The fourth annual World Wide Knit in Public Day  took place on Sunday, June 15, 2008. This world wide knitting event was started in 2005 by knitter  Danielle Landes as a way for knitters to take pride in their knitting.

By knitting in public, either alone or with a group, at a park or in a coffee house, knitters will know that they are not alone because other knitters will be doing the same thing world-wide on the same day.

Danielle writes, "This is a way to help knitters feel good about their hobby, and maybe introduce more people to the craft."

Sit n Knit NYC organized New York’s WWKIP events.  Knitters met, sat and knit in Central Park, telling the world "I like to knit!" Christmas at Sea was chosen as one of the service projects for Sit ‘n’Knit New York City’s WWKIP celebration, with attendees bringing handknit hats for mariners to the event.  On behalf of the mariners who will receive these cozy and stylish hats this Christmas, Thanks Knitters!

Sit ‘n’ Knit New York City is a fantastic knitting group organized on Meetup. If you are a New York City knitter or crocheter and looking for some knit/crochet buddies, I can’t recommend this group enough. Organizer Ann Marie holds several events almost every week all around the city.   Participation in this group requires registration and RSVP for each event, so if you are interested in joining the group–please visit the website and register.

I was not able to attend the WWKIP festivities (it was my younger sister’s wedding day!) But I metup with the group on June 25 for "Sit and Knit to Music" in Madison Square Park.  I love this group and I hope to see you there sometime soon! Check out the pictures below–doesn’t it look fun?

A hearty thanks to Lion Brand Yarn for featuring Christmas at Sea in their newsletter and big Hello to anyone visiting through that link. We’re so happy you’re here!

What are you doing on your summer vacation?

My knitter friend Martha and I have been thinking about this l-o-n-g green season after Pentecost, and about how far away the mariners are from home… and how l-o-n-g they go without seeing loved ones. It can be a very lonely time.

While you’re here, check out the progress meters–we’re doing great, but we’re not there yet…so please, keep knitting!!!

This is one of Christmas at Sea’s most frequently asked question, and I appreciate why.

Let’s take a look at the math:

A hat uses 3 ounces of yarn, a skein weighs  3.5 ounces, leaving a balll of leftover yarn weighing .5 ounces. 

A scarf uses 5 ounces of wool, 2 skeins make up 7 ounces, which leaves 2 ounces of left over yarn.

A frugal knitter will want to use up those leftover bits of yarn, so what’s she to do?

STRIPES! Stripes are a great way to use up leftover balls of yarn, while adding a little design interest to your finished garment. Knitter Mary Evans Downs from South Dennis, Massachusetts, knits up the most charming vests, and incorporates all of her leftovers.

In years past, Christmas at Sea has asked that knitters use only one color in each garment.

Here is an example illustrating why this request has been made:

This scarf is knit neatly and evenly, but it is clearly made out of leftover scraps of yarn. As nicely as this item is knit, it will not be used. Our volunteers here will rip back and attempt to finish the scarf in all one color, or incorporating the beige and the red as stripes throughout the entire garment.

A little planninng can help you turn your leftover balls of yarn into attractive stripes and beautiful, dignified and personalized seafarer’s garments.

The snow is still covering the ground for St. Dunstan’s Parish in Madison, Wisconsin, but everything is coming up caps! These caps were Knit4Lent, collected and blessed on Easter Sunday. Isn’t this a great picture?

IMG_2355
Originally uploaded by Mary Hawkins

Wow!!!! The hats are pouring in! Today I’ve received more than 50 Knit4Lent packages and have gotten lots of messages that hats are on their way or will be sent later this week.

I have completed 8 hats, but I don’t plan to stop now. Knitting hats is a great way to take a break from a project that gets to be a little to tedious or complicated. And I always seem to take on projects that are too tedious and complicated! I’m hearing from other knitters and groups that they plan to continue knitting hats for Christmas at Sea throughout the year. On behalf of all the cold headed mariners we serve, THANK YOU!

These are hats knitted by a new Ravelry friend, Mary, a very talented and generous knitter. She knit a dozen hats for us and managed to use up a lot of stash yarn!

Another knitter is sending hats all the way from Germany. One knitter is using her handspun, and another incredibly prolific knitter only stopped after 22 hats!

Thanks to everyone who has participated, whether you knit 1 hat or 22!

Happy Easter!

