Madison Knitters Guild Charity Knitting Challenge

May donations

2008-05-28T15:01:00.006-05:00

May was the last meeting of the year for the Madison Knitters' Guild and the last chance for donations for the annual Charity Knitting Challenge. Seventy five items were donated, in addition to 36 hats for mailing to Guatemala. This brings the annual total to 761, exceeding our goal by 50%. Charity knitters, give yourselves a pat on the back!

In addition to a pat on the back, a special door prize drawing was held for all those who brought charity items at the May meeting. Thank you to Judy Pruski for 10 sets of hand made stitch markers, to Blackberry Ridge for a beautiful vest kit with sheep on the pockets, to Gail for specially made knitting project bag and to the Guild for an autographed copy of the latest book by none other than the Yarn Harlot herself, Stephanie Pearl McFee.

The items collected at the May meeting were:
11 blankets (two chaild sized, 7 baby and 2 adult)
1 shawl
4 baby sweaters
24 baby hats
4 pair booties
1 pair adult socks
18 scarves
3 chemo hats
7 kids hats
2 adult hats
36 baby hats for Guatemala

These items will be saved for distribution in the fall, when the weather is warmer.

Cute premie hats and booties.

Stylish baby berets!!

Baby sweaters and jackets!
Lots of scarves, warm and frilly and fuzzy.

Hats, hats, hats.

Stuffed animals with hand knit clothing.
Blankets,
and more blankets.

And more blankets.

Thank you to everyone who participated! People in Dane County will be warm and cozy because of your efforts!

April Donations

2008-05-28T14:45:00.006-05:00

April was another star-studded month for charity donations. A total of 61 items were donated, including 1 adult sweater, 1 baby sweater, 5 baby blankets, 5 larger blankets, 6 scaves, one hat and scarf set, one hat and bootie set, 7 hats, 7 baby hats, 6 premie hats, 9 pair of booties, and 12 chemo hats.

This brought the donation total for the year to 650 items, 150 in excess of our annual goal!!

In addition, the Guild received a substantial donation of synthetic fiber yarn for use in charity knitting. The yarn had been "stashed" by Fran Walls, a prolific crocheter, who died in December. Her husband, Larry, donated the yarn to the Guild. A photo below shows some of the yarn that was made available to Guild members and others for charity knitting.

Here is a photo of some of the many donations.
On the wall, you can see our scarf "thermometer" used to tally the donations.

this photo shows some of he blankets and hats produced!
This is a photo of some of the hundreds of skeins of yarn made available by Larry Walls, in memory of his wife, Fran. Thank you Larry and family. Your donation will make a difference to many, many people.

Our unending thanks to Pat, without whom all of the charity knitting would be for naught. Pat finds homes for all these knitted items making sure that people in need receive them. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Total from March

2008-04-03T10:12:00.004-05:00

Although I posted photos of items collected at the March meeting, I did not give the tally. You MKG knitters, you always amaze me.

Blankets: 10 (these are big things to make!)
Shawls: 2 (these are also big!)
Scarves: 6
Hats: 7
Chemo hats: 10
Headbands: 2
Baby Sweaters: 5
Bootie and hat set: 1

Grand total: 43 for March

April Kids' Hats

2008-03-25T15:31:00.007-05:00

For the April charity challenge, we have selected children's hats--to get a head start on next winter. Kids need hats as soon as the chill fall weather starts, so what better time to knit hats than spring?? We will save them for distribution in the fall--kids' ears won't get cold waiting for us to knit hats.

Kids hats patterns abound. The Guild library has many books about hats. But, consider these on the internet.

This is the raspberry baby tart hat from Knitty. Find it here.

Or, how about a hat that lets piggy tales hang out? Find it here.

This is darling for a little kid who likes cars! Find it here.

Knitting pattern central has dozens of kids hat patterns here.

Happy knitting. Remember, even though we hope flowers will be sprouting in April, kids will need hats in the fall. We are Knitting Ahead for next year!

Remember: every month is "knitters' choice."

March Madness Photos

2008-03-25T15:09:00.007-05:00

The knitters guild members were generous again in the month of March. Baby blankets and comfort blankets or shawls were the theme. But, because every month is "knitters choice" there were lots of other wonderful items.

