As we mentioned in a previous post, our sister magazine, The Knitter, has teamed up with top designers and Macmillan Cancer Support – and they need your help to knit blankets to bring comfort to cancer patients.
We've got good news if you're knitting for Macmillan – they've got loads of new squares up since we last posted, including designs by Debbie Bliss, Martin Storey, Mason-Dixon, Jean Moss and Belinda Boaden, so check out the Macmillan website now.
Once you've knitted a square or two, you can show them off in the Flickr pool dedicated to the Macmillan knit.
And last but not least, if you're on Facebook, you can become a fan of Macmillan and let people know about your coffee morning on the Macmillan Facebook page.
Thursday August 06, 2009 Macmillan Cancer Support: Knitting campaign update
My first knitted toy
I blogged fairly recently about doing a couple of knitting swaps. I'm frantically knitting away to complete my items for both swaps, and I'm both enjoying it and learning lots more. One project required me to purl into the front and back of stitches to increase. I don't like purling, it seems to take so much longer than doing plain knit stitches. However, the item had to be made – it was perfect for the swap, and I had the yarn and needles – and so the purl increases got done. Purling into the back of a stitch will be no bother in future!
Now I'm starting another first: knitting my first toy, Alan Dart's Wilhelmina Witch. She's perfect for the theme of the swap, and I think she's something the recipient will love. So far I'm not finding it too difficult, although the making up is going to be the tricky bit, and it's also the bit that can turn a decent piece of knitting into a superb toy or a lumpy monster, depending on the care taken. Have you made many toys? Do you find the making up difficult?
Knitting the toy is daunting for me because, of course, we get Alan's own hand-knitted versions in the office and they're always perfect. My witch won't be as pristine as his, but hopefully she will be a very nice knit.
Within the next week issue 58 will go on sale – you may have your copy already if you're a subscriber – with Alan's Gingerbread House and Gnome couple as a special cover-mounted supplement. It's a big project that will make a brilliant Christmas decoration, so you're getting it in plenty of time to knit it. I'm not going to be making it, though. I've seen Alan's toy for our October issue, and it's already on my must-knit list! I won't spoil the surprise by telling you here what it is, but if you've got issue 58, turn to page 97 for a preview.
Now I'm starting another first: knitting my first toy, Alan Dart's Wilhelmina Witch. She's perfect for the theme of the swap, and I think she's something the recipient will love. So far I'm not finding it too difficult, although the making up is going to be the tricky bit, and it's also the bit that can turn a decent piece of knitting into a superb toy or a lumpy monster, depending on the care taken. Have you made many toys? Do you find the making up difficult?
Knitting the toy is daunting for me because, of course, we get Alan's own hand-knitted versions in the office and they're always perfect. My witch won't be as pristine as his, but hopefully she will be a very nice knit.
Within the next week issue 58 will go on sale – you may have your copy already if you're a subscriber – with Alan's Gingerbread House and Gnome couple as a special cover-mounted supplement. It's a big project that will make a brilliant Christmas decoration, so you're getting it in plenty of time to knit it. I'm not going to be making it, though. I've seen Alan's toy for our October issue, and it's already on my must-knit list! I won't spoil the surprise by telling you here what it is, but if you've got issue 58, turn to page 97 for a preview.
