AUGUST Knit for Charity - BLANKET STRIPS for Huron Rd. Hospital

CALLING ALL KNITTERS!!

My knitting guild

NORTHCOAST KNITTING GUILD

is having a SERVICE PROJECT and I invite anyone to help if you have time and are interested. Or feel free to use the baby blanket pattern for your own personal use.

We are making baby blankets for Huron Road Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio.

Our members are making strips as follows:

(join 4 strips to complete one blanket)

FREE PATTERN FOR BABY BLANKET STRIPS and BABY BLANKET

MATERIAL NEEDED: Worsted Weight acrylic yarn in two colors, A and B

Size 7, 8, or 9 US needles, straight and circular

FINISHED SIZE: 8" wide X 32" long

ABBREVIATIONS: K1tbl - knit 1 stitch through the back loop

Sl wyif - Slip 1 stitch purlwise with yarn in front

NOTES: Edge stitch included in the instructions below creates a chain selvage which is important for joining strips after completion.

When changing colors, pick up the new color from underneath the old color. You do not need to cut, just carry the yarn up the side.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Cast on the number of stitches needed to equal 8" width of the strip.

(My strip pictured above required 33 stitches to cast on)

ROW 1: With color A, K1 tbl, k to last stitch, sl wyif.

ROW 2: Same as row 1.

ROW 3: With color B, k1 tbl, k to last stitch, sl wyif.

ROW 4: With color B, k1 tbl, purl to the last stitch, sl 1 wyif.

Repeat Rows 1 - 4 until piece measures 32" long ending with row 2.

Bind off with color A.

Weave in ends.

JOINING STRIPS:

Use the same color yarn to join strips. Join 4 strips to complete the blanket.

Option 1: 3 needle bind off.

With a long circular needle, pick up and knit 1 stitch in each chain along the long edge of the first strip. With another long circular needle, pick up and knit the same number of stitches along the long edge of the second strip. Place strips with the wrong sides together.

1. * With a third needle, knit together the first stitch on the first needle and the first stitch on the second needle. Knit these stitches together. Repeat from * once more.

2. With the left needle, pass the first stitch on the right needle over the second stitch and off the needle.

3. Knit together the next 2 stitches.

4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until all stitches have been bound off. Pull yarn through last loop and weave in end.

Option 2: Join long edges using single crochet.

For those of you who would like to participate and make strips, please

Email me

and I will send you the address to where you can send the strips. Other members of the guild have volunteered to do the joining together.

We will have the blankets on display at KNITTER'S FANTASY in April, 2007 and will be delivering the blankets to the hospital after the event.

THANK YOU!!

P.S. If you would like to be a correspondence member of our knitting guild, you are welcome to join for a $5.00 annual membership fee to receive our terrrific newsletter - with free patterns, book reviews, specials and more - by mail or online.