For example, here are two little Baby Surprise Jackets, made by someone who could not knit the baby sweaters in a previous month, but who made them for March.
A soft blue blanket.
Two green blankets; one in a traditional design.
A four color soft machine knitted blanket.
More sweters displayed on the blanket.
A warm shawl or scarf with ruffled edges.
Some of the hats!
Multi colored hats and a headband.

A scarf, a "flying saucer" hat and a head/ear band.
A scalloped feather and fan blanket.
A multicolored slip-stitch blanket.
A mitered square four piece green blanket.
A subtle shawl.
And a bright, cheery crocheted blanket for some lucky person!
More hats and some booties.
More hats.
More hats, including a toboggan-noggin' and some slippers.
A hat to keep the ears warm and braids!
The intricate "Shedir" pattern from Knitty.com

Thanks to everyone who made these items and others for the March charity collection!

February donations

2008-02-25T19:55:00.006-06:00

Once again, the knitters of the Madison Knitters Guild have proven themselves to be generous and prolific. Can you believe it--68 more items were donated at the February meeting. This means we have exceeded our annual goal!! Way to go, knitters. You rock!!
Although February was chemo caps month, one member kept crocheting and crocheting and made a large blanket! Beautiful.
Soft fuzzy chemo hats in a rainbow of colors.
Soft and tailored scarves to keep people warm in this cold, cold winter.
Pastel hats and
bright patterned hats.
Baby sweaters and more soft hats.
Another sweater and a soft chemo hat.
Someone made an entire layette set of blanket, sweater, hat and booties.

Hats, and hats, and more hats!
And more and more....
A knitted log cabin blanket to keep someone cozy.
And little hats for preemies!

Thank you, thank you, thank you....

March--Blankets and Comfort Shawls

2008-02-25T19:49:00.002-06:00

The Charity item for the month of March is small blankets, such as baby blankets or small cuddle blankets, or comfort shawls. Charities appreciate baby blankets for mothers who don't have anything in which to wrap their babies.

Pat also points out that blankets for children need not be large enough to sleep under. Children undergoing painful medical procedures sometimes need a small blanket as a “lovey” to hug while in the hospital. Use machine washable yarn that is soft. You can find children’s blanket patterns all over the internet and in pattern books. One of the easiest, that also knits up quickly, is the Diagonal baby blanket pattern from Lion Brand. The pattern is all garter stitch and you can use big needles. Either use bulky but soft yarn, or hold two or three strands of soft lighter yarn together. Pattern is below.

Comfort shawls and the prayer shall ministries have proven to be popular projects for many church knitting groups. Because the shawls are for people in distress, physical or emotional, using machine washable yarn is important. Again, Lion Brand Yarn has a basic prayer or comfort shawl pattern, using a K 3, P 3 motif.

If you don’t think you can finish a blanket or shawl by yourself, Ask a friend to join in the knitting. Use the same or complementary yarn. Knit strips of a pre-determined length. Get together for coffee, tea, wine, etc., and sew the strips together! You will comfort yourself with friendship and with the knowledge that some unknown recipient will also be comforted.

See you at the March meeting!!

Knitting Retreat

2008-02-09T10:29:00.000-06:00

This entry is a break from the normal routine of announcing the Charity Knitting Challenge pattern of the month.

The Madison Knitters' Guild held a very successful Knitting Retreat in New Glarus, attended by approximately 31 knitters!! Twenty five of the knitters stayed overnight on Friday, February 1 and/or Saturday, February 2. The knitters knit, ate fresh bakery, laughed, made new friends, ate cookies and treats, had a beer/wine/drink or two, ate apples and clementines, cast-on, bound-off, and generally had a wonderful time.

Here are some of the hardworking hands of the Knitting Retreat Participants!!

Great beginnings!
Picking up stitches along the edge of a band for a hat.
The rowdy table!
View from our knitting room.
Decoration on the stairway.

Making socks to match a store-bought sweater!
Socks for a son.

More beginnings.
Must be for a little girl!
Thin mohair alternated with thick wool.
There is colorwork at the bottom.
The knitting matches the sweater.
Some sewing up work.
Looks warm!
This shawl begins with a gazillion stitches for the ruffle.
Some of the last of the Tiur is being made into a pullover.
Believe it or not, this three stranded project is being made with paper yarn.
The warmth of this project was appropriate for the cold, snowy weekend!

