Total from March

Although I posted photos of items collected at the March meeting, I did not give the tally. You MKG knitters, you always amaze me.

Blankets: 10 (these are big things to make!)
Shawls: 2 (these are also big!)
Scarves: 6
Hats: 7
Chemo hats: 10
Headbands: 2
Baby Sweaters: 5
Bootie and hat set: 1

Grand total: 43 for March

April Kids' Hats

For the April charity challenge, we have selected children's hats--to get a head start on next winter. Kids need hats as soon as the chill fall weather starts, so what better time to knit hats than spring?? We will save them for distribution in the fall--kids' ears won't get cold waiting for us to knit hats.

Kids hats patterns abound. The Guild library has many books about hats. But, consider these on the internet.

This is the raspberry baby tart hat from Knitty. Find it here.


Or, how about a hat that lets piggy tales hang out? Find it here.

This is darling for a little kid who likes cars! Find it here.

Knitting pattern central has dozens of kids hat patterns here.

Happy knitting. Remember, even though we hope flowers will be sprouting in April, kids will need hats in the fall. We are Knitting Ahead for next year!

Remember: every month is "knitters' choice."

March Madness Photos

The knitters guild members were generous again in the month of March. Baby blankets and comfort blankets or shawls were the theme. But, because every month is "knitters choice" there were lots of other wonderful items.

For example, here are two little Baby Surprise Jackets, made by someone who could not knit the baby sweaters in a previous month, but who made them for March.
A soft blue blanket.
Two green blankets; one in a traditional design.
A four color soft machine knitted blanket.
More sweters displayed on the blanket.
A warm shawl or scarf with ruffled edges.
Some of the hats!
Multi colored hats and a headband.

A scarf, a "flying saucer" hat and a head/ear band.
A scalloped feather and fan blanket.
A multicolored slip-stitch blanket.
A mitered square four piece green blanket.
A subtle shawl.
And a bright, cheery crocheted blanket for some lucky person!
More hats and some booties.
More hats.
More hats, including a toboggan-noggin' and some slippers.
A hat to keep the ears warm and braids!
The intricate "Shedir" pattern from Knitty.com

Thanks to everyone who made these items and others for the March charity collection!

February donations

Once again, the knitters of the Madison Knitters Guild have proven themselves to be generous and prolific. Can you believe it--68 more items were donated at the February meeting. This means we have exceeded our annual goal!! Way to go, knitters. You rock!!
Although February was chemo caps month, one member kept crocheting and crocheting and made a large blanket! Beautiful.
Soft fuzzy chemo hats in a rainbow of colors.
Soft and tailored scarves to keep people warm in this cold, cold winter.
Pastel hats and
bright patterned hats.
Baby sweaters and more soft hats.
Another sweater and a soft chemo hat.
Someone made an entire layette set of blanket, sweater, hat and booties.

Hats, and hats, and more hats!
And more and more....
A knitted log cabin blanket to keep someone cozy.
And little hats for preemies!

Thank you, thank you, thank you....

March--Blankets and Comfort Shawls

The Charity item for the month of March is small blankets, such as baby blankets or small cuddle blankets, or comfort shawls. Charities appreciate baby blankets for mothers who don't have anything in which to wrap their babies.

Pat also points out that blankets for children need not be large enough to sleep under. Children undergoing painful medical procedures sometimes need a small blanket as a “lovey” to hug while in the hospital. Use machine washable yarn that is soft. You can find children’s blanket patterns all over the internet and in pattern books. One of the easiest, that also knits up quickly, is the Diagonal baby blanket pattern from Lion Brand. The pattern is all garter stitch and you can use big needles. Either use bulky but soft yarn, or hold two or three strands of soft lighter yarn together. Pattern is below.

Comfort shawls and the prayer shall ministries have proven to be popular projects for many church knitting groups. Because the shawls are for people in distress, physical or emotional, using machine washable yarn is important. Again, Lion Brand Yarn has a basic prayer or comfort shawl pattern, using a K 3, P 3 motif.

If you don’t think you can finish a blanket or shawl by yourself, Ask a friend to join in the knitting. Use the same or complementary yarn. Knit strips of a pre-determined length. Get together for coffee, tea, wine, etc., and sew the strips together! You will comfort yourself with friendship and with the knowledge that some unknown recipient will also be comforted.

See you at the March meeting!!

Knitting Retreat

This entry is a break from the normal routine of announcing the Charity Knitting Challenge pattern of the month.

The Madison Knitters' Guild held a very successful Knitting Retreat in New Glarus, attended by approximately 31 knitters!! Twenty five of the knitters stayed overnight on Friday, February 1 and/or Saturday, February 2. The knitters knit, ate fresh bakery, laughed, made new friends, ate cookies and treats, had a beer/wine/drink or two, ate apples and clementines, cast-on, bound-off, and generally had a wonderful time.

Here are some of the hardworking hands of the Knitting Retreat Participants!!

Great beginnings!
Picking up stitches along the edge of a band for a hat.
The rowdy table!
View from our knitting room.
Decoration on the stairway.

Making socks to match a store-bought sweater!
Socks for a son.

More beginnings.
Must be for a little girl!
Thin mohair alternated with thick wool.
There is colorwork at the bottom.
The knitting matches the sweater.
Some sewing up work.
Looks warm!
This shawl begins with a gazillion stitches for the ruffle.
Some of the last of the Tiur is being made into a pullover.
Believe it or not, this three stranded project is being made with paper yarn.
The warmth of this project was appropriate for the cold, snowy weekend!

January's Collection: An Awesome Way to Begin the New Year

The Madison Knitters' Guild charity knitters have done it again. They set a new record for monthly donations with a total of 152 items!! This included:

94 hats (preemie to adult)
7 pairs of mittens (infant to adult)
5 pairs of booties and socks
11 scarves
35 sweaters (our monthly target item)

Can you believe the generosity?? Many members brought more than one donation and some brought a bag full of items. Just think of all the people in Dane County who will be warmer and healthier because of your efforts!

Here's a variation on the Carol Anderson Wallaby--without a hood and without pockets. A cute, cute warm sweater.

There were eleven Baby Surprise Jackets from Elizabeth Zimmerman's old pattern. I got photos of a few of them before my camera's battery died.

Someome made a cute hat to go with this BSJ.

Baby Surprise Jackets in all sorts of colors and stripes!!

Two BSJ's with hats and one with mittens to match.

And hats to match sweaters and hats that are unique!
A soft little sweater with a parade of confetti hats.

Wee hats, scarves, slippers and a stack of sweaters for a larger child.

Bright and warm hats!


Snowflake hat and hat/sweater duo.

The blue sweater is oh so soft; the white sweater zips up the back; the striped hats are for preemies and little babies, other hats are for bigger heads!

Warm double knit pom=pom hats to keep ears and heads warm in January!
Gorgeous, warm patterned mittens.

Below is a stack of baby sweaters made by someone! Each of them cuter than the next.

Little booties will keep little feet warm.
Knitters, be proud!!