We have some fun Frank and Martha socks up in The Loopy Ewe Quarterly Challenge Photo Gallery that need voting on! (There are two pages, so be sure to view them both.) Remember, I’m drawing one name from all participants for a Loopy Ewe $25 Gift Certificate, and YOU are voting on the Knitter’s Choice Award for the second $25 Gift Certificate. Email me your vote for your favorite socks from that gallery (sheriATtheloopyeweDOTcom) and I will announce the winners of the Loopy Q1 Challenge next week. If you did not get your sock picture posted on that gallery, you’re always welcome to still submit them. Remember that you can do this by going to your Loopy Ewe account and clicking on Photos.
We’re mixing things up a bit for the Loopy Q2 Quarterly Challenge. For the months of April/May/June, the challenge is to knit from your stash – something for charity. Actually, something in particular for two worthy causes that I have in mind. Two Loopy Friends are involved with things that I would love for us to contribute to. Meg and her husband will be adopting a baby from China and she would like to take a lot of baby hats with her to donate to the orphanage. She mentioned that she was trying to get a few of her friends to knit hats and I thought, “Well shoot – WE can do that!” The thought of each of those sweet babies getting a hat knit with love is enough to motivate me. Meg thinks that baby hats through age 1 would be good. I know we all probably have books with baby hat patterns, but just in case you need one, here are a few free baby hat patterns that you can just print out. There is no rule on what pattern or what yarn – but I would say make the yarn soft and scratch-free. 🙂
Free Baby Hat Patterns:
http://www.knitlist.com/97gift/babyhat.htm
http://www.knitty.com/issuefall06/PATTsnow.html
http://www.straw.com/cpy/patterns/baby-child/bamboozle-babyset-hat.html
http://www.straw.com/cpy/patterns/baby-child/2needle-baby-hat.html
http://www.minidata.co.nz/major/freepatt/patt07.htm
http://www.soxie.com/babycap.html (but without the buttons on it!)
The second charity knitting idea is for Loopy Friend Janice. Janice makes wonderful felted bags. She sells them and then takes all of her profits and donates them to Luba. Here is what Janice said about her in one of her blog posts: “Let me introduce Luba. Luba is a woman living in Russia who works with young women ages 14-25 who have found themselves alone and/or orphaned and in difficult living situations. She helps teach them basic living skills as well as helping them obtain good nutrition during the long cold winters. When the young women are starting out on their own, Luba helps purchase clothes and other essential items they will need.” You may wonder why they are all bundled up in their classroom. There is very little heat in there. Fingerless gloves would be perfect for them, as it will keep their hands warm but still allow them to do their school work. So the second charity knitting choice is to take some of the yarn you have in your stash and turn it into fingerless gloves for these girls. (I also included some mitten patterns, if any of you would rather knit mittens. They’ll use those outside, too.)
Free Mittens & Fingerless Mitts Patterns:
http://knitty.com/ISSUEsummer06/PATTfetching.html
http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter02/PATTvoodoo.html
http://www.straw.com/cpy/patterns/fjord-kidm-fingerless.html
http://www.straw.com/cpy/patterns/merino-stripes-gauntlets.html
http://www.straw.com/cpy/patterns/iceland-nubbles-hat-mittens.html
http://www.p2designs.com/images/patterns/MittCuff.html
http://www.freevintageknitting.com/mittens/615-mittens-pattern.html
http://scarlettknits.livejournal.com/1315.html
http://www.knitty.com/issuesummer06/PATTknucks.html
http://wendyknits.net/knit/mitts.htm
If you do not have yarn in your stash to use, just add a note to your next order that you’d like a skein of yarn for the Q2 charity knitting and I’ll donate yarn for you to use. I know how very much all of your beautiful work will be appreciated. When you’re done, please email me and I’ll send you my address so that you can tuck them into a padded envelope and send them to me. I’ll wait until the end of the quarter and will then ship boxes off to Meg and Janice. Like this quarter’s challenge, I’ll be drawing a name for a $25 Loopy Credit, as well as having everyone vote on the Knitter’s Choice award for the second $25 credit. You can upload your photos through your account into the Q2 gallery, which will be up next week.
Thanks for participating in this challenge to knit for others! Next quarter – we’re back to knitting socks for yourself, with a challenge that is guaranteed to teach you something. Details in July!
Sheri totallyenjoyingWeekTwoofSpringBreak
I have one stray skein of sock yarn that I can use for a baby hat. What a wonderful challenge.
My kids are adopted from Korea. We know lots of girls who were in those Chinese orphanages and they are great kids. I also know kids from Russia, some adopted as teens and they too are thriving in their new homes. Given the care they need and a good home, these children have a wonderful future.