January's Collection: An Awesome Way to Begin the New Year

2008-01-17T14:29:00.000-06:00

The Madison Knitters' Guild charity knitters have done it again. They set a new record for monthly donations with a total of 152 items!! This included:

94 hats (preemie to adult)
7 pairs of mittens (infant to adult)
5 pairs of booties and socks
11 scarves
35 sweaters (our monthly target item)

Can you believe the generosity?? Many members brought more than one donation and some brought a bag full of items. Just think of all the people in Dane County who will be warmer and healthier because of your efforts!

Here's a variation on the Carol Anderson Wallaby--without a hood and without pockets. A cute, cute warm sweater.

There were eleven Baby Surprise Jackets from Elizabeth Zimmerman's old pattern. I got photos of a few of them before my camera's battery died.

Someome made a cute hat to go with this BSJ.

Baby Surprise Jackets in all sorts of colors and stripes!!

Two BSJ's with hats and one with mittens to match.

And hats to match sweaters and hats that are unique!
A soft little sweater with a parade of confetti hats.

Wee hats, scarves, slippers and a stack of sweaters for a larger child.

Bright and warm hats!

Snowflake hat and hat/sweater duo.

The blue sweater is oh so soft; the white sweater zips up the back; the striped hats are for preemies and little babies, other hats are for bigger heads!

Warm double knit pom=pom hats to keep ears and heads warm in January!
Gorgeous, warm patterned mittens.

Below is a stack of baby sweaters made by someone! Each of them cuter than the next.

Little booties will keep little feet warm.
Knitters, be proud!!

February's Challenge: Chemo Hats

2008-01-08T14:37:00.000-06:00

Ask any cancer survivor, the treatment for cancer is physically and emotionally debilitating, often leading to despair and depression. The loss of one’s hair can be one of the most emotionally draining aspects of the treatment. For February, the MKG knit along challenge is to make a “chemo hat” that is, an attractive hat for a cancer patient to wear during hair-loss.

Why would someone wear a hat during this time? In addition to boosting the feeling of pride or confidence in one’s physical image, the hat will protect the sensitive scalp and keep the wearer warm.

What kind of hat should you make? Here are some factors to keep in mind:
1. Attractiveness: the wearer wants to look good at a point when her (or his) self-confidence may be at an all time low.
2. Warmth: the wearer may feel chilled due to the treatment.
3. Softness: the wearer’s scalp will be sensitive due to the chemotherapy.
4. Ease of care: the wearer may need to wash the cap frequently.

What type of pattern should you use? Here are some suggestions.
The inimitable knit-blogger, Grumperina, designed the "Odessa" hat. It has a snug fit with an attractive spiral design. Click here to get the free pattern from Magknits. You may wish to eliminate the beads.

This snug beanie is simple and elegant, appropriate for either men or women. You can find the pattern at Knitty.com or by clicking here.

Teenagers also get cancer and other illnesses that result in hair loss. This is a particularly difficult experience for teens who are developing their self image and who want to blend in with their peers. This is a brimmed cap from Knitty.com. Click here for the pattern.

I've made this hat from Lion Brand several times. It is made from the top down, with a very easy lace pattern. Instead of making a ribbed edging, I used an I-cord bind-off (a la Elizabeth Zimmerman). This made the hat end above the ear. You can find the pattern at www.lionbrandyarn.com or by clicking here.

For more ideas on the internet, look at "Headhuggers" or "Chemocaps".

The Madison Knitters' Guild library also has books with hat/cap patterns. Try "Hats On" by Charlene Schurch, or "Caps and Hats" by Vogue Knitting. Or, invent your own pattern.

Remember, as every month, February is also "knitters choice."

January Challenge--Baby Sweaters

2008-01-07T12:01:00.001-06:00

The theme for the January Madison Knitters' Guild Charity Knitting Challenge is Baby Sweaters! The January MKG meeting is the annual Pot-Luck with drawings for door prizes. They year there will be special door prize drawings only for those who bring an item to donate! You can double your chances of winning a door prize by making an item to donate. Or, if you are really lucky, you could win a door prize in the regular drawing and another door prize in the charity donation drawing!!

No doubt MKG members have many baby sweater patterns in their home libraries. In case you don't, here's a cute pattern by "Bev's Country Cottage" that is called the Five Hour Baby Sweater. The 5 -hour title does not include the hat and booties, however. Click here for the free pattern.

