Alright! It's now 2011 and officially time for my challenge to start! I thought a post with more information about the Warm Up America project and specifics of the donations would be a good place to start.
The Warm Up America Project: This is a foundation that collects baby beanies and afghan squares. The baby beanies are self explanatory, so here I'm going to expand on the afghan squares. The requirements for an afghan square are simple, it simply has to be a 7"x9" piece done in a simple stitch and this is a great way for beginners to get comfortable with a stitch. My squares are usually just the garter stitch (knit stitch only). The squares are stitched together and then donated to battered women's Shelters, the homeless and to hospitals. A full size afghan takes 49 squares.
Afghan Squares:
Simple stitch patterns for Knitting:
Garter stitch (knit stitch only)
Stockinnette Stitch (Row 1: knit all. Row 2: purl all. repeat rows 1&2)
Seed Stitch (K1, P1. repeat for all rows.)
Using sz. 7 needles (US) cast on 35 stitches. Choose your stitch. knit until the square length is 9". Cast off. Done!
Simple stitch patterns for Crochet:
Single crochet stitch
Double crochet
Using hook size G, chain your foundation (30 for single crochet, 27 for double crochet). crochet until piece length measures 9" Fasten off. Done!
Baby Beanies.
I'm not an advanced knitter, and am still very much a beginner when it comes to crochet, so I hope that anyone just starting out who stumbles on this blog can feel comfortable with taking up this challenge themselves. For this reason I've chosen a couple simple, super easy and (most importantly) cute baby beanie patterns to highlight. These beanies work up fast and it's so easy to get that one-a-week done! Today I'll post two patterns, one crochet and one knit, these will get you started!
http://crochet-mania.blogspot.com/2008/06/single-crochet-baby-beanie-cap.html
Many thanks to Teresa Richardson for posting this pattern! I'm looking forward to making it!
http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/bevs-baby-ribs-hat.html
This hat is actually much cuter than the picture, and is just adorable! Thanks to Beverly Qualheim for this one!
And that ends my post! Hopefully this is enough to get you all started, and once you stop you'll find out just how easy it is to make a difference! Happy 2011 everyone!
Thanks for posting the challenge. I found you through facebook. I'm an avid crocheter and a new knitter. I was looking for a cause to donate afghan squares to, primarily, but I think I'll also learn knitting on beanies.
ReplyDeleteThe Organize Enthusiast