Charity Sweater

As a member of the Woolgather's Guild, Plymouth Mighigan we are asked to knit items for charity. We were directed to a pattern on-line (http://margarethubertoriginals.com/CHILDBLUE.html) and I knit up the first child's sweater. It is done on large needles with worsted weight yarn and knits up really fast! It took just a tiny bit more than one 6oz skein for a size 6. The sweater is knit from cuff to cuff in simple garter and stockingette stitches. Not that I ever just knit is simple garter and stockingette. I made the first sweater in bright yellow, left-over in my stash. I added a texture stitch (see left) and got a sweater I liked.

The second sweater, size 4, took a little less than one full skein, also bright yellow. I added ribbed cuffs and a basket weave pattern. I was really having fun with this pattern.
Thats 2 charity sweaters completed in a tad over 2 days.

Flush with success, I decided to re-knit Miss Belle's birthday sweater using this pattern (the original sweater was way too small). I added ribbed cuffs, a cable up the center of each sleeve, knit simple stockingette for the back panel but for the front panel I divided it into 6 rectangles of stockingette stitch with reverse stockingette in between and sewed butterfly buttons randomly on the panels. The buttons color coordinate with the Donegal bits in the yarn. She loves it! Score one for Nana!

Miss Belle's sweater took a bit more yarn, 2 full skeins, because I used smaller needles and made it a larger size, as well as making the sleeves longer than the pattern called for (and could have made them about 1 1/2 inches longer still!)

This a great pattern. It allows a lot of room to play with texture stitches and colors. I have seen it knit up so that the 2 garter stitch panels just to the outside of the stockingette panel were done in a different color and looked like suspenders. I recommend making the sleeves at least 1 1/2 to 2 inches longer than the pattern calls for. I tried a couple of different ways to cast on the additional stitches for the body and found that a knit cast on gives the neatest appearance, most consistant tension and best of all, no ends to weave in!!!

Have fun!

Hugs & Prayers

Serene Knitter