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Another Loss to the Knitting Community

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evie rosenI think we just need to get through this week with no more bad news, but I’m also saddened to report that Evie Rosen, the woman who founded the knit and crochet charity Warm Up, America, died recently. She was 86 years old.

Rosen learned to knit at the age of 7 and opened the Knitting Nook shop in her native Wisconsin in 196; it was open for more than 30 years. She also helped found the Midwest Retailers Association and encourage the National NeedleArts Association to open its membership to retailers.

Warm Up, America was founded in 1991 as a local charity to provide the homeless with blankets, and it spread and spread such that in that time more than 15 million afghan blocks have been created and more than 300,000 afghans distributed across the United States and around the world.

Warm Up, America is proof that we can all do a little something even when faced with big problems. The charity collects afghan squares, so you can get a group together and just knit or crochet one block each and still have enough for a blanket to warm one person in your community. Multiply that by every yarn crafter making a square, or a blanket, to distribute locally and you can see what a difference all those little squares can make.

[Photo via Craft Yarn Council.]

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Comments

  1. Evie Rosen was a wonderful woman. I met her at The Knitting Nook where she not only gave me knitting tips but thoughtful advise on motherhood. She was so welcoming, always with a smile and a laugh. I’ll always remember her and those years in Wausau, WI!

  2. What a sad week this is turning out to be. I did not know her personally but knew of the foundation through my mother who made blankets and afghans to contribute to this cause. My condolences to all her friends and her family.

  3. Reading the linked Warm Up America article, I thought, “Look what one woman can do.” Think of all the lives she touched.
    Many years ago I taught a classroom of 5th graders to crochet and we made an afghan for Warm Up America. What a great experience that was, I still see those children and they will mention our crocheting time together.
    Thank you Evie for inspiring others and for sharing the fact we are blessed, when we bless others. You will be missed.
    Deb

Have you read?

Fun Tank Top Knitting Patterns

It seems like every summer there’s a new crop of tank top knitting patterns, and what I noticed about a lot of the new releases this year is that they have fun little details that make them a little more interesting both to knit and to wear. 

Like the Sailoress Top from Joji Locatelli, which has a pretty cable worked up the center from and back, with shorter sections of cable work on the shoulders. It uses DK weight yarn and comes in 10 sizes up to a bust circumference of 72 inches/ 158 cm. You can find the pattern on Ravelry. 

Combine lace and cables in an allover pattern on the Mountain Laurel Top from Andrea Gaughan. This sport weight pattern is worked from the bottom up in the count and has 10 sizes. It’s available on Ravelry.

The Vienna Textured Tank Top by Sarah Hatton has wide ribs broken up by eyelets. There’s very little shaping so it’s a pretty easy knit worked in fingering weight yarn. There are nine sizes available and it’s a free download on Ravelry.

Make a tank with a boho vibe perfect for festival season with Mary Beth Temple’s Tropical Sunset Tank Top. Worked in worsted weight cotton yarn, it’s knit from the bottom up in pieces to make it more stable. The coloring changing yarn is perfect for this one, or you can make it solid or work in your own stripes. You can get the XS size free on her blog, and other sizes are available on Ravelry.

Looking for a cropped lacy V-neck top to knit for summer? Jessie Maed Designs has the Sundae Swirl Tank, worked in DK weight yarn in the round with a fun combination of lace and cables. The ribbing under the arms helps give it a great fit. There are six sizes up to a chest measurement of 62 inches/157.5 cm. You can find this one on Ravelry.

How about a tank top with buttons? The Ridge Tank Button Down from Bluebird Pine Shop could double as a vest in cooler weather. This one is made with light fingering weight yarn and comes in 10 sizes. Grab a copy on Ravelry.

An otherwise simple top can be made a little more interesting with the addition of a fun edging, like on Sarah Opie’s Seashell Tank. Worked in fingering weight yarn, it has a whopping 24 sizes and lots of customization options for making it fit the way you want. The edging is crocheted. Learn more on Ravelry.

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