Knit a Plushie for a Kid with Epilepsy

Vickie Howell recently started the Purple Stitch Project, which asks knitters, crocheters and sewers to create purple items to donate to children with epilepsy. The project is Howell’s way of supporting and helping to build a community for kids with epilepsy because her son has the disorder.

Epilepsy is the third most common neurological disorder after stroke and Alzheimer’s, and is thought to affect about 300,000 kids in the United States. The project aims to raise awareness of the disorder and support kids through donations of hand-crafted items.

Just days after the launch of the project Howell came up with a specific need: producing 40-plus plushies for the kids who will attend Camp Brainstorm, a five-day camp for children ages 8 to 18 who have seizure disorders. The project has sample patterns in knitting, crochet and sewing, but any animal, robot or other small toy made in purple yarn (purple being the color of epilepsy awareness) or fabric will be accepted.

If you want to help you need to get your needles going, because the deadline to get the finished plushies to Howell is July 20. Good thing little dolls are quick projects.

Next Pattern:

It felt like it had been a while since I’d done a roundup of knitting patterns involving sheep, and if search is any indication, that is true. I found a roundup of patterns for knit sheep from a few years ago, but the only one with v I could find is from 2015. So it’s definitely time to revisit this fun genre of knitting patterns.

This all started with a headband. Alyssa Kaat’s Icelandic Sheep Headband (free on Ravelry) to be specific. Ravelry showed it to me as a pattern highlight and I couldn’t resist taking a closer look. It’s worked with two colors of worsted weight yarn and alternates sheep with stars around your head.

Another great sheepy headband is this one from Loch Fyne Crafts on Etsy. These sweet little sheep are worked in bulky yarn and you can make the background look like field and sky or work it in a solid color.

Or make a headband (or a hat, cowl, or all three) covered with a flock of sheep with this set of patterns from New Age Knitting CA. These pieces also use the field/sky coloring, but you can use whatever colors of worsted weight yarn you like.

Speaking of hats, there’s also the sheep hat from Lynann Knits Designs. The sample was worked in Icelandic wool to make the sheep and the hat extra fuzzy and warm, but any worsted weight yarn will work.

There’s also the Wandering Sheep hat from Kat Hudon (on Ravelry), which features a fun collection of speckled sheep that can be worked in different yarn weights to make different sizes of hats for kids and adults.

And lest you think sheep need to be knit in traditional stranded colorwork, check out the Rebel Sheep Mob blanket by Deborah Moore. This one is worked in mosaic knitting using fingering weight yarn. In mosaic knitting you’re only working with one color per row so it’s pretty easy. You can find this pattern on Ravelry.

I can’t possibly share sheep knitting patterns without mentioning the amazing Black Sheep Shadow Shawl by Mark Jamieson. Shadow knitting is a technique I want to do more of, but it involves working two rows alternating in two different colors and the pattern emerges when you look at the design from an angle. It’s so cool and the sheep on this one are amazing! It’s not a beginner project but well worth the work. You can find it on Ravelry or at the designer’s website.

Next Pattern:

Have you read?