An Appeal to Knitterly Folks

This winter, from what I've been told, is expected to be very harsh. The fall was long and warm, but cold weather is upon us now with about 3.5 inches of snow on the ground and an arctic blast headed our way. Tucked up in my cozy chair with central heating, a fireplace, sweaters and blankets galore, I'm well insulated from the bitter cold outdoors. (Yes, a daytime high of 20F is bitterly cold to me - I grew up in California, after all!)

My thoughts are with those who are without a warm home in this cold - and in the colder days that are coming. Homelessness will be a problem as long as mankind lives on this earth, I'm afraid. 

We knitters (and crocheters) with yarn addictions can help without incurring significant additional expenses! How many times can you make a difference in a substantive way without dipping into funds already stretched thin at this time of the year?

I've been churning out simple hats and scarves whenever I have a spare moment, stash busting and using scraps of yarns left over from other projects. I haven't photographed hats, but here is a handful of the scarves:

I sent a number of scarves, hats, gloves, and blankets to Metro Baptist Center as part of their winter drive for the homeless in Indianapolis. In addition, David and I keep hats and gloves in a bag in the trucks. If we see someone out in the cold who is without them, we stop and give them a set. If they don't feel as if they are in need, we ask them to use them for now, and pass them on when they see someone in greater need. It's a simple and quick way to make a difference - and to make those at the end of their rope feel as if they matter.

To make these scarves is simple. You'll need the following supplies:

• Circular knitting needle, size 10, 45-60 inches long. Gauge should be about 14 stitches and 32 rows per 4" block but need not be exact.
• Assorted yarns, approximately 6 yards each, about 350 yards total. These should be predominately worsted weight, but a few yarns of DK or bulky weight can be added to the mix - just be careful to separate them with worsted stripes. Don't worry about colors, so long as they aren't too similar - you want some definition between stripes. 
• Crochet hook
• Scissors

Leaving an 9" tail, cast on 250 stitches using the method of your choice. Cut yarn, leaving a 9" tail.

Join next yarn, leaving 9" tail. Knit every stitch. Cut yarn, leaving 9" tail.

Continue in this manner, changing yarn with every row and leaving an 9" tail at each end. It may help to gather these ends into a temporary loose slip knot every few rows.

Follow above pattern until scarf is 8-10 inches wide, approximately 65-80 rows. Bind off in pattern. When it's off the needles, you may be surprised at the length... don't be. We want it long enough to wrap all the way around the lower face and neck, then be knotted together in front to cover the stomach and chest.

To finish, pull end stitches of first two rows tight, then knot them tightly together. Continue across both ends of the scarf, then trim fringe to even length of approximately 8". Alternatively, weave in all those ends - the choice is yours.

Find someone shivering and give them the scarf - what could be simpler?