Knit Your Bit

Knit-Your-Bit-A-Thon

Hi Nifty Knitters,

I haven’t posted an entry in awhile but it’s time.  I want to tell you about our Knit-Your-Bit-A-Thon happening here at the museum on Sunday, May 18^th.

Here’s a link for the flyer: http://www.nationalww2museum.org/education/knitting.pdf  If you’re not in the drive area to New Orleans and want to host a Knit-Your-Bit-A-Thon in your area, talk to me, let me know, let’s work together to make it happen.  Any pledges collected will be used for shipping that it costs us here at the museum to get your scarves out to vets.  I have great volunteers that attach labels with your names and locations and get them all packaged up to be sent.  But more importantly than money raised is just more awareness raised for charity knitting and this project in particular.

I’m excited that it’s getting warm out, but I’m glad that I have this great knit event first!

Scarf update: they’re still coming in, a little more slowly as the weather gets warmer, but I’m still seeing neat scarves and I’m sending them on to vets.  So if you have some extra yarn or want to knit/crochet a scarf:  Please, do so!  I’d loooooove getting packages from you all!

Knit Your Bit just continues to spawn great stories

Today I got a call that a local lady in with a group was a knitter and wanted to hear more about the program.  When I went to the Pavilion to meet her, she shared with me this little “poem” with a twinkle in her eyes:

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
I went riding in a car
What I’ve done I’m not admittin’
But what I’m knittin’ ain’t for Britain!
I thought I’d share it with you all! 

Happy Knitting.

Giving Thanks

For whatever reason, this year, more than others, I find myself in a most fantastic holiday mood.  Thankful is the emotion that sweeps over me often.  So as I ponder what to do for my next blog entry, I thought this post would be appropriate to thank those that have made it possible for you all to send me over 500 scarves since I’ve announced the new pattern!

Kenneth Hoffman, the museum’s director of education, has been nothing but supportive as scarves take over the education office.  He’s been amazing since the start.

Michael Schwall, my web guy, kindly posts these blog entries, helps me change the site and forwards me your comments as I forget to check daily.

Dave, Mickey, Jimmy, Duncan, Brian and Don, all of our security officers, who get the mail daily and call me to tell me I have Knit Your Bits.

Patsy and Mae, who make the tags we put on the scarves, sort through everything, and lend their beautiful handwriting.  They’re awesome museum volunteers without whom the scarves would probably never make it to the VA centers because I’d be buried in them!

Leslie and Will and Brenda in the museum store, who make sure those scarves get shipped off by the UPS guy.  I just take the big boxes downstairs and off they go!

Rachel and Sally and Diana and all of my fellow knitters/crocheters who lend their advice to my pattern and help me answer your questions and are just fun to have an excuse to visit a yarn shop for work!  I told you this project made me happy!

I’d love it if you all who read this had the chance to say who is your reason for knitting your bit?  Many packages have letters in them and I get to read and smile when I see why you have chosen to generously knit for this project.  If you feel like sharing or giving thanks publically, feel free to comment and share the love.

Happy December!

They have arrived, more pattern woes and a shout out!

I’ve received the first scarves in the new pattern and they look sharp!

I’ve had a little confusion over the knit pattern.  I want to clear it up. (and I also have a pattern version with each row written out if you’d like me to email it to you).  To make the “V” you do the opposite stitch for the even rows – after the five knit stitches every single row at the beginning and end.  For example Row 1 is K5, P12, K2 , P12, K5, so then, Row 2 is K5, K12, P2, K12, K5.  Then move on to Row 3 and do the opposite for Row 4, just like you did for row 2.  make sense?  I hope so.  Then again, if I had it all figured out from the beginning, I wouldn’t have had as many pleasant exchanges with you all!

I wanted to thank Michelle Edwards for her touching story about her dad on Veterans’ Day.  Here’s a link to her story for those of you who don’t get the Lion Brand weekly e-newsletter: http://cache.lionbrand.com/cgi-bin/lionbrand/displayCustomerProjects.fcgi?projectKey=36639&displayType=story.

As Michelle says, Knit On!

You’re All Over the Place!

I’ve gotten many calls and emails in the last week requesting the patterns and asking questions.  One question that keeps coming up is what color to use.  I don’t have a preference (although I really do like the army green) but I do recommend that you do not use a multi-colored yarn if you are knitting the V pattern.  It hides the V whereas a solid colored yarn, especially one with some sheen, really makes it ‘pop.’

