Bags to Family Violence Center

We filled hand knit bags with soap and a washcloth or net puff, toothpaste and a toothbrush, and a brush or comb. Brena took these beautiful gifts to the Family Violence Center. They LOVE the bags.

They also set forth a new challenge for us. Would we like to teach knitting to those they serve? I think this is a great mission for us.

Welcome Esther, our newest member. I SO delighted that we have a member that is 100. Getting to meet people through knitting is amazing.

Gift Bag Pattern

Gift Bag

This is a simple bag with an i-cord closure. It can be embellished so many ways. This pattern can be adapted for any stitch pattern – adjust the number of stitches cast on to accommodate the pattern repeat. Use stripes of eyelash yarn, boucle, or other “fancy” yarns for interest. The closure can be ribbon instead of the i-cord.

Yarn: Select a washable, non-feltable yarn – if the yarn you have is fine, use doubled.

Needles: Size 8-10 depending on the weight of the yarn

1. CO 64(small) 72(medium) 80(large) stitches. Join for working in the round, being careful not to twist.

2. Knit

3. Purl

4. Knit 3 rows

5. Purl

6. I-cord slits *YO, K2tog* repeat this all the way around the bag.

7. Purl

8. Knit for 6” (or more or less depending how long you would like the bag to be). This is where you can try a new stitch pattern. Just look through the variety of stitch dictionaries and try a new one.

9. For a flat bottom bag, use a 3-needle bind-off. At the end of a round, put both needles together parallel in left hand. Grab another needle and use this to Bind-off.

a. *Slip new needle into first stitch on the front needle as if to knit, slip the same needle into the first stitch on the back needle as if to knit, knit these two stitches together and slip off onto the right needle.*

b. Repeat so there are two stitches on the right needle.

c. With the tip of the left hand needle, pass the first stitch on the right needle over the second. One stitch on right needle.

d. Bind off all stitches in the same manner. Work away the end into the seam with a tapestry needle.

10. Make an i-cord

a. Cast on 4 stitches on a DPN (double pointed needle)

b. Slide stitches to the opposite end of the needle without turning the needle. The working yarn should be leading off the leftmost stitch on the needle across the back of the i-cord. Knit these four stitches. (This little technique is really magic…we are taught to turn at the end of the row, but don’t do it and you will end up with a lovely cord.)

c. Repeat until i-cord is the length you need and cast off.

d. After threading the i-cord through the bag, tie knots in the ends of the cord

Knitting in church March 8th 9th

We have selected March 9th as our day to knit in between worship services on Sunday morning and before and after worship on Saturday evening. We hope to let our congregation know our mission and what we have accomplish so far. We hope those that might be interested will ask questions and consider joining us. We aren't a very scary group :) and we welcome a fresh face at our fun gatherings.

We are making bags now

Our knitting has an add dimension. We are creating beautiful bags to fill with feminine goodies to share. Dianne's visit to the Women's Resource center resulted in a list of basic needs we think some of our bags could fill. Besides we have discovered that making bags is a bit like an upside down hat. Cool.

Thank You Thrivent

Just got the news from Faith's Anne Lindaman - The Stitch and a Prayer knitting group is now the recipient of $600 a year supporting funds. We can use the gift to buy yarn that won't irritate little preemie heads, sparkly yarn for special bags for women at the Family Violence center, soft baby yarn for the other little ones.....this is really a blessing.

Where does my help come from? It comes from the Lord. He must approve of our little gifts of hats laced with our prayers.

Preemie Project garter ridge hat

Added the coffee cup in the photo so you can see the size. 36 stitches with worsted weight yarn. So cute.

Look for new yarns in the stash

I dug through the stash of eBay bargains at home and discovered many yarns that might be perfect for our charity group. Many are wool and variegated. I hope you enjoy stitching our prayers into them. With wool, you may not want to create a tiny tiny baby hat. It might be a touch itchy. It they would be perfect for the Baby Suprise Jacket however. I will bring the pattern with me on Feb 11th.

Hats to Family Violence Center

Wow another set of hats are heading to the Family Violence Center. On her very first visit to our group Brenna Corona offered to share our handywork with the Family Violence Center. Glad to have you with us Brenna.

Hats to the Moms Closet

Jane Turner took these hats to Mary Ellison for the Mom's Closet. I hear they were very pleased.

We sent 1 dozen more hats to House of Mercy

Tracy is delivering twelve hats to the House of Mercy. That is 32 hats since we started in November. Amazing. There are still many on the bulletin board and on your needles. Don't you feel great!

Hats for the Faith Hat Tree

Look at these beautiful creations. 10 Hats hanging on the tree for kids. They are so cute. The variety is amazing. We are learning so much about how the different yarns look and feel. We are amazed by the fact that the little roll just appears after we knit a few rows(Something to remember on other projects). It's cool how K2P2 rib is so stretchy. K2P2 changes into a swirl when you move it off one stitch every four rows. The variegated yarns knit up into such unique patterns. Starting is fun - double points at the end seem more complex than seems right. Thanks for sharing all your stitching time.

