Stitch 'n' Pitch with the Tipsy's!

I can’t believe it’s nearly here! On April 20 at 6:30pm, New Orleans Tipsy Knitters will be stitchin’ away at the Baby Cakes baseball game. We’ll be knitting for charity; this event benefits the Children’s Hospital of New Orleans, particularly the NICU where they care for really teensy weensy babies. If you’re local and want to join in, hop on over to our Facebook page where you can purchase your super low priced tickets. Free yarn is provided to charity knitters as long as it lasts.

Speaking of free yarn…

This is one of the many reasons I’m such a huge fan of Knit Picks. When I approached the Community Outreach Director, my request was met immediately and happily and accompanied by friendly encouragement. Typical for Knit Picks! KnitPicks Comfy Worsted meets the tough protocols for NICU and other hospital charity knitting programs. A blend of 75% Pima Cotton and 25% Acrylic, it is machine washable, super soft and stays soft through rigorous washing and drying. Because of its rich Pima content, Comfy is delightful to knit and, though suitable for institutions, still has the luxurious feel of natural fibers that knitters crave. The color range is fantastic and it is available in a number of weights: worsted, sport and fingering. Thinking about doing some charity knitting for babies? Here is a great resource found by our co-founder Lauren, The Preemie Project: General Crafting Guidelines.

So what are we doing with all that lovely yarn? Well! We are making coverlets for incubators!

We use a variety of covers on the outside of the incubators to reduce light entry and further insulate from outside noise. The covers are approximately 30-35 inches by 40-48 inches rectangular and rest atop the acrylic incubator. […] At the end of the hospital stay, the blankets are given to the families as a practical keepsake.

I don’t think any of us expected to be knitting something so large, but together we can accomplish big things! After sifting through a bunch of scrap blanket patterns on Ravelry, I came up with a mitered blanket square worked in stockinette stitch that can be done in solids or stripes.

I’m finding them addictive to knit! It’ll be great fun to lay out and assemble the finished squares at our Wednesday night hangout, Pearl Wine Bar. I’ve worked up a couple of different tonal/color layouts. I can just picture the big wine tasting table in the back littered with colorful baby blanket squares! For knitters so inclined, I’ve included a method where squares can be joined as you go. I’m pretty fascinated with it, but then I get fascinated pretty easily :D. You’ll find a printable pattern for the blanket square below; I recommend printing at 50% to conserve paper. Feel free to use it for personal or charity knitting. If you experience problems printing the pattern, please consult the Free Pattern Friday FAQ tab at the top of this page. Hope to see you at the game!

[kindred-recipe id=”6687″ title=”Mitred Blanket Square”]