KnitBits: Mum Knits Her Son, Jessica Jones Knits, Charities for Knitters and More

It’s hard for parents when their kids get past the cuddling and talking to us stage, so one mom of a tween boy took the matter into her own hands and knit a suit that looks like her son.

She says she and her son worked on it together, and it actually has attributes of both her sons, though it’s sized such that only the younger one can wear it. The suit consists of a knit head with cap, a sweater with hands, knit pants with sneakers and a knit iPod.

She said they decided to take pictures of the project in action, and said it would also be fun to knit one for mothers whose kids don’t want to cuddle anymore.

The world lost several greats this week, and Ravelry celebrated the life of David Bowie with a roundup of Bowie-inspired knit and crochet projects. I love the Labyrinth mitts!

Krysten Ritter, the actress who plays Jessica Jones, recently talked about her knitting obsession with Vulture. She says she’s been “knitting like crazy” because with all the travel she’s been doing she needs something that’s just for her. She says she learned to knit from her grandmother and picked it up again on the set of Mona Lisa Smile, where “everybody” was knitting, including, of course, Julia Roberts.

If you’re into charity knitting or would like to start, Mental Floss recently published a list of 10 places looking for donations of yarn craft. From blankets for babies to bowl-nests for baby birds, knitted knockers to afghans for Afghans, it’s a great list.

And finally, in a move I would have thought happened a long time ago, yarn craft pro Vickie Howell has launched a YouTube channel. As of this writing there are seven videos covering some of the basics of knitting, including a couple of cast ons, knitting, purling, a couple of decrease methods, how to join a new ball of yarn and binding off. It’s a great go-to if you or someone you know is in need of instruction in the basics.

[Photo via Club Geluk.]

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When I first started knitting again after a long absence from the craft (which has now been almost 25 years ago!) I really didn’t like garter stitch that much. I found it super boring, somehow even more boring than knitting stockinette stitch in the round, even though it’s exactly the same thing.

Over the years I’ve softened my opinion, and even grown to like garter stitch. There’s nothing wrong with being plain, and actually the texture of garter stitch is more interesting than stockinette.

Also there are fun things you can do with garter stitch to make it more interesting if you want to, such as adding stripes, working on the bias, or doing fun effects to change the look.

That’s the way with the Bernat Twist My Way Garter Knit Blanket. Using combinations of casting on and binding off creates what they call a Swiss cheese effect along two sides of the blanket. This is a lot of fun in the self-striping ombre yarn they chose for the pattern, but it would also be fun in a solid color or making your own stripes.

Despite the dramatic effect, this pattern is rated easy. It’s worked from side to side (if you consider the “cheesy” edges the top and bottom) and has an eight-row repeat that involves binding off and then casting on again to make the holes. They’re kind of like giant buttonholes.

Once you get the hang of it it’s a pretty easy repeat to remember, and it will be smooth knitting as big as you want to make it.

You can download this pattern from the Yarnspirations website for free, or you can buy a kit direct from them that includes the yarn you need (and knitting needles if you need those, too). Bernat Sport Ombre Twist, which is what is used in the pattern, comes in 12 self patterning colors and is a DK weight acrylic yarn.

[Photo: Yarnspirations]

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