Don't forget Elizabeth Zimmerman's "Baby Surprise Jacket." It knits up quickly and is a standard. The pattern is available in most of EZ's books. Maybe you already have the pattern from last year's BSJ Knit-along!
You could also check out www.knitty.com in their archives for "kidswear". They have interesting patterns designed by readers and designers alike.

Knitting Pattern Central has dozens of free baby item patterns as well.

Don't forget, despite the theme for each month, donations are always "knitter's choice."

December's Donations

2008-01-07T11:18:00.001-06:00

The Madison Knitter's Guild members were outstandingly productive prior to December's meeting, making 116 items for donation. We set a record for the number of donations in a month. December's "theme" was baby hats, and some of the cutest baby hats ever made were donated.

These were only three of a number donated my the same person, in different colors and sizes, from premie to newborn.
Can't you just see a cute newborn in these pale green hats, pompoms wiggling?? And, the little patriotic socks??

An assortment of hats in various sizes from different donors. All wonderful!
Another person donated a full rainbow of baby beanies!! Wouldn't an Anne Geddes photo of newborns in these rainbow hats be cute??
Here are some mittens and larger hats which will be greatly appreciated by some youngsters whon't have cold hands and heads this winter!

Some hats were marvelously decorated with pine trees, checks, fair isle and fancy dazzles!
More cute confetti hats, mittens and a matching headband and mittens. What lucky kids!

Festive hats for the holiday season, or Badger Red for all year long!

And last but not least, two pair of dazzling patterned mittens, for older and younger siblings?, in colors to excite an active snow-ball thrower!

Congratulations to all the MKG members who participated and donated these outstanding items. Although we don't know the names of the ultimate recipients, we do know that 116 babies and youngsters will have warmer lives due to your contributions!

November's Collection, wow!!

2007-11-19T12:00:00.001-06:00

The members of the Madison Knitters' Guild are a creative and productive group! Look at the some of the 67 items they donated for the Charity Knitting Challenge. The month's pattern was "scarves" but, as for every month, it was knitter's choice.

Here's a gorgeous shawl/wrap donated by someone and modeled by Jane Newman.
Here's a grouping of hats; the one in the foreground is from a pattern by our own Amy Anderson.
Here's a grouping of warm, cozy scarves, with a hat from Charlene Schurch's "Hats On" on the right side.
A close up of the hat from "Hat's On" and some more cuddly scarves!
Someone made a set of mittens and hat out of space dyed yarn.
Here's a good warm scarf and a set of four hats using a modular mitered square pattern.
Someone made an entire bag of Green Bay Packer hats in all sizes! I think it was a Packer fan and one of the handful of male knitters in the MKG! Go Pack!!! We love you!!
Another hat from Charlene Schurch's book! With stacks of other beautiful hats in the background. Don't you love how the variegated yarn pooled in the multicolored hat??
More wonderful scarves. I wish I cold have gotten individual photos of every donation!
Unfortunately, you can't see very well the great hat/mittens set out of that gorgeous fuschia yarn. In the foreground are two very cute evergreen tree hats with ear flaps--another Amy Anderson pattern.
And a green scarf made from the free pattern posted in last month's entry.
And a brown one too!!
More photos of the tree/earflap hats. I want one in my size!!!
You can see the size of the donation pile!

Go Badgers!! Go Pack1
Fluffy, cozy scarves!
Detail in the style and in the yarn.

Lots and lots of heads, necks and hands will be warmer this winter due to the efforts of the guild members!

Another New and Free Scarf Pattern by Amy Anderson!

2007-10-23T10:01:00.001-05:00

Our own Amy Anderson has written a reversible scarf pattern for the Charity Knitting Challenge. Thanks, Amy! Here it is! (My apologies to Amy--she sent me a very lovely Word Document with charts and proper indentation, but it it lost formatting when loading into blogger. Sorry!)

COMING OR GOING
design by Amy E. Anderson

I love scarves that look the same on both sides, and this stitch is quick and easy to work. By slipping the last 3 stitches on every row, you create a built-in I-cord along each side, which gives this scarf a very “finished” look. I’ve written the instructions so that you can use any weight yarn. Gauge is not critical.

