Knit Your Bit

Unexpected Road Trip

See, I knew that there was a reason that I gave myself that late August deadline.  I ended up on what we’re calling a “hurrication.”  I brought yarn and needles with me, but I ended up with my family and a new puppy and the yarn is still all wound up.  So, it’s a good thing that I finished that scarf and got the pattern out to you all when I did.  I don’t even think the museum lost power, and the mail may be delayed for another day or two, but I’m ready to keep knitting.  If you’re on the Gulf Coast, I am hosting another “Knit-In” on Saturday, September 13th.  Weather permitting.  It’s been an active season, for sure. There was a big discussion on ravelry about would you take your stash with you in the event of an evacuation?  I hope you’ll take your Knit Your Bit supplies, because I am too excited too receive the first scarf in this year’s pattern!  And squares too!

I’m Almost Ready and Knit Your Itty Bit

Well, I have the scarf knitted and binded off and have woven in the dangling yarn from my color switches.  But I want to add fringe.  Personally, I am in the middle of the move and I keep forgetting my yarn at one house, etc.  We’ve all moved, you know how it goes!  But I hope to get the scarf photographed and the pattern posted on the website in a mere matter of days.

This year we’re also going to offer a Knit Your Itty Bit part to our project. People can knit/crochet squares with any yarn and any pattern that they want, it just needs to measure 8x8. To launch the website, I need squares to show off.  Would yall be interested in knitting/crocheting an 8”x8” square so I can post it on the internet?  So if you would all just knit up some squares and email photos to lauren.handley@nationalww2museum.org, or send the squares in, they’ll be photographed and later sewn into the first blanket. Plus, you can use absolutely any yarn that you want. So look at it as a way to thin out your stash!

ALL TANGLED UP IN YARN

Yesterday was my favorite work day of the year as it was the day Rachel and I got to go to our Local Yarn Shop and buy yarn for this year’s pattern.  We are really pleased with what we’ve chosen.  We’re actually adapting on of our knit your bitters patterns that she generously shared with us.  We bought some fancy yarn (it’s shiny and photographs well, the same brand I used for last year’s V for Victory pattern).  The most adventurous part was that the ladies at the shop has us wind/ball up our own yarn.  Rachel and I have many talents, but apparently yarn winding is not one of them.  We had to reroll yarn, it flew off the base, etc.  But we got it done, and now we have yarn for our project!  This morning, Rachel has informed me that she’s already crocheted a good start to her scarf.  I haven’t even begun (but I did stare at the yarn a good bit yesterday if that counts for anything)!  Well, I should end this post and start knitting!

How can you think about scarves when it’s 100 degrees outside?

I’m sure that eventually, one day, the weather will get cooler.  Here in

New Orleans

, that means about the second week of October.  While summer seemed to come late this year, it’s definitely set in, and at a time when I really need to start gearing up for year three of Knit Your Bit.  I was re-inspired this past weekend when I got to knit with some local knitters at another museum day.  I’m going to make this a monthly event, I think, because it’s fun to knit for work!  I have next year’s pattern down to two choices – either a lengthwise striped scarf because they make me think of military decoration or one with chevrons because they remind me of patches.  Both are easy techniques, just a different stitch and following a pattern or using different yarn colors.  Oh well, I still have a little time to ponder it in the air conditioning!

 

 

 

 

Knit-in at the Museum

We’re going to do another knitting event at the museum on Saturday, July 12th.   I had soo much fun meeting local knitters and want to do it again.  This time I’m going to bring some extra yarn and needles for passersby in the museum who might be knitters and have an hour or two to sit and knit.  I also made a “scrapbook” of some of the neat letters and stories I’ve gotten from knitters over the past couple of seasons of knit your bit.  I love hearing from yall from all over the place, but it’s neat to connect in person, isn’t it?  I guess that’s why so many of us knit with friends or in groups and why so many more of us are addicted to Ravelry.  So I hope to hear from you online or in person soon, during the slower summer time of Knit Your Bit!

What to do?!?

Over the course of Knit Your Bit, I’ve run into tons of people with great ideas.  Designing the first scarf wasn’t too hard.  Three stripes.  Knit stitch only.  I was just learning how to knit so that was cool with me.  The second scarf we liked the V for Victory and I had to knit and purl in the same row and follow a pattern!  Slightly tougher, but still good enough for a novice knitter.  I’d like to keep the pattern for year three something that even a brand new knitter can do, because I enjoy the stories from people saying it’s their first scarf just like those saying they knit all the time and for years and years, which I hope to be able to say someday.  BUT, I’m hitting a mental block.  What pattern is a) easy enough that no on is intimidated by it and b) stays to our Knit Your Bit for today’s vets but calls back to WWII. 

Please, send me your suggestions, creative crafters out there.  I have to start thinking about a pattern to launch for the fall!!!

SUCCESS!

We had our first in-house knitting event at the museum yesterday.  It was great!  I finally got to meet knitters.  20 of us came from around the area.  I found out more about ravelry.com and it apparently is very addicting (and a very good way to get in touch with knitters).  The neatest part was meeting and watching other people meet knitters that they only knew via the computer.  Oh, and of course, the fact that knitting was happening in the museum was fantastic.  The general consensus is that we should do more knitting events at the museum.  After all, I have the space.  What else was neat was all of the people who just happened to be in the museum and found out about the knit your bit program by checking out the scarves and display I met. 

If you want to host your own knit-a-thon in your area, let me know, I’ll tell you what worked for us. 

Oh, and my ravelry name is museumlady.  Of course, you can always get in touch with me through regular means. 

Happy Knitting, Lauren : )

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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!