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KnitBits: Knitting for Jimmy Kimmel, Knitting for Charity and Knitting Against All Odds

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Audience member knit a tie for Jimmy Kimmel.There’s so much great knitting news this week, but I think we have to start with the story of Brad Perry, a reporter from KUSI San Diego, who on a whim accepted a ticket to a taping of “Jimmy Kimmel Live.” Like all good knitters, he brought his knitting bag with him, and was working on a pair of two-color, flat-knit fingerless gloves during the taping.

A producer saw him and Kimmel talked to him during one of the commercial breaks:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sLvApnT2O4]
Perry says he’s been knitting about 4.5 years, and started because “my daughter wouldn’t knit me a hat.” Also, “chicks dig it.” After saying he knits “pretty much every day, all the time,” he offered to knit Kimmel a bow tie before the end of the show.

This clip doesn’t show it, but he was successful, as you can see above, and in this pic from Bow Tie Aficionado.

Red Heart Yarn is teaming up with the Red Cross to give a little comfort to people in need. You can download their Red Heart Cares blanket pattern in knit or crochet (there’s also a pillow and a first aid kit), and when you buy specially marked red or white yarns in the Super Saver, Soft or With Love lines, Red Heart will donate money to Red Cross North America (they’re donating $250,000). They also encourage people to make a blanket to donate to the Red Cross or other charitable organization and tag their creations online with #StitchaHug.

Finally, you might have thought learning to knit was hard when you first started out, but imagine what it would be like to learn to knit if you were born without fingers. After lots of effort, trying and failing, and perseverance, Jennifer Jeremie Marquis learned to knit (she also paints and does cross stitch). Check out the video if you need a little encouragement to keep trying anything that’s been a challenge to you in life.

[Photo via Emmys.com.]

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Comments

  1. Way to go Brad! Your awesome. To bad your not still here in Arizona. We miss not seeing you on TV3! I see you keeping in touch with Tara Hitchcock! Good for you.

  2. Love it!
    I know he was a field reporter in the mornings, I bet he gets some great Knitting time in while traveling and waiting for his que.

Have you read?

Add a Little Lace to Your Knitting Patterns

If you’re new to lace knitting or just aren’t sure how to incorporate the technique into garments, check out these tops and sweaters that use lace as a decorative element.

The easiest lace out there is eyelets, and you can practice them plenty with this eyelet covered sweater from Knitcro Addict. It uses light/DK weight yarn and is worked in four pieces knit flat. It’s intended to be a little cropped and a little oversized, and includes sizes XS to XXL in the pattern.

If you’re in parts of the world where it’s getting colder as you read this, the Nora sweater from Bummbul might be a good choice. This is actually a great one for learning lace because it’s worked in super bulky yarn, which makes it easier to see what you’re doing and makes the lace super graphic. This one just comes in one size, with a 42 inch (106) cm bust, but that could fit a variety of people depending on how much ease you like.

Minimi Knit Design has a cute allover lace cardigan worked in one piece from the bottom up. It’s worked in lace weight mohair held double, which maybe isn’t the best for those new to lace (because it can be hard to rip out) but it sure is pretty. Sizes range to fit from 30 to 66 inches/76 to 168 cm bust measurements.

If you’d rather not have lace all over your sweater, you can knit the Lumi sweater from Originally Lovely, which has a chevron lace pattern on the yoke and is otherwise worked in reverse stockinette stitch. (It’s worked inside out so you don’t have to purl every stitch.) The pattern has 9 sizes from XS to 5XL and uses worsted weight yarn.

Or try the super romantic sookie blouse from Trust the mojo (available on Ravelry). This sweet top is started working flat from the bottom up and has a V-neck and I-cord edgings. The sleeves are worked separately in the round, and the pieces are all joined together to work in one piece to finish off the top. It comes in eight sizes and is available in English and French.

You can also pair lacy sleeves with an otherwise plain top, like on the Starflower Wrap from Annelise Driscoll Gingrow. This intermediate pattern makes a wrap sweater with generous lacy sleeves and a double wrap belt. The pattern has nine sizes, from XS to 5XL, and is available for free from Hobbi.