Millicent’s News

June 2009

 

Millicent’s Yarns & More

27 N. Centre Street, Cumberland, MD 21502

301-722-8100 or www.millicentsyarns.com

 

 Shop Hours:  Tues - Sat 10-5, Wed 10-7, Sun 1-4

(closed the last Sun. of each month)

 

Teddies with BooBoos needs YOU!

 

Tracy Straw – between you and me – never stops thinking up things to do for other people.  Tracy became aware of the high degree of local domestic violence through the “Clothesline Project” which hung in the windows of downtown Cumberland shops last month.  Right then and there, she committed herself and her knitting friends to raising money for children who have been battered, abused and scarred by domestic violence.  And she wants to include us in her efforts.  Here is how she explains it:

 

“Everyone has causes.  Mine has always been for animals.  They are dependent on us for their care.  They are at our mercy.  Children are like that, too.  I attended a workshop on Domestic Violence where I discovered a connection between animals and people.  Most people who abuse animals go on to abuse people, including children.  I was shocked to learn of the amount of violence against children in our own area.  So I wanted to help.  That’s how I started Teddies with BooBoos.  By the end of August, I hope to have over 100 bears neatly dressed in hand-made sweaters which we’ll then sell at $10.00 a piece.  All proceeds will be given to the local Family Crisis Resource Center for local children in distress.  Local downtown businesses have volunteered to help our effort by selling the teddies in their stores.  We hope to have all sweaters in by the end of August.”

 

What Tracy didn’t include in her explanation is that she has purchased the 100 bears herself, and yesterday said she would go back for 25 more so that we can give some bears to the children living in the safe-house at the Family Crisis Resource Center. Millicent’s is matching her commitment by opening up my stash of partial skeins of yarn so that no knitter needs to make any purchase to join in this effort.  But we do need knitters to give of their time and skill.  Can you help us out???

 

 

SUNDAY, JUNE 7 1:00 – 3:00 TEDDY BEAR PICNIC

Think of this as a kick-off for the Teddies with BooBoos project.  A party! We’ll have refreshments, you’ll meet other knitters, you can pick up some free yarn to knit sweaters, and you’ll have a chance to talk with Tracy about her ideas (her next big show is a Canine Couture Show on Oct, 24 – proceeds this time going to the local Animal Foundation!)  Mel will be giving basic instruction on top-down sweaters and using mattress stitch to sew pieces together. Bring a treat if you wish.  Hope to see you there!

 

TEDDIES WITH BOOBOOS SWEATER PATTERNS

(Thanks to Judith Robertson and Jola Cannon who came up with these patterns.  Jola tells me that a bulky sweater takes 1.5 hours only!)

 

Pattern 1:  Bottom up Sweater with Seams

Materials:  2 – 3 oz worsted weight yarn (bulky, DK, fingering) in assorted colors.  US 8 (10.5, 4, 2) needles.  Crochet hook, tapestry needle.

Back:  Cast on 34 (24, 42, 49) sts.  Work 4 (3, 5, 6) rows in K1P1 rib.  Work even in stockinette stitch until piece measures 5 inches from beginning.  Bind off all sts with right side facing.

Front:  Work same as back.

Sleeves: (Make 2)  Cast on 28 (18, 42, 42) sts.  Work 3 (2, 4, 4) rows in K1P1 rib.  Work even in stockinette stitch for 6(4, 7, 8) rows.  Bind off.

Finishing:  Weave in all yarn ends.  Sew front and back piece together at shoulders with wrong sides facing, leaving 3.5 inch gap for neck.  Pin top of sleeves to side edges so that the center of the sleeves lines up with the shoulder seam.  Sew into place.  Sew side and sleeve seams.

Variations: Make all pieces different colors.  Make stripes by knitting rows of various widths in different colors. Use one color for ribbing and a different color for stockinette sts.  Use duplicate st for adding color, pictures, or monograms! 

 

Pattern 2:  Top Down Sweater

This patterns is for worsted weight yarns only.

Materials:  2 -3 oz worsted weight yarn, US 7 and 9 double pointed needles.

Directions:  CO 42 sts. Join in the round, being careful not to twist your circle.  Place a marker at the join.  This will be a marker for a sleeve as you progress. 

 

Knit three rows of your choice of an edging pattern (garter stitch, stockinette stitch, k1p1 ribbing), ending at your marker.  Knit 7 sts, place marker (PM), knit 14 sts, PM, knit 7 sts, PM, knit 14 sts  -- this will bring you around to your original marker (make this marker a different color).

 

Now you begin increasing for the yoke.  Increase before and after each marker every other round until you have increased the original 7 sts of the sleeve to 25 sts.  Place those 25 sts on a holder, preferably a piece of yarn.

 

Ignoring the sleeve stitches, join the remaining stitches in the round and knit 4.5 inches from the neck edge.  Bind off.

 

Now go back to one sleeve, join those 25 sts in the round.  Knit 3 rows stockinette stitch and then 3 rows of an edging pattern.  Do the same for the other 25 sleeve stitches.  And voila! you are done!

 

SPRING CLASSES

Remember:  in May and June we will offer only a few scheduled classes.  HOWEVER, if you or a group of friends are interested in taking a class, come on in to schedule it with us.  We will be happy to offer one-on-one or small group classes at any time.   And then after your garden is in and it gets too hot to be outside and you want a cool comfy place to come, you can look forward to a full schedule of classes beginning in July!

 

MONTHLY KNITTING CLUB (a.k.a. The Block of the Month Club)

Our Great American Aran Afghan is progressing nicely.  Next meetings are  Wednesday, June 10 in the afternoon (2 – 4) and in the evening (5 – 7).  We will also meet on Sunday, June 14 from 1 – 4.  Our June pattern is on pp. 4 and 5 (by Julie H. Levy).  Please come prepared each month with the number of stitches cast on and the first 6 rows of garter stitch (3 ridges) complete.  Please feel free to join in any month!

 

BROWN SHEEP COMPANY (makers of Lamb’s Pride) GOES GREEN –by recycling the 20,000 gallons of water used daily in their dying process, thereby keeping chemicals out of the environment and avoiding having to heat up fresh water for the dying process.  No chemicals, no wastewater, and energy savings to boot! 

 

 

Knit on, knit on . . .

Mel, Dick, Judith, Jola, Geni and Joanna

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Millicent's Knits and Yarns • 49 North Centre Street • Cumberland, Maryland 21502
phone 301-722-8100 • mel@millicentsyarns.com