Restoring Kniting Mojo by Knitting for Others

The rush to get the 5 Super Scarves designed and done in February kinda did a number on my knitting mojo.  I have lots of ideas and designs I should be working on, but I just couldn't get past the first few rows of any project.  I was just casting on, knitting a bit and then ripppppp.... I just wasn't feeling it. 

I've been here before, and the cure for me is fast, fun, little projects.  You know, dish clothes, duster and tp roll covers, or my real favorite - blanket squares.  I love knitting up squares for various charities.  They are the perfect canvas for trying out new techniques, stitches, and color combinations. 

Surrounding myself with all 4 of Mrs. Walker's fabulous stitch treasuries and a pile of assorted washable yarns, I got down to knitting squares for the Schuyler Project.  This is a great project, aimed at creating blankets for parents who have lost a child.  I can't imagine what that must be like, but I hope that receiving a hand knit blanket made especially for the parents might provide some comfort.

Within a few days, I had whipped up these 9 squares - for this project, the squares need to be 8"x8".  

I had a blast blocking these squares using my Shark hand held steam cleaner.   So happy to have finally found a use for this baby, as I must admit, I couldn't really get into steam cleaning so much (those of you out there who know me can just keep your comments to yourself about my cleaning skills in general).

Next on the list are some warm wear ables to be sent to Japan.  A group of knitters here in Indy are gathering up hand made items that will be sent over in early April.  That group, named Knitters for Japan can be followed on Face book.  I made a couple of simple ribbed hats, using a Katinka Knits free pattern - available for Download on Ravelry  basic ribbed hat. 

Great pattern.  I made mine out of Paton's SWS stripes - a really nice mixture of wool and soy that makes the yarn soft with a lovely sheen.  I have had this yarn in my stash for several years.  I always loved it, but just had not found the right pattern.  It feels like it was meant for these hats all along.  I made the first hat exactly as the pattern is written.  It came out a little small, mainly because the SWS is not quite as chunky as the original yarn the pattern was written for.  For the second hat, I cast on 4 extra stitches, and knit for 1.5" longer before beginning the decreases at the top.  Much better fit for an adult with a larger head.  The first one is plenty large enough for a child, teen or adult with a smaller head.  Still had plenty of yarn in one ball to complete the larger hat. 

So if you are feeling a little down on your needles, try a quick project that you can complete for someone else.   There are no shortages of opportunities to share your creations with someone in need.