Spin a Yarn for Charity
Written by DCist Contributer Clare Kelley
Now that the cold weather seems like it might stick around for a little while, it's time to bundle up. For a lot of people around D.C., that involves curling up with some cozy yarn and knitting hats, scarves, and mittens. What? You haven't noticed the scores of knitters on the Metro?!? Knitting is back, baby, and there's something about handknit accessories that just keeps you toastier.
Whether you are already a knitter or you've just been curious to try it out, you (yes YOU) can also help others bundle up this winter. For the fourth year in a row, Food & Friends, a local charity based in Northeast, is collecting handknit scarves, hats, shawls, mittens, and afghans for their clients with HIV/AIDS, cancer, and other life-challenging illnesses. Your handknit treasure will not only help someone stay warm on these chilly D.C. nights, it will remind them that their community is looking out for them.
You can find Food & Friends' mailing address on their website, or you can deliver your donation directly to Food & Friends during business hours Monday - Saturday. They ask that you deliver your donations by February 6.
Before you all go running for your needles, to help you get started, DCist is offering not one, not two, but three sweet scarf patterns we guarantee won't get stuck in the re-gifting pile like that pink and avocado sweater set Grandma gave you. Never knit anything before and/or don’t fancy yourself a crafty-type? Not a problem. Check out the gURL Guide’s step by step instructions on how to knit your first scarf. In no time, you'll be whipping up goodies left and right to share the gift of wamth this winter. And that'll make you feel warm and fuzzy as the scarves you make.
Photo by epmd
The fun part about scarves is that in order to fit, they just have to wrap around a neck. This means you get a lot of leeway when it comes to your gauge and the different types of yarns and needles you can use, making it the perfect project for leftover yarn. In all three of these patterns, we’ve suggested a size needle and weight yarn, but you can easily use a different weight yarn and corresponding needle by simply adding or subtracting stitches from the pattern.
For example, in the first pattern, we suggest you use a worsted weight yarn, which should get you about 4 stitches to the inch. If you wanted to use a bulky size yarn and get 2 stitches to the inch, you could simply use bigger size 15 needles and only cast on 14 stitches. The beauty of scarves is that you can learn all kinds of fun things about the math involved in knitting without anyone ever having to know you secretly messed up.
Diagonal Stripes (easy beginner):
Use two (or more) colors of a worsted weight yarn and number 10 needles.
- Cast on 24 stitches.
- Row 1: Knit
- Row 2: Increase 1 by purling into the back and front of the stitch. Purl the rest of the row. Purl 2 together on the last two stitches.
Switch yarn, and repeat the pattern, picking up the different colors as you alternate until the scarf is as long as you want it. Bind off and you’re good to go!
Woven Scarf (beginner/intermediate):
This woven looking pattern uses a Purl Twist (PT) in a multiple of four stitches; so again, feel free to mess with the gauge and number of stitches to get it the size you want.
- Purl Twist:(PT) Purl 2 stitches together leaving the stitches on the left hand needle, insert the right hand needle from the back between the stitches you just purled and purl the first stitch again, slide both stitches from the needle together.
Using a worsted weight yarn and number 10 needles, cast on 32 Stitches.
- Row 1: Purl (Wrong side)
- Row 2: *Knit 2, PT; repeat from * to the end.
- Row 3: Purl
- Row 4: *PT, Knit 2; repeat from * to the end.
Keep working this pattern until the scarf is as long as you want it, bind off.
Fisherman’s Cable Scarf (intermediate):
If you’ve always wanted to try cables, this is a nice scarf to learn on. Just make sure that your stitches are nice and loose- if it starts feeling really tough and tight, switch to a larger size needle.
Here’s how you cable 6 forward: slip 3 stitches onto a cable needle and hold it in front of the work. Knit the next 3 stitches, then knit the 3 stitches on the cable needle.
- Using a lighter worsted weight yarn and number 7 needles, cast on 42 stitches.
- Row 1: (Wrong side) Knit 2, purl 2, [knit 2, purl 6, knit 2, purl 2], repeat [] two more times, purl 2, knit 2.
- Row 2: (right side) Knit 4, [purl 2, knit 6, purl 2, knit 2], repeat [] two more times, knit 4.
- Repeat the first two rows for 7 rows.
- Row 8: (right side) Knit 4, [purl 2, cable 6 forward, purl 2, knit 2], repeat [] two more times, knit 4.
Keep working until the scarf is as long as you want it, end on a row 7 and bind off. For extra warm and fuzzies, add fringe.