Our third gathering

It has only been two weeks and we already have a nice assortment of beautiful hats created by 15 knitters. The Faith Knitters are getting the knitting fever and are starting multiple hats at a time. We are laughing at the accidental pulling out of the double pointed needle. We love the little button top made with I-cord. Sometimes we come in the afternoon, sometimes the evening, sometimes on our lunch hour...we just come together. We are learning about and loving self-striping yarns-thank you Sue, Janette, Peggy. We drink tea - or let it get cold as our hands are knitting and can't stop to drink tea. We are getting to know new friends - members of Faith since the beginning and some who are new to Faith. Laughter fills the room. We help each other solve our knitting "uh ohs". We read Psalm 121 aloud together.

Our second Meeting

Five new knitting friends joined us yesterday. Now we are 16 knitters busily knitting hats for charity. Marvelous! We really missed those who were unable to join us again this week. We'll see you next week. The words of Psalm 121 are rolling easily as we speak them together, matching it to our knitting cadence. The Lord does watch over us.

We spent some time discussing where we would like these hats to go. We should follow up on some of these great ideas in the next two weeks so we are ready to make our gifts. I think this project will become truly special for me as I see the little faces the work of our hands will grace. I look forward to that moment.

Yesterday several worked with double-pointed needles to close the top of our hat. I found a nice bit of instruction about working with dpns at knitty.com. Look for a link in the Techniques section of the blog.

When you have your hats finished, wash them and lay them flat to dry and pin them to the bulletin board in the entry of the church. I hope the results of our efforts encourage others to join in the fun.

Thanks for sharing your talents. One of my favorite reflections on yesterday's meeting was watching those who were there the first week teaching the new knitters. Nice!

My first Hat - the Apple

This little guy is so cute and quick.

The 1st meeting

It was so delightful to share time with 10 knitting women - learning, laughing, reading psalm 121 and sharing a bit of our lives. What a beautiful thing. We had so much fun we decided to meet each week - Mondays 1-3 or 7-9. We will meet in the learning center at the bottom of the stairs. You are not too late. Join us at any time.

We learned to make a slip knot, cast on using a long tail cast on and knit in the round. Nice accomplishment for one session.

There are some wonderful resources on the internet that show you how to do these tasks. I will put a link on the sidebars of the blog.

Tommorrow is the first meeting

I am very hopeful for our first Stitch and a Prayer gathering. I just want to get started. If 3 or 4 of us join in, it is a good start.

I already have just the perfect hat project. I visited my cousins young son in Iowa City hospitals over the weekend. He had a bone marrow transplant about three weeks ago and needs a happy hat to cover his 20 year old bald head. I hope I am just the right person to knit and say a pray over this special hat. Is this a small bit of what I am called to do?

I love the way she says this

Check out the site http://www.claudiaco.com/ Her words in the intro page reflect a generous loving approach to knitting. Peace Love Comfort Joy knit into each stitch.

Hat Pattern

Basic Baby Beanie with rolled edge
1. Get started
a. Cast on 80 Stitches
i. Fingering weight yarn for babies
ii. Sport weight yarn for little kids
iii. Worsted weight yarn for big kids b. Join for working in the round,
b. be sure your stitches aren’t twisted
2. Knit (pray) for 6” (Watch how the edge rolls up so cute)
3. Shape the crown
a. K2tog, k6 repeat this all the way around (70 sts)
b. K2tog , k5 (60 sts)
c. Switch to DPNs K2tog, k4 (50 sts) (see the trend here?)
d. K2tog, k3 (40 sts) e. K2tog, k2 (30 sts)
f. K2tog, k1 (20 sts)
g. K2tog until 4 sts remain (16 times)
h. Pull last stitch through, cut yarn, thread on tapestry needle and stitch together the remaining 4 stitches and pull snug.
4. Admire your lovely creation

Baby Hat

The simplicity of a Baby hat - What's so great about this as a first project?

1. It's small so it goes quick
2. Knit stitch is repeated over and over - it makes it easy to learn.
3. Variations are nearly endless
   
4. Can me made with many types of yarn
5. Isn't it cute? is common response!!

Techniques learned

• casting on
• working on circular needles
• working on double pointed needles (DPNs)
  
• knit stitch
• K2tog stitch

Yes, you can do this, want to do this - think how it will make a new Mom happy to place this handmade hat, blessed with your prayers and love on her newborn's head.

Our first Prayer focus Psalm 121

Psalm 121

A song of ascents.

1 I lift up my eyes to the hills—
where does my help come from?

2 My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;

4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;

6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

7 The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;

8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.