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Help Make it Better with Sandy Relief Craftalong

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make it betterIt wouldn’t surprise anyone to know there are a lot of crafting industry types (and home crafters as well, of course) who were affected by the superstorm they called Sandy. And as crafters, we often want to get in there and help in the best way we know how: by making something.

Stitch diva Brett Bara and her crafty pal Natalie Soud, who blogs at A Dose of the Delightful, decided they wanted to help and allow other to help through crafting. Of course a winter storm is now upon that region and the weather is getting colder all the time, so what people need most is those warm things that can bring such comfort — handmade socks, scarves, hats, wraps, mittens and more.

It’s a good thing most of these are really quick projects, because warmth is needed on the double. Crafters are asked to send what they have or to make (knit, crochet or sew) and send items as quickly as possible for delivery throughout the New York City area. Donations are being accepted immediately and for the near term, though you can check the websites listed above for more information on what’s needed and where to send it.

This crafty drive is being called a craftalong because a social aspect has been added to it through a Facebook page and hashtags that will let the world see the good you’ve done. Crafters are also encouraged to spread the word through their own blogs and in their crafty circles.

About this time next week — when my book is finally done! — I’ll be going through my cache of knit objects and finding some things to donate, and I hope you’ll consider giving if you are able as well.

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Knit a Log Cabin Blanket with All Your Scraps

I guess I must have had this pattern on my mind, because I had chosen this log cabin blanket recipe to write about, promptly forgot about it and a couple of weeks later started knitting a log cabin blanket using all my pink yarn. 

It might stay pink if it makes it to baby blanket sized, or I might add in some pastel green and blue, too, to make a bigger blanket. We’ll see. I’m also holding several strands of yarn together to make a kind of bulky yarn, which means it’s deeply satisfying how much yarn is used even as the project is still relatively small. 

In Kristen Finlay’s version, DK weight yarn scraps (or fingering/sock yarn held double) are used to make a simple scrappy log cabin blanket that’s lighter weight than my version. Log cabin is a great technique for knitters of any skill level because it’s worked in garter stitch. The only not completely basic technique you need for log cabin knitting is picking up stitches. 

If you’ve never worked a log cabin knitting project before, this is a good introduction, and it is really nice to use all your yarn scraps in one big project you’ll use for years to come. 

If you use a lot of DK weight yarn you can keep building on it whenever you finish a project, or if you use more worsted weight you can do the same thing with it, it will just be a little bigger starting out than the pattern calls for. How big it gets is totally up to you. 

I have really been enjoying working on my log cabin project, and it’s my current sitting at my desk and need a break knit (do you have one of those or is it just me?). 

Ready to start your own log cabin blanket knitting project? You can grab the free pattern from Kristen Finlay on Ravelry. 

Need more log cabin inspiration? Check out more log cabin knitting patterns. 

[Photo: Kristen Finlay]