Marathon Knitter to Finger Knit Through New York

Remember the knitting marathoner? Last year David Babcock become the Guinness World Record holder for knitting the longest scarf ever made while running a marathon (at the Kansas City Marathon in October).

Word has it Babcock is headed back to Kansas City this year, but only for a half, because he’s also planning to run and knit through the New York City Marathon in November, and that presents a bit of a logistical challenge.

Knitting needles aren’t allowed on that course (I guess because of their potential use as a weapon?) and neither are bulky bags to hold yarn, so Babcock experimented with both arm and finger knitting to use instead, but found them both lacking.

So he developed a method of knitting with his fingers, in which his fingers are working like needles, that he can still do while running.

The NYC Marathon is special for a lot of reasons. It’s the first marathon Babcock ever saw, and he’s running it with a group of about 150 from NYC Athletes To End Alzheimer’s. Lion Brand Yarn Company is sponsoring his run, and you can learn more about his method of finger knitting by visiting his website.

[Photo via Knitting Runner.]

Next Pattern:

There are so many baby blanket knitting patterns out there I could probably do a post a month full of them and not run out for a very long time. This time I thought I’d look specifically at single color baby blankets that are interesting because of the inclusion of textured stitching. This makes them easy enough for new knitters but engaging for knitters of all skill levels.

Take the Textured Checks Baby Blanket from Janet Dubbelman for example. This project is mostly stockinette stitch, with some what looks like reverse stockinette and garter stitch thrown in to make the ridges. You can use whatever yarn weight you like to make blankets of different sizes. Find the pattern on Ravelry.

The Seedling from Modern Made Shop is just about as easy as it comes, combining seed stitch with a garter stitch border. It calls for worsted weight yarn and is perfect for beginners.

The Julie Baby Blanket by Elisabeth Kristiansen is another one with an easy allover stitch pattern that you can knit up in a flash in whatever size you want. (The pattern notes say any gauge but it also says 28 stitches per 4 inches, which would be a superfine or fine weight yarn. Learn more on Ravelry.

The Oscar Baby Blanket from Snufflebean is another one with an easy repeating stitch pattern that has a really fun, graphic effect. This is also great worked in a bright color, reminding us that babies don’t have to be in pastels! This one uses DK weight yarn.

If you want to get a little fancier, check out Sammy Bristow’s Georges Blanket. This one alternates blocks of stockinette stitch with boats and anchors made by purling on the right side of the blanket. It calls for DK weight yarn and has multiple sizes for dolls through toddlers. Check it out on Ravelry.

Another cute texture is this heart blanket with diamonds that are a little reminiscent of argyle. Yarn Sonata Patterns has this one, which is worked in DK weight yarn and comes in four sizes. It includes a chart and row by row instructions.

Or try the pretty Seton Portage baby blanket from Knitted Wishes, which has a border of trees and textured stitches that look like snow falling. The pattern includes different options for snowflakes and doing a mirror image of the trees on each end of the blanket. It’s worked in worsted weight yarn. This one includes charts, written instructions and video tutorials for special stitches.

Next Pattern:

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