I do want to give a big shout out to Bobbie Matela - and all of you who read her e-newsletter.  For the second year in a row, her kind feature of this program has helped more awesome knitters and crocheters know about Knit Your Bit.  So thanks Bobbie and all of her readers who are spreading the pattern to fellow crafters out there.  I’m excited to see all of your creations!

As I’ve heard from people from coast to coast, one thing I’m excited about is how many of you are sharing the patterns with your knitting groups.  It has that same spirit of community that knitters had during WWII.  Please please pretty please send me pictures of you all knitting!  I’ve put our crew up on the webpage because I think it’s great to associate a face with a name, and I’d love to see some of my great knitters out there.  Regardless, have fun with this project.  I continue to get positive response from the VA centers all over the country who are distributing your scarves to vets.

I am continually inspired by your generosity, knitting and crocheting for strangers.  And I love it when you have the time to enclose a note to let me know where you are or what you’re thinking as you create and send off your generous handiwork.  It makes my day!

What’s Your Guess?!?

After just having posted the crochet and knit patterns, it’s so nice to hear from so many knitters, both with questions and just to say hi and that you are looking forward to this year’s pattern.  I hope you have fun with it!  The initial response also makes me wonder how many scarves Knit Your Bit will get this year.

Happy Knitting and Crocheting!

YIKES, thank goodness for knitpickers!

I sent out the pattern to a large group of people yesterday and I already had a knitter catch my error.  For the V to appear, you must purl the knits and knit the purls not knit the knits and purl the purls.  It’s amazing that two misplaced words could make my V disappear.  I’ve had my wonderful web guy (thanks, Mike) change the pattern you see online already, so I hope I haven’t set too many knitters back.

Thanks, Betsy for catching that right away!

2007 Scarf Pattern

It’s 12 minutes before 5pm and I’ve just barely beat my self-assigned deadline of getting a new pattern together by the end of the month.  I had some amazing help from the wonderful people at the Garden District Needlework Shop, particularly Sally, here in

New Orleans

.  My co-worker Rachel, my partner in yarn, is a crocheter and has put together a really neat “V” crochet pattern as well that I’ll be debuting shortly.  So, I’m going to sign out for the weekend with a feeling of completion for getting my very first pattern (well, with lots of advice from more seasoned knitters) out to you.  Enjoy!

Download pdf at http://www.nationalww2museum.org/education/2007scarfpatternkit.pdf

More and More Packages

When I got to work this morning, there were five packages waiting for me!  I am constantly amazed at the life this project has taken and how many of you have knitted even in the summer months.  I’m also getting emails and notes in the packages about the anticipation for next year’s pattern, well, this year’s pattern, I suppose.  The classic three stripes was a great one because even novice knitters could do it.  Several scarves have had notes attached that let me know that this was their first knitting project.  I think that’s just wonderful and want to make sure any knitter (or crocheter) experienced or brand new, can participate if they want.  I’m thinking about putting a “V” for victory into this scarf.  I’m not quite sure how this is going to work.  I’m going to go to a local yarn shop this week and see if they’ll help me out.  I’m also not sure how to convert this to crochet, but you crocheters out there can certainly chime in and guide me.  I’m hoping to post a couple pictures soon of me and my museum volunteers getting scarves ready for shipment.  You should see my office!

Well, happy knitting.  Hopefully I’ll have a cheerful email for you by the end of this week telling you that our new pattern is in the bag and ready to go online (and if you’d like to email me with guidance, I’ll happily accept your advice!)

http://www.nationalww2museum.org/education/knitting.html

Knit Your Bit

When we launched Knit Your Bit nearly a year ago, we had no idea the response we we would receive from dedicated knitters around the country. And responded you have! As we roll into fall and the second year of this program, the Museum has received almost 1,600 scarves from amazing knitters nationwide.

We are busily preparing another pattern, however we will accept any appropriate scarf. VA Centers have expressed their appreciation and are waiting for you to make a difference in veterans' lives this winter.

All of your scarves have made it to veterans throughout the country. The Campaign has generated positive feedback, good will and warm necks. Check back regularly for updates to see our progress.