I set aside the kimono sweater a couple weeks ago to devote myself to some community knitting. Here's what's goin' down.
The Yarnery does a mitten drive every November. At the end of the month they donate the mittens they have collected to the St. Paul public schools. I had started a pair of mittens last year that never quite made it to the finish line, i.e., they remain thumbless. Hey, a head start!
Although the picture of last year's mittens seemed to indicate that many were 100% wool, and I certainly am in favor of wool for warmth, I also thought it important that the mittens be machine washable. No sturdy superwash wool either in my stash or easily obtainable, but I did have some Plymouth Encore and Lion Brand Wool-Ease.
These will probably fit a kindergartner. The twined knitting makes them a bit warmer than they would be otherwise. Yes, the thumbs are as wonky as they look in the photo.
Although the mitten drive runs through the end of November, the only time I will be able to deliver my mittens to the Yarnery is Friday, November 21. Yes, that is next Friday. Perhaps I'll be able to squeeze out another pair of mittens, perhaps not. I'll try.
ETA: After I finished this post on Friday night and saved it to post on Saturday, I settled myself in my recliner with my knitting and a Nelson DeMille audiobook thriller (The Lion's Game, for those of you keeping score.) Almost before I knew what had happened, I had finished the pink and white mittens and knit the first mitten of a pink pair that will be almost large enough for me. When finished, that pair will fit a 10-12-yo girl. Yay for audiobooks!
Once the mittens are done and delivered, the next item on the roster is a couple of hats for Connor Caps, an effort organized by Chocolate Sheep. A boy in her son's fourth grade class was recently diagnosed with a rare brain cancer and has started chemo. A couple boys in his class volunteered to shave their heads in support of Connor. The idea evolved and expanded and now Beth wants 200 hats in their school colors so that everyone can wear a chemo hat in support of Connor. My yarn arrived today, and I picked up the pattern book I had requested from the library.
If anyone else wants to jump in and knit or crochet a hat for this project, I know Beth would appreciate it. You can get all the details at the Connor Cap group at the Ravelry group, linked above. She wants the hats by December 1.
The last thing is scarf for the Red Scarf Project, which deadline has been extended to December 15. Perfect timing!
This is the Palindrome scarf (Ravelry link) done in [unisex] camel-colored Knit Picks Swish worsted (superwash, 100% merino)
I had been wanting to knit this scarf ever since I read that it was reversible, because I wanted to know exactly how that was accomplished. My brain could not figure it out. After knitting six inches of scarf I still do not completely understand it; three-dimensional things are difficult for me to manipulate mentally. However, the pattern is a very pleasant knit, easy to memorize, and I love the feel of the Swish worsted, so I am looking forward to picking this up again. No, I have not yet mastered cabling without a needle; this yarn may be a bit too slippery to do so.
And there you have it, the knitting report. Over to you, Chet.
