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Knitting News: A Survivor Sweater, Inmates Knit for Charity and a Legacy of Knitting

April 21, 2015 by Sarah White

oklahoma city sweaterThe Oklahoma City bombing happened 20 years ago on Sunday, and one woman who was injured by the blast has knit a special sweater that holds the memories of those who were lost and what has happened since.

Priscilla Salyers fell five stories and was trapped in rubble by the bomb, and though recovery workers found her yarn basket, she didn’t knit again until during Timothy McVeigh’s trial. The large cardigan she created includes a depiction of the memorial and the Survivor’s tree, a fence design on the back complete with charms, a teddy bear for the children who died and a heart for each person who died, including two of her co-workers.

The sweater has been touring around the country with a former police chaplain, but Salyers says she has some more details she’d like to add.

Female prison inmates in Maine are learning to knit and using donated yarn to make blankets and teddy bears. The projects are then given to Bikers Against Child Abuse, where they can help kids who need comfort. Women in the program, which is new to the Alfred facility, say they like being able to create things and share with others even while behind bars.

And finally, the New York Times has a piece about a woman encouraged to take up knitting by a friend while she was undergoing treatment for cancer. The author, Christina Baker Kline, resists the idea and is reminded of her mother, who taught her to knit and also is the reason she no longer does so. It’s an interesting read about legacy and what becomes important and why. You should check it out.

Looking for more Knitting patterns for Teddy Bears? Check it out here.

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Knit a Garter Stitch Blanket with a Twist

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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