Of hats and other hand knits

This book, A Hat for Mrs. Goldman, by Michelle Edwards sums up why I knit; why all knitters knit.  It’s subtitle is A Story About Knitting and Love. It is sort of predictable, but that doesn’t diminish the beauty and truth of the story it tells.

Publisher’s Summary: Mrs. Goldman always knits hats for everyone in the neighborhood, and Sophia, who thinks knitting is too hard, helps by making the pom-poms. But now winter is here, and Mrs. Goldman herself doesn’t have a hat—she’s too busy making hats for everyone else! It’s up to Sophia to buckle down and knit a hat for Mrs. Goldman. But try as Sophia might, the hat turns out lumpy, the stitches aren’t even, and there are holes where there shouldn’t be holes. Sophia is devastated until she gets an idea that will make Mrs. Goldman’s hat the most wonderful of all. Readers both young and old will relate to Sophia’s frustrations, as well as her delight in making something special for someone she loves.

It even includes a simple hat pattern in the back…with a pompom!

I am currently knitting a hat in a style I wouldn’t have chosen. It’s for the PussyHat Project.

The Pussyhat Project aims to provide the people of the January 21, 2017 “Women’s March on Washington D.C. a means to make a unique collective visual statement which will help activists be better heard” and “provide people who cannot physically be on the National Mall a way to represent themselves and support women’s rights”.

On Wednesday, I am meeting the counselor from my old school at a yarn shop. She keeps chickens and refers to her birds as “the girls”. When I saw this pattern in the Winter 2016 edition of Knitty, I contacted her and offered to make it for her.

If you are a knitter and know a chicken lover, you can access the pattern for free HERE.

My friends, this is why knitters knit.

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􏰀􏰁􏰂􏰃􏰄􏰅􏰆􏰇􏰊􏰆􏰂􏰊􏰋􏰆􏰇􏰜􏰉􏰂􏰇􏰔􏰓􏰏􏰏􏰂􏰈􏰇􏰊􏰉􏰟􏰑􏰄􏰔􏰓􏰋􏰋􏰟􏰇􏰝􏰆􏰇􏰂􏰏􏰇 􏰈􏰉􏰆􏰇􏰡􏰓􏰈􏰄􏰂􏰏􏰓􏰋􏰇􏰒􏰓􏰋􏰋􏰇􏰓􏰇􏰜􏰓􏰟􏰇􏰈􏰂􏰇􏰁􏰆􏰊􏰁􏰆􏰑􏰆􏰏􏰈􏰇􏰈􏰉􏰆􏰎􏰨 􏰑􏰆􏰋􏰃􏰆􏰑􏰇􏰓􏰏􏰅􏰇􏰑􏰚􏰊􏰊􏰂􏰁􏰈􏰇􏰜􏰂􏰎􏰆􏰏􏰐􏰑􏰇􏰁􏰄􏰕􏰉􏰈􏰑􏰗

􏰥􏰉􏰆􏰇􏰀􏰚􏰑􏰑􏰟􏰉􏰓􏰈􏰇􏰀􏰁􏰂􏰻􏰆􏰔􏰈􏰇􏰓􏰄􏰎􏰑􏰇􏰈􏰂􏱀􏰇

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Charity Crafting

I finished the sweater on Monday. It took me several hours to sew all the seams, fix the spelling mistake and weave in all the ends. I pressed it for two days and now, it is sitting on my kitchen table ready for Sunday’s Oregon Basset Hound Games.

A few weeks ago I responded to a blog post from Knitpicks asking people about what sorts of charity crafting they do. I sent an e-mail that said:

I got Clara, my first basset hound in 1996. She belonged to my former roommates. Clara & I hit it off from the start. After I moved out, my friends called me and said Clara missed me, would I like to have her. Of course, I took her, but felt sorry for her being home alone, so I took my first step into basset hound rescue and got her a companion, Louie.

When Clara passed away, in 2008, I got Fiona, my first basset from Oregon Basset Hound Rescue (OBHR). Louie passed a year later and I got Lucy, as a companion for Fiona and began volunteering for OBHR.

Every year, OBHR holds summer games in Woodburn Oregon. In addition to the Games, there is a raffle. Four years ago, I started knitting a sweeter for the raffle. I am currently working on my 5th sweater for the Games. It has become a games tradition.

I’m not sure that this is the sort of “knitting for charity” project you are looking for, but I’d love to share more about it, if it seems interesting to you.

 

I got an e-mail asking if I’d be willing to talk about it on their podcast and said yes.

Last week, I called a number and recorded my one minute description of what I do each year for OBHR. You can listen to that podcast HERE.

There are lots of ways you can craft for charity. I hope this inspires you to find your muse.