Knit A Square Challenge & KAL

#1

Hi all!

I’m announcing my blog’s first KAL and challenge, to benefit Knit A Square, which supports children made orphans by AIDS in southern Africa. We’ve got three lovely and generous designers (Lucy Neatby, Kristeen Griffin-Grimes, and Diana Troldahl) lined up to design 8" squares for stitchers to use if they like, and there’ll be a drawing at the end of the KAL.

More details available on the blog here and here.

It’d be lovely to have a few of you generous and wonderful Knitting Help stitchers along for the ride! Hope to see you on the blog! :muah:

#2

Sounds good. I’m sure I can do a few squares by then at least.

Are there patterns so one would know how many to cast on w/o having to test and rip multiple times? Where will they be sent?

#3

Globaltraveler that is such a wonderful project. It truly breaks my heart to think of children living in such circumstances and the difference that we can make by knitting for them. I am committed to some other projects but I am sure that I will be able to get some squares done. Thank you for letting us know about such an important project.:heart:

#4

Hi guys! I’m getting really excited about this now that people are getting involved! Lori, please do comment on the article so we know you’re in, and I’m working on getting the photo gallery up and running so people can post pics of each of their squares as they make them.

Jan, the Knit-A-Square knitting instructions are linked from the article – basically I plan to buy a ball of yarn each month, figure out my gauge and then just make a bunch of squares from the same yarn so I don’t have to re-figure gauge too many times. You can use the designer patterns as they come out each month (around the 15th) or use your own designs or the designs that you find on various websites, your choice!

The finished squares should be sent to the address given on the Knit A Square website at the end of the KAL. A couple of knitters who have expressed interest are also unemployed and have expressed concern that they won’t be able to afford the postage necessary to send to Africa; I’m thinking that maybe we could arrange to send their squares to another knitter who will volunteer to pay postage for multiple squares. I’m certainly willing to do so for anyone on this side of the Atlantic, and perhaps Dawne will be willing for anyone who is on that side of the Atlantic – I’ll ask for volunteers on that!

#5

Okay, I’ll check it out. Do you have any idea how much it is to send to Africa? :??

#6

There’s info here …

I’m starting on my first square even as we speak! :slight_smile:

#7

Thanks, Zina! These will be easy to make when you need a simple project. :thumbsup:

BTW…why are they sent as squares instead of blankets?

#8

It’s to do with customs and duties – I guess they don’t have to pay them on the squares if they’re properly marked, but they do on finished items, or something?

#9

Hello everyone,

Just chiming in with my thoughts about KAS.

The reason we send squares and not blankets is largely to do with customs. A full blanket would be considered a gift or ‘something of a value’ that could then be resold. A stack of squares have no immediate retail value and when marked “FOR CHARITY ONLY” and “NO COMMERCIAL VALUE” seem to be just fine. We are lucky that the folks in S. Africa who work in the Post Office have been so wonderful as there is a wonderful volume of envelopes and boxes arriving weekly.

With regards to patterns I suggest you visit Ravelry and check out the Knit a Square group. You can see what other KAS members have made, what yarns and needles etc…, You can do a people search for me, justdawne, and see my squares. I always give details of what yarn and how many stitches cast-on.

I count myself as one of the many knitters who dislike swatching for gauge. And yet, I do have to say it has been necessary to my success in making 8 inch squares. Once I know how many stitches I’m getting to the inch I just multiply that number by 8. I have found that the average DK yarn worked with 4mm (US 5) or even 4.5mm needles needs about 32 stitches cast on.

If you have an excess of finer yarns you can Navajo ply them, creating 3 strands from a single ball. The squares will knit up quickly on larger needles. I do this a lot for speed and for thickness/warmth.

Don’t worry over much if your squares are just shy of 8" or a bit larger. The dedicated and talented folks in the Soweto Comfort Club are able to make works of art out of every sent square by matching it with others of the same size/weight. Just do your best and have fun at it is my motto.

I look forward to getting to know each of you better and seeing your squares. When you have a moment please add a comment on
the blog post so we know who’s in?

Many thanks,
dawne