Written for The Knit Before Christmas by Whipstick Knitter,  Catalina

The Whipstick Knitters are members of a larger Internet group called The Gunroom which is devoted to discussing the novels of Patrick O’Brian, the era in which they take place, and, as we say, "everything else."

The formation of our litttle group grew out of a lively discussion of knitting in the novels. Casting about for a name which would be both nautical and knitty, the whipstaff of a ship which is a vertical steering stick attached to the tiller a deck below was changed to Whipstick to make us sound handy with our needles. Our motto, "Which it will be ready when it is ready!" is borrowed from Jack Aubrey’s grumpy but devoted manservant, Killick, and is intended to put pressure on no one.

Columbus Day (in honor of another mariner) was chosen as the date to upend our seabags for muster and shake out our finished projects, mailing them to one member located in New York who then made the delivery accompanied by another (non-knitting) Gunroom member seen holding a copy of O’Brian’s HMS Surprise, the third novel in the series in the photo. We had decided on a goal of 21 knitted items, as there are 21 books in the Aubrey/Maturin canon, including an unfinished one. Having met our goal earlier this year, we did a further volley, as it were, or a second read-through with two to spare, submitting 44 items in all.

We currently number 13 Whipsticks from all different states and maintain an internet sub-list for our knitting activities which includes knitting for other charities and our own projects. Most of us have never met one another, only one knitter having actually come face to face with two others but on separate occasions and one of those with a sister in the group. In spite of that, and in the best tradition of Jack Aubrey’s delight in a pun, we are a close-knit group!

The log of our progress (and more photos!) may be more closely followed at the Whipstick Knitters’ Blog.

If you or your knitting group would like to write a guest entry, please do!  

I think 2007 is the year of the sock in the knitting universe.   So far, Christmas-at-Sea has collected nearly 300 pairs of socks, more  socks than ever before.  But seeing as its the year of the sock,  I think we can double that number by December 1, and I would like to challenge all of the CAS volunteer knitters to help me meet this goal. I certainly can’t knit them all myself!

As an incentive, any Christmas at Sea sock knitters who contribute socks by November 15 will be entered into a drawing to win this beautiful skein of Socks that Rock, generously donated by Blue Moon Fiber Arts.

 This post is inspired by Socktoberfest! a month-long celebration of sock knitting hosted by  Lolly Knitting Around.  Lolly posted this sock knitting questionaire on her blog. I’d love to see your answers, feel free to leave them in the comments or send them by email.

Good luck and happy knitting!

When did you start making socks?

2002

Did you teach yourself or were you taught by a friend or relative? or in a class?

I "taught myself," meaning that I read a lot of tutorials and instructions thoughtfully prepared by other knitters.

What was your first pair? How have they “held up” over time?

My first pair was a basic sock with a ribbed cuff made from Trekking. They were a gift to someone I rarely see anymore. I have no idea how they’ve held up.

What would you have done differently?

I did a sloppy job with the toe. It was too pointy!  I wish I would have ripped it back an inch and re-grafted it.

What yarns have you particularly enjoyed?

Socks that Rock, Opal, Regia, Koigu, Tofutsies,

Do you like to crochet your socks? or knit them on DPNs, 2 circulars, or using the Magic Loop method?

Magic Loop! I love knitting socks this way. I used to use 5 DPNs but I often broke them. This year I’ve knit all of my socks on a circular needle and I have been much more prolific.

Which kind of heel do you prefer? (flap? or short-row?)

Heel flap.

How many pairs have you made?

More than 10, fewer than 20.

Are you a designer? How about trying your hand at designing a pattern for Christmas at Sea?

Christmas at Sea is looking for both crochet and knit slipper patterns for gifts for cruise ship workers.  Please send in your pattern by October 1. A sample slipper is also requested.

The official cruise ship worker slipper pattern will be announced in the next print issue of the Knit Before Christmas.  The Institute plans to distribute hand made slippers in 2008.

SCI provides pastoral care and hospitality services to thousands of cruise ship workers docking in Manhattan; Red Hook, Brooklyn; and Cape Liberty, Bayonne, NJ each year.   Cruise ship workers visiting our centers are able to wire money, make phone calls home and use the internet.

Most cruise ship workers work up to nine straight months with few or no days off.  Sitting at my desk this Monday, after a beautiful weekend, it’s hard to imagine what that’s like. 

To learn more about why these services are important to cruise ship workers follow the link:

 www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section