Yarn Weight # of Stitches to Cast On Needle Size
Fingering 45 sts. 5
Sport 41 sts. 6
DK 37 sts. 7
Worsted 33 sts. 8
Chunky 29 sts. 10
Bulky 25 sts. 11

Abbreviations:
K = Knit Yf = yarn forward
S = Slip St(s) = stitch(es)
Slip 1 wyif = Slip 1 with yarn in front.

Directions:
Cast on the appropriate number of stitches for the yarn weight you’ve chosen (See Table).
Work as follows:
Row 1: K6, *Slip 1 wyif, K3* repeat * - * ending K3, yf, Slip 3.
Row 2: K4 *Slip 1 wyif, K3* repeat * - *, ending K1, yf, Slip 3.
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 to desired length, then Bind Off all sts.

Finishing:
Weave in loose ends. Add fringe if desired.

October, 2007

Kids Scarves for November and Free Scarf Patterns!

2007-10-09T12:04:00.000-05:00

November's Madison Knitters Guild Charity Knit-Along Challenge is scarves for kids. Photos from the October meeting's donations showed that some members already were in the spirit for knitting scarves. The donated scarves showed what I wanted to suggest--that knitting scarves is a good time to try different stitch patterns from your favorite knit-stitch book. Don't forget, these scarves are for children, and they can be shorter than adult scarves. Also, use some soft yarn that will feel cuddly and warm on a child's neck.

You can make a scarf by simply casting on about 6-8 inches of stitches and work in garter stitch until the scarf seems long enough. Hundreds of thousands of these scarves have been knit over the ages, I am sure, and have been worn happily and warmly by hundreds of thousands of recipients. (If you are looking for the Ascot scarf pattern, scroll down.)

One donated scarf from October was a bright red garter-stitch zig-zag, the pattern for which can be found by clicking here. It is an easy pattern or increasing or decreasing at the beginning or ending of rows, and then reversing the increases and decreases for the"zags".

Another donated scarf (in brick red) was an optical illusion of waves, through a simple knit and purl pattern. The scarf looks as if it undulates, but it is actually a rectangle! You can find that pattern by clicking here.

Knitty.com has lots of interesting scarf patterns. Click here. So does MagKnits. Click here and look in their archives. The famous Multidirectional Scarf is a great pattern to try with self-striping yarn. The pattern is free at various yarn shops, and you can find it by clicking here.

Don't forget, every month is "knitters choice." If love to knit hats, sweaters, mittens, shawls, blankets, etc., please go with your heart. Make whatever you want for local charities. Make sure the yarn for chemo and baby hats is as soft as possible. Bare heads are very, very sensitive. Please wash the item before donating it to make sure that kitty, cat, dog, and other house animal hair is removed--some recipients have allergies.

At the October meeting, I showed a short ascot style scarf that I made. My mother, in the 1950's, knit two of these scarves, one pink and one red. As far as I can recall, this was the last knitting she ever did! She was a fantastic seamstress who dislike making clothing stitch by stitch. All five of us kids wore these scarves, including the boys when they were young. A few years ago, when teaching knitting to elementary school kids, I wanted to find a pattern for a scarf that the kids would actually finish! To a beginning knitter, a scarf is the favorite item to make but the least likely to be finished. So, I "unvented" the pattern from my memory of wearing the pink and red scarves. Here it is. Be sure to use cozy yarn because this scarf snugs up against the neck and chin!

My Mom’s Cozy Ascot Scarf

The directions are understandable if you keep a picture of the scarf in mind. You begin at one end, increase at the beginning of every row, then separate the stitches to make a pass through, then work even, then separate the stitches to make a pass through, then decrease at the beginning of every row and bind off!!
Here's a close up of the almost-triangle/heart/spade shaped end.
Here's a close up of the pass through, made by separating the stitches.

Use needles appropriate to yarn you are using
Stitch holder or extra needle of same size or approximately the same size

I—First “Almost triangle” End
Work in Garter Stitch:
Cast on 3-4 stitches
Increase one stitch at beginning of each row (knit in front and back of first stitch)
Increase until you have the desired width of the scarf, end with even # of stitches
Work even for one inch

II—First pass through

Put half the stitches on a stitch holder or separate needle in an alternating fashion as follows:
*K 1 stitch,
Put next stitch on holder or separate needle in back of work (do NOT work this stitch)
P 1 stitch,
Add next stitch to the holder or separate needle in back of work*
Repeat between *’s, moving alternate stitches to the holder or separate needle, to end of row.

