Knitting for afghans 4 Afghans

Look here for today's post at afghans 4 Afghans.

Day -20: Pair O' Socks Project

Hooray! The socks are complete and in the mail to afghans for Afghans. I'm hoping they will warm someone's feet and soul all winter long.

Day -3: Pair O' Socks Project

Yikes! It's August and I did not complete the socks I wanted to finish by the end of July. Here's progress on what I'm calling Day Negative Three. As of now, A4A is still accepting socks, so I will keep on knitting.

Socks needed

A few years ago I knit a sweater for Afgans for Afghans. It was a wonderful experience. A4A current campaign is socks. If you're a sock knitter, please consider knitting along for a great cause. It'll feel good.

Let The Games Begin

My first finished object for 2009 was mailed today to the Special Olympics Winter Games Scarf Project. I had to use the required Red Heart yarn which was oh, not so lovely to work with.  Mine is worked up in a single crochet, lengthwise.  For some reason, crochet seemed a fitting technique (I had not crocheted an item in decades.) It's funny because many of my knitting buds thought the same and crocheted too!

Soon the scarf will be in the hands of a worthy group and my hope is that it will embrace a very Special Olympian.

Surprise Snow

This morning we woke to a winter wonderland.  Here's what T had to say about that "it's not even Thanksgiving yet!"  We built a snowman family and enjoyed the fluke snow.  It has put me in the mood for Christmas earlier than usual.

All summer I waited for my parsley to grow and it never did much of anything.  Now after a bit of cool weather it's much healthier.  I'm going to try to protect it and enjoy it all winter long.  

BTW yes, I have been knitting.  On needles now is an adorable pixie.  I got the kit from E at our knitting group's yarn swap.  I'm also working on a scarf for Special Olympics.  I've decided to crochet it to give my hands a different action.  At night I've been having pain and numbness in my right hand.  The project specifies you make the scarf with specific colors of Red Heart yarn it's an awful yarn to work with, but affordable to most people.  

The Most Wonderful Wallaby

As far as charity knitting is concerned, this sweater for afghans for Afghans (AFA) was the most rewarding project I've knit.  I took on the sweater as a challenge to myself, there was a need for the sweaters and the US deadline was October 14.  I finished the sweater on October 13, e-mailed AFA and they said just ship it out to CA and they will get it in time to go to Afghanistan.  Phew!  I had fun with the whole random stripe thing using the dice (see previous post) and I used up a bunch of yarn in my stash. Most rewarding of all is that it gives me a great feeling to know that the sweater will help keep a child warm this winter. 

T was cooperative enough to try it on for me while she was playing in the leaves.  I really like the way the colors worked out, even though I ran out of options at the yoke and had to finish up the top-most knitting with purple.   It was a pain to knit in all the ends.  I really do need to learn the technique of weaving them in as you knit.

Roll Of The Die Sweater

My Roll Of The Die Sweater is one of my WIPs - it's a Wonderful Wallaby for afghans for Afghans. I have six different yarns to use in the striping. I've assigned each yarn a number. In order to randomly stripe, I roll. This may be the fastest Wallaby I've ever knit because I can't wait to roll the die! Fast and fun.

In other related news.  When we make it to the main library, I love to walk past the shelf of new books to see if any new knitting books have arrived. Usually I only look at the craft section. However, this week my eye was drawn to another section of the shelf and I found Dice: Deception, Fate & Rotten Luck.  Can't wait to read it.

Leap Year

For all you knitter's out there. I suggest you celebrate Leap Year by frogging a project that you've had sitting around for more than ten years that is less than half complete.

New Year

A friend in my knitting group suggested this and I like the idea - cast on a new project every January 1st. My 08-Jan-01 cast-on is a strip for an afghan. The group is knitting strips to be pieced together for afghans for Afghans.

I'm knitting on US 6 needles, co 35 stitches and using KnitPicks Wool of the Andes along with some yarn donated to me for the project.

Also, my knitting new year resolution is to knit something (anything) for myself in 2008.

Red Scarf Project

Finally, I've got a red scarf on needles for The Red Scarf Project. Will it completed by the January 31, 2007 deadline? dunno. But, I'm having fun knitting it now and if it is not ready for 2007, hopefully there will be a 2008 Red Scarf Project and I can send it to them.

Yarn Hog Scarf

start date: 1/24/07
finish date: 3/1/07

finished measurements: 5 " x 59"

yarn: KnitPicks Swish Superwash (3 skeins)
color: Fired Brick
needles: US #6, single point

co 30 sts (or any even number)
rows 1 and 2; K1, P1,
rows 3 and 4; K across
repeat these 4 rows to desired length

1/28/07
update: scarf measures 19.25 inches long after one skein
I purchased 2 skeins and I want the finished scarf length to be at least 60 inches. So, now comes the dilemma: Do I buy I buy 1 or 2 more skeins?