping up two blogs will be a bit more of a challenge, but I know I can do it, especially to keep each blog focused and organized.

With this being just about knitting, I will be able to post more pictures of my projects for you to see as I get each one done. I would also greatly appriciate it if you enjoy reading this blog, that you “like” my facebook page which I have also created a link to in a page at the top.