A few weekends ago, I participated in the Project Knitwell 2023 Knitathon. Project Knitwell is a lovely organization whose mission is to help people facing challenges by providing knitting instruction and shared community opportunities that promote wellness and resilience. As I’ve mentioned before in a previous blog, knitting became an anchor for me when I was drowning in a sea of grief after losing my son, Mason, so this is an organization and mission I can totally get behind. I’ve signed up to be a volunteer and pledged to knit a row for each dollar I raised during the knitathon.
With the amazing support of family and friends, I raised $435. Yep, that means I had to knit 435 rows. A bit daunting but I figured I was working on my latest baby blanket design which is knit in panels and each row is only 37 stitches. I had two panels left to knit and each would equal 270 rows. So, I thought I’d knit fulfill my pledge, finish my panels and be almost done my blanket design. Win, win!
Wouldn’t you know it, I ran out of the main color of yarn the week before the knitathon. Good news, the color and same dye lot of the yarn could be ordered. Bad news, it wouldn’t get to me before the knitathon. I needed a plan B!
After searching through my stash, I pulled out one of the Neighborhood Fiber Company. 15th Anniversary kits my husband had gifted me in 2021. One of the kits was for a chunky, cabled scarf called Concurrent by Spout Knitting Design. It’s knit in Neighborhood Fiber Company Organic Studio Chunky, a wonderfully squishy yarn. At a gauge of 12 stitches and 18 rows over 4 inches, it would knit up quickly. I also grabbed a skein of Ella Rae, Sun Kissed Speckled to knit a baby sweater. This way, I would have something else to knit if I got tired of knitting the scarf. That was a good call because the scarf, one completed would only fulfill 270 rows of the total rows I needed to knit.
It took three days knitting about 12 hours each day to fulfill my 435-row commitment. Next year, I’ll probably pledge to knit 12 hours on the day of the knitathon instead of a row for each dollar! But I now have a lovely scarf for myself and a baby sweater to gift a baby girl due in May.
To learn more about Project Knitwell, check out their website or this podcast by Dr. Mira Hobbs. Maybe you too will be inspired to join next year’s Knitathon!
Happy Knitting!
A Yarn of A Tale 