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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.]

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?

Knits for the Table for Thanksgiving and Beyond

As we get into the part of the year with a lot of food-forward holidays, it might be time to start thinking about knitting some new things for your table. While a few of these are more fall/Thanksgiving focused, just changing up the colors would make others work for Christmas, or keep it neutral and use them all year long. 

What got me started thinking about this was the lovely and simple Fresh Bread Dishtowel, a free pattern from Purl Soho. Worked in a lovely cotton and linen blend, the towel is mostly stockinette stitch with a bit of texture on the borders. 

You could use this same kind of pattern to make anything from placemats to a table runner, but let’s look at some specific patterns for those kinds of projects as well. 

The easy moss stitch table runner from Glass Bird Knits is beginner friendly can can easily be modified to fit your table (or, again, to make placemats instead of or in addition to a runner). This version is worked in macrame cord, but you could also use bulky yarn. 

Emielle Design has a garter stitch runner pattern that’s made with braided cotton cord for a lot of texture without a lot of work. But be sure to take a lot of breaks when knitting with cord because it can be rough on your hands!

I also love the diamond pattern on the Hamilton Table Runner from Wyndlestraw Designs. It calls for a DK weight cotton and linen blend yarn and comes in three sizes with different widths and lengths. The pattern has both written and charted instructions. 

Amy Marie’s Table Pumpkins (on Ravelry) is a fun mosaic knitting pattern that would be great to use as a table runner through the fall and for Thanksgiving. It uses a worsted weight cotton yarn in two colors, and you can make it as long as you like for your table. 

The no cable knit placemats from Yarn Culture Studio have a fun faux cable look that would be great for the table through the fall and winter. 

Or here’s another pattern from Wyndlestraw Designs, this time for an easy knit and purl stitch placemat pattern that looks different but still good on both sides. It calls for worsted weight cotton and comes in two sizes for placemats, but also has instructions for coasters, a hot pad and a table pad all using the same stitch.