Leave stitches on holder or separate needle hanging in back of the work.

Work first ribbing strip of the pass through in 1 x 1 ribbing for 2.5 inches. (make about 3 inches if your scarf is wide) Break yarn, leaving tail to weave in later. Leave stitches on needle, hanging in front of the work, and try to ignore them for a while.

Put stitches from holder on separate needle and start new yarn.
Work second ribbing strip in 1 x 1 ribbing for same length as first strip.

You now have stitches on two needles, the first ribbing strip and the second ribbing strip.
Hold the needles parallel, one in front of the other, with points facing right.
Work stitches alternating one from each needle as follows:
With third needle knit one stitch from the front needle, then one stitch from the back needle until you have all stitches on one needle.

III—“Round the neck” segment
Work in garter stitch:

Work in garter stitch until the scarf is long enough to go around the neck and meet the pass through in front, without strangling the wearer.

IV—Second pass through

Same as Step II

V—Second “almost triangle” end

Work 1 inch in garter stitch

Then, knit two together at beginning of each row until you have 3 or 4 stitches left. Bind off and weave in end.

I love this pattern because it reminds me of snowy Wisconsin winter days, long hours spent sledding and skating and the fact that my mother made the scarf for me. My teen-age daughter does not love this pattern. She thinks it looks dorky. She's not into the retro-1950's look. But for kids who don't like long scarf ends flying around them and coming untied, the pattern is great. I even have one that I wear, but then, I've been known to be very, very dorky.

Knit well!

p.s. here are some scarf thoughts from Judy:

Hi, here's a link to a list of reversible stitch patterns from the
Barbara Walker books-
http://www.cs.oswego.edu/~ebozak/knit/esb-patterns/reversible-sts.html
It comes in handy for scarves. I used the Seaweed pattern (p. 10 2nd
Treasury) for one of my donated scarves and the Moss Diamond and
Lozenge Pattern (p.13 2nd Treasury) also makes a nice scarf- see the
Asherton scarf:
http://smariek.blogspot.com/2006/09/asherton-reversible-scarf.html -
which is just a couple of repeats of that pattern.
The Tilting Block
pattern (p. 263 2nd Treasury) is what was used in several of the shrugs
last night and was also used for the Midwest Moonlight scarf (3 repeats
across) from Scarf Styles (the rose colored scarf that I showed last
night).

Judy

October Hats, Scarves, Hats, Sweaters, Hats!! Photos!!

2007-10-09T11:48:00.000-05:00

The Madison Knitters' Guild October meeting showed the generosity and creativity of its members! October was Hat Month and the majority of the donations were hats--little hats, big hats, girl hats, boy hats, fancy hats, plain hats. Here are some photos. I apologize if I didn't show your donation--I tried to get them all!

There were 55 total items donated!

If it's October, it's HATS!!

2007-09-26T12:47:00.000-05:00

Do you remember the Madison Knitter’s Guild Charity Knitting Challenge? Our goal is to donate 500 hand knit items to local charities over the 2007-08 year. Through Pat Bernhardt’s already established contacts, we hope to provide new hats, mittens and scarves to children who do not have those items, despite the cold Madison winters.

For the Month of October, the MKG Charity Knitting Challenge Knit Along is HATS. Bring your completed hats to the October MKG meeting on October 8.

What kind of hats?

Tall hats, small hats, skinny hats, thick hats, simple hats, fancy hats, multi-colored hats, one color hats…….

Any kind of hats. We suggest making a child’s hat; there are too many children in Madison who do not have warm hats for the winter months. You could also make a chemo hat for those who, due to chemotherapy treatment, have lost their hair and need an attractive cover for their heads. Or, you could knit a newborn baby or premie hat. Elizabeth Zimmerman and Meg Swansen suggest knitting a hat as a swatch for a new project!! In this way, your produce a usable object!

Remember: To motivate and help MKG knitters, the MKG Board has designated a charity item of the month. However, you an always donate whatever item you wish, (including non-perishable food such as macaroni and cheese, peanut butter and spaghetti sauce). If you don’t have time to knit, purchase a hat to donate!

