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Knitting as Physical Therapy

January 11, 2013 by Sarah White

mccal robertsI came across a story that I think is kind of funny but also says a lot about how great handcrafts are. When filmmaker and writer McCal Roberts was involved in a freak kitchen accident in which his hand was cut, he found that one of his fingers would not move after the wound healed.

His doctors recommended knitting or crochet as a way to get movement back, saying that the finger needed to be moved about 5,000 times a day to get motion back. He reports in the Royal Gazette that he learned knitting, and it took him about a month to pick up the craft.

He’s since knit scarves, hats and mittens and is thinking about donating his work to people in need once he gets a little better. He’s also at work on a knitting magazine and is considering a learn to knit DVD that would allow people to slow down the instructions so they can watch the movements as slowly as they need to.

[Photo via the Royal Gazette.]

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Knit a Great Button Down Shirt

Just about anything you can make in fabric you can make in knitting, but there are some styles that you just don’t see that often translated into knitting. 

For example, a button down collared shirt. This is a classic design, of course, and it looks great in a knit version, but it’s just not something you see much of. 

Noma Ndlovu’s Guglethu shirt is the pattern to try if you want to knit your own button down shirt. This one is inspired by cashmere tops (though the sample was made out of yak yarn, not cashmere, and uses two strands of lace weight yarn held together) and includes lots of high-fashion details like double-knit cuffs, collar and shoulder seams. 

It has a patch pocket on the front and 10 buttons including the button band and the cuffs. 

The designer says you can also use a DK weight yarn held singly if you’d rather, and that the shirt looks good in a variety of yarns. There is another version on Ravelry that uses Berroco Remix Light, which is a mix of nylon, cotton, acrylic, silk and cellulose fibers. It has a more relaxed look but it still really pretty. 

The pattern has 12 sizes, with a full bust measurement ranging from 32.35 to 72.25 inches, or 82 to 183.5 cm. The designer suggests 2 to 6 inches, or 5 to 15 cm, of positive ease when you pick your size. I could totally see knitting one that’s even bigger to wear more like a jacket, because I do that a lot with button down shirts I already own.

I love all the details on this shirt, which isn’t necessarily difficult to knit, but might introduce you to some things you’ve never knit before (like those cuffs with the plackets, or a shirt collar like this). 

To learn more about this shirt and grab a copy of the pattern for yourself, head to Ravelry. 

[Photo: Noma Ndlovu]

Add Some Texture to Your Summer Knitting

Book Review – Knit a Dozen Plus Slippers

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