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KnitBits: Prison Knitting in Brazil, Tighter Ribbing and More Fun with Knitting

March 18, 2016 by Sarah White

Inmates at one prison in Brazil knit for a fashion designer for reduced sentences.I’m fascinated by this story about male prisoners in Brazil who knit and crochet for a fashion designer in order to earn money and a reduction in their sentences. Seventeen inmates at Arisvaldo de Campos Pires are currently working with Brazilian designer Raquel Guimaraes on her Doiselles brand, and more than 100 have gone through the program, which provides a small wage and gives workers one day off their sentences for every three days they knit (the story uses the terms knitting and crocheting interchangeably; though the pictures show knitting the garments show both). Click through to see some of their beautiful work.

By now we probably all know the benefits of knitting and crochet beyond making amazing stuff with our hands and some simple tools, but if you need a reminder, check out this list of six health benefits of yarn crafts from Starting Chain.

Have you watched the PBS show “The Mind of a Chef”? Fringe Association reminds/tells us that there is a lot of great knitting to spy in the second half of season three, which features brilliant Swedish chef Magnus Nilsson, and a lot of great sweaters. He’s also on an episode of the Netflix series “The Chef’s Table,” but I don’t remember there being as much knitwear in that one. “The Mind of a Chef” is available for streaming on Netflix, and probably from PBS as well.

Do you have the common problem of sloppy-looking knit ribbing? It happens because of the different amount of yarn used to make a knit stitch versus a purl. This is an old post that recently popped up somewhere, but the tip for knitting tighter ribbing, from Jessica Joy, is still worth checking out.

Finally, there are a lot of funny knitting memes out there, and Love Knitting has collected a few of its favorites on its blog. Download these to share on social media or use as a background on your computer or phone. I think my favorite is “Can you knit me a … no.” What’s yours?

[Photo via Reuters/Paulo Whitaker.]

Next Pattern:

  • Practice Ribbing with this Hat and Mitt Set
  • Easy Knitting Patterns to Practice Ribbing
  • Learn All About Ribbing (+ a Free Pattern to Try)
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Comments

  1. Heidi Kirsch says

    March 18, 2016 at 11:20 am

    This picture is scarier than the one I saw a few days ago. In that one they were only wearing masks over their mouth & nose. Why is it that they are covering their whole face? Is it something I should be doing if I knit for long periods?

Have you read?

More Summer Shirts to Knit

It wasn’t that long ago that I shared a post full of summer T-shirt knitting patterns, but any visit to Ravelry lately will show you that many more have been published since then. So I thought I would share a few more. All of these are from Ravelry except this first one, just so you know. 

While I say these are for summer, Lion Brand Yarn calls this one a Seasonless Raglan, and really they all are. You can wear a short-sleeved sweater over a dress or another top with short or long sleeves, or wear it as a layer under a sweater in the winter. This particular one is seasonless because it uses a light worsted weight yarn and is cropped to go with all your outfits. It comes in nine sizes with a chest measurement ranging from 33 to 65 inches, or 84 to 165 cm. The pattern is free or you can buy a kit with the yarn from Lion Brand. 

I also love the simplicity of the Linar Tee from Joana Filip. This one has double folded hems for extra sleekness, and it comes in nine sizes. Actual chest circumference ranges from 32 to 63 inches/80 to 160 cm, and it’s meant to be worn with about 2 inches/5 cm of positive ease. 

If you like a top with a lot of options built in, check out the Angel Tee from mabelle knitting. This one can have short or long sleeves, and the short sleeves can have ribbing or a folded hem. There are also 11 sizes, with a finished bust circumference of 30.3 to 55.5 inches/77 to 141 cm. It should be worn with 0-2 inches/0-5 cm of positive ease. 

The Billie Tee from The Knit Purl Girl is a more relaxed, boxy top you’ll love to throw on when relaxing around the house or running errands. It’s worked in a fingering weight silk yarn for plenty of luxury, and the stripes add a bit of fun. It comes in 12 sizes, with actual chest measurement of the garment ranging from 37.5 to 65 inches, or 95 to 165 cm. It’s recommended to be knit with 6-8 inches/ 15-20 cm positive ease for the smaller sizes and 4-8 inches/10-20 cm for the larger ones. 

Another cute striped top comes from Irene Lin. Her Lustre tee uses sport weight yarn and narrower stripes, and is worked from the top down. There are 10 available sizes, with a finished circumference of 35 to 62 inches/89 to 158 cm, and is recommended to be knit with 0-4 inches, or 0 to 10 cm, of positive ease. 

A Lightweight, Lacy Tee that’s Perfect for Summer Knitting [Knitting]

Add Some Lace to Your Summer Knitting [Knitting]

Knitting Patterns for Your Summer Picnic

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