Thursday, February 16, 2012

A little love


knit   ( nit )  v.   To make (a fabric or garment) by intertwining yarn or thread in a series of connected loops either by hand, with knitting needles, or on a machine.

Why do you knit?  Do you love making beautiful, useful, handmade items?  Do you love the feel of working with fibers.  Are you mesmerized by the plethora of yarn choices?  Do you enjoy the process of knitting?

If you are like most knitters you'll probably answer yes to all of these question.  I know I do!  I will admit, however, that the it is the the doing, the pushing of needles through stitches to make new stitches ... the simple act of knitting that draws me in the most.    It's cathartic.

Knitting is relaxing, creative, rhythmic, therapeutic, productive, enjoyable, communal,  thoughtful, charitable.

Because I love the simple act of knitting, I'm always wanting a project on the go.  But there are times when I don't know what I should knit ... I just want to knit.  We all probably have a "go to" project when we are between projects.  I often fill in those times trying different stitches in the form of dishcloths.  This year I've started something new -- a way to keep my needles moving without filling my cupboards with washcloths!

After some investigation, I discovered our local hospitals and birthing clinics accept (covet!) donations of hand-knit or crocheted hats for newborns and preemies.  Hand-knit hats are preferable to the knotted medical tubing they must often resort to.  I'm thoroughly enjoying knitting little hats in the evening while I ponder my next big project.  I can make one hat in 2-3 hours knitting at a leisurely pace while sipping tea and watching TV.

I use Bernat Softee Baby yarn (classed as #3-Light weight).  From one ball I can knit 7 hats.  The yarn retails for $6.50 Cdn, so each hat costs only $0.93 to make.  I chose this yarn because while it is incredibly soft, it launders wonderfully (machine wash and dry).
You can find my pattern here.

Most hospitals do have a few guidelines for you to follow:
- no wool yarn (preferably washable acrylic or cotton)
- solid colours are preferred over stripes, patterns or variegated
- no nubbly, fuzzy or furry yarn

Check out your local hospitals and have some fun knitting these little hats to give to newborn babies. Or make it communal and get a group of knitters together to knit hats.