The March Hare: Winter '06
Issue 47

Every Little Bit • Knitting • Dignified Poncho • Cat House • Ask a Rabbit • Hey/Hay! • Roof Interview • Nature Corner

by Amy

As a young girl, I remember the magic of the knitting shop. My grandma would take me there to spend some time trading stories and project tips with other knitters. The women who ran the shop would spend all day there working on their projects amongst piles of balls of yarn. Watching them work, I was fascinated that such beautiful things could be made from a single thread. Each time my grandma would knit me a sweater, it always seemed warmer than the store-bought ones, thanks to the care she put into every stitch. Naturally, I fell in love with knitting at a young age.

Lucky for me, it seems to be in my genes - my mother's as good as grandma was. So when I decided it was time to pick up the needles, I had a valuable resource. However, times have changed since the simplicity of my grandma's projects. There are now fancier fibers, more complex projects, and advanced techniques like felting. A new knitter can get lost in the flurry of patterns, fibers, and fancy new stitches.

I decided to start simply with an easy scarf pattern and then work up to more complicated pieces. Over the years, I have expanded my knitting repertoire, getting more adventurous as my skills improved. This winter, I finished my first sweater and added it to the huge pile of sweaters knit for me by my grandma and mom.

If you share my interest in knitting, there are some great websites with not only photos, but videos to help you learn everything from casting on to picking up dropped stitches. The following links are some of my favorite resources:

knitty.com - fun, modern patterns, or instructions, updated every month, well-organized archives section

knittinghelp.com - videos with various stitches and techniques

knittingpatterncentral.com - directory featuring thousands of links to free knitting patterns

Below is a scarf that can be knit up in no time. It's simple enough for beginners. You'll want to look up what "knits," "purls," and "slipped stitches" are and how to do them before you get started.

Quick Knit Gift Scarf Can be made in 2 days or less by the average knitter! This is beginner-easy, and reversible too. Materials: Worsted weight yarn, about 4 ounces each of 2 colors 1 PR. US. # 17 needles Gauge: 11 sts = 4 inches and 3 rows = 1 inch Abbreviation Key: st=stitch, K=knit, P=purl Directions: Holding 2 strands of yarn held together, (1 strand of each color) cast on 17 sts.

Click for larger image

Row 1: * K 2, P 1* , repeating between * across, ending K 2. Row 2: Slip first st as if to knit, then knit across. Row 3: Slip first st as if to knit, K 1, * P 1, K 2* repeating between * across row, ending, K 2. Repeat rows 2 and 3 for pattern, until scarf is about 72 inches long or desired length, ending on a row 3. Bind off in Knit st. Weave in yarn ends. If you're feeling confident, you can add fringe to each end of scarf, if desired. See the above resources for instructions how. Pattern: Copyright 2003, Frugal Knitting Haus, Harpers Ferry, WV 25425-0346

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Every Little Bit • Knitting • Dignified Poncho • Cat House • Ask a Rabbit • Hey/Hay! • Roof Interview • Nature Corner •

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