One easy hat pattern is below. Dozens of hat patterns can also be found on-line : www.knittingpatterncentral.com ,
Madison Knitters Guild patterns
Baby Hats
Knitty patterns
(for fun and trendy hat patterns--try the short row hat called "Tychus" or the Fair Isle chullo called "Vinter Lue.")
Fake Fair Isle Hat

Does this inspire you?
The hat on the bottom is the Fake Fair Isle hat, and the two tams are from our own Amy Anderson's pattern--Tam Tutorial.

Our MKG library has books featuring hats: look for “The Knit Hat Book” by Nicky Epstein, the wonderful “Hats On!” by Charlene Schurch, “Cats and Hats” by Vogue Knitting, and “Knit Hats!” by Gwen Steege.

Your favorite yarn shop can also provide assistance.

For those who want to plan ahead, the MKG-CKC suggested items for the future are: November: Kid’s Scarf; December: preemie or newborn baby hat; January: baby sweater; February: adult or child chemo hat; March: comfort shawl; April: kid’s hats; May: knitter’s choice. For these months the MKG newsletter will feature a pattern and pattern sources. Remember: you can knit any item for any month. Every month is “knitter’s choice.”

Hat Pattern

Instructions, worsted weight yarn
Worsted weight yarn is yarn with a label gauge of 4 to 4 1/2 stitches per inch, usually knitted on size 7 or 8 needles. It's the "standard" size most commonly available in crafts stores.

Body of cap:
Cast on 72 stitches and join into a circle, being careful not to twist.
Work one inch of K1P1 rib, then increase 8 stitches evenly spaced around, as described above. (80 sts.)
Work in stockinette until total length is about 4 1/2 or 5 inches. Add contrast stripes if you like, as described above.
Crown shaping:
Decrease round: *k 8, k2tog* around.
K 3 rounds.
Decrease round: *k 7, k2tog* around.
K 2 rounds.(64 sts)
Continue decreases as above, and finish off cap as described.

Copyright statement: This is an original design by Judy Gibson [date]. Permission is granted to print and use this pattern for charitable purposes, provided this notice is included. No commercial use or publication of this design--in hard copy or electronic form--are permitted. Contact: jgibson@cts.com.

September Donations

2007-09-26T12:39:00.000-05:00

Wow!! Guild members donated 88 items at the September Madison Knitters Guild Meeting.

For photos of the darling and wonderful warm items, click here!

September--Mittens

2007-09-26T12:36:00.000-05:00

The September MKD-CKC item is mittens—child size. Bring your completed mittens to the September or October MKG meeting. Feel free to use any pattern you wish. Ideally, you could use washable wool or an acrylic/wool blend. However, use your judgment for making warm mittens.

Dozens of mitten patterns can be found on-line at www.knittingpatterncentral.com .

Our MKG library has books featuring mittens: look for “The Mitten Book”, “Folk Mittens”, and “Knitting Fair Isle Mittens and Gloves” for more challenging patterns. The library also has the Vogue Knitting series “Mittens and Gloves” for basic and challenging patterns. Your favorite yarn shop can also provide assistance.

MKG-CKC

2007-09-26T12:29:00.000-05:00

What is MKG-CKC? No, it’s not a new decrease stitch. It is the Madison Knitter’s Guild Charity Knitting Challenge. Our goal is to donate 500 hand knit items to local charities over the 2007-08 year. Through Pat Bernhardt’s already established contacts, we hope to provide new hats, mittens and scarves to children who do not have those items, despite the cold Madison winters. Some of these items will be kept in schools so that needy children can go out for recess during the winter months. Other items will be donated to hospitals.

To motivate and help MKG knitters, the MKG Board has designated a charity item of the month. However, you an always donate whatever item you wish, (including non-perishable food such as macaroni and cheese, peanut butter and spaghetti sauce). In each month’s newsletter, we will print a free-for-charity-knitting pattern and links to other patterns.

We will also post links to patterns for each month's item on this website.

For those who want to plan ahead, the MKG-CKC suggested items for the future are: October: Kid’s Hat; November: Kid’s Scarf; December: preemie or newborn baby hat; January: baby sweater; February: adult or child chemo hat; March: comfort shawl; April: kid’s hats; May: knitter’s choice. For these months the MKG newsletter will feature a pattern and pattern sources.

Remember: you can knit any item for any month. Every month is “knitter’s choice.”