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Help The Penguins….

by 5 Comments

So apparently there was an oil spill somewhere around New Zealand. I apologize that I do not spend time watching or reading the news. As a matter of fact, really, the only tv I watch is when my Red Wings play their own unique brand of hockey.  But never mind about that.

The penguins of the New Zealand area got all covered in oil. One of the penguins very favorite thing to do is preen and by doing this they would ingest a whole bunch of poisonous oil, so, not only do the sweaters keep them warm but they keep them from getting oil all over their insides.

Skeinz, a natural yarn store in New Zealand is sponsoring The Worldwide Campaign To Knit Sweaters For Penguins to help keep these little guys safe while getting cleaned up. And, you can help. Click on over to HERE to find out how!

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Comments

  1. A friend contacted them and was told they don’t need anymore. They were inundated with donations and have too many.

  4. The oil spill is coming from a giant cargo ship called “Rena”. The pilots of the ship ended up steering her onto a known reef. The problem comes from the ship literally breaking into two pieces, right along where the oil is stored. While over 750 (whatevers) worth of oil has already been spilt, there is another 1,500 (whatevers) on board the ship. Thankfully no new oil has spilled in the last two days, and they’re trying their hardest to get the remaining oil off, but horrible seas etc – plus a ship on a 45o angle make the job understandably hard. They’re also not helped by the fact that the hose they’re using to pump out the oil is actually no larger than the ones at the car petrol pumps – about the size of your thumb and finger in a circle according to one reporter.
    Do help out – how cool is it to say you have knitted a penguin tuxedo!
    For pics of this disaster check out: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/image.cfm?c_id=1&gal_cid=1&gallery_id=122111#8154898 (images from over the last week)
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/image.cfm?c_id=1&gal_cid=1&gallery_id=122188#8166407 (the ship)
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/image.cfm?c_id=1&gal_cid=1&gallery_id=122169#8163338 (The wildlife)

  5. Hi Terrye, I emailed the yarn store, Skeinz, that was sponsoring the penguin project, I received this reply on October 16, 2011
    Hi Gail,
    Thank you for your kind offer – at this stage the response has been overwhelming & we have enough pledges to cover the required number of birds needing jumpers – keep in touch with updates via our blog at http://theyarnkitchen.blogspot.com if we require more we will post here.
    Cheers Maree

Have you read?

Book Review: Brooklyn Tweed’s Knit & Crochet Blankets

Blankets are a great blank slate project that you can change up in a million different ways. From color to stitch pattern to size, the possibilities are almost endless.

Jared Flood, the designer behind Brooklyn Tweed, was inspired by a log cabin quilt his mother made in 1995 to re-create that design in knitting, which led to more blankets and ultimate Brooklyn Tweed’s Knit and Crochet Blankets, which includes 25 patterns from an array of designers using different skills and techniques to make cozy, pretty blankets.

The patterns are divided into three aesthetic themes: traditions, minimalism and colorplay. The patterns are rated on a scale of one to five, with one being the easiest, and there aren’t any pieces rated five. Two blankets are rated one, 14 are two, eight are three and one is four. 

In addition, three of the 25 patterns are crocheted, but they either use single crochet or granny stitch, so they are pretty easy even if you don’t do a lot of crochet. You can see all the patterns on Ravelry.

Some of my favorites include Rattan by Rastus Hsu, a chunky blanket worked in knits and purls with simple crossing stitches to make a raised woven look; Homewood by Seth Richardson, covers in dramatic, loopy cables; Ainur Berkimbayeva’s Tessellate, one of the beginner projects that doesn’t really look beginner but is totally worked in knit and purl stitches; Warp + Weft by Aist? Butkevi?ien?, which is mostly knits and purls but makes a fun woven look fabric that blew my mind a little bit; and the same designer’s Canyonland, a multicolored blanket with wavy stripes.

The patterns tell you how to resize them for different dimensions and include information on pattern repeats where it is possible to make a totally custom size.

Many different techniques are included here such as cables, lace, shadow knitting, intarsia and other colorwork techniques, as well as modular knitting and lots of sewing pieces together. The patterns are all presented with charts, but there are line by line written instructions available on the Brooklyn Tweed website if you need them.

The book ends with a deep dive into log cabin knitting, telling the story of the quilt Jared’s mom made and how he made it in knitting, as well as the multitude of variations you can make if you want your own log cabin style design.

The back of the book includes a little written information about some of the special techniques needed, but there are no photos.

This is a lovely book full of inspiration for knitting and crochet blankets for any skill level. If you like to make blankets as gifts or aspire to have a handmade blanket in every room of the house, these designs would be a great place to start.

About the book: 192 pages, paperback, 25 patterns. Published 2024 by Abrams Books, suggested retail price $24.99.

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