Sweet Charity Knitting
We want to introduce you to a charity knitting project we want to add to the list of the charities we’re supporting. Knitting helmet liners for our troops in the Middle East. The liners have to meet military color requirements (we can do that!) The military issue kevlar helmets don’t have warm wool liners and our service people are exposed to winds and bitter cold during the winter months. Riding in open trucks and humvees, they often encounter sub-zero wind chills. So join us in this project and knit love and protection into every stitch of your helmet liner. They could also use handknit wool gloves, socks and stocking caps.
KNITTING INSTRUCTIONS FOR WOOL HELMET LINERS FOR SOLDIERS
MATERIALS:
Any 100% soft wool yarn that will knit to gauge. Approx. 175 yards. Colors allowed by the military are black, charcoal, brown, tan, olive drab.
Size 8 - 16” circular needle, or size to get gauge, same size double point needles, and Size 6 - 16” circular needles for the ribbings.
One stitch marker.
Gauge: 4.5 st/in. in st st.
Neck: With smaller circular needle, cast on 84 stitches loosely. Place marker. Join in round and knit 2x2 rib for 4 inches.
To make hat portion: With larger circular needle, knit 32 stitches off smaller needle. Leave smaller circular needle in rest of the stitches. Cast on 59 additional stitches, place marker to mark beg of round, join in round, K even for 4”.
1st dec row: *K 11, K 2 tog*, repeat to end of round.
Next row: Knit even.
2nd dec row: *K 10, K 2 tog*, repeat to end. Next row: Knit even. Change to DP needles when necessary.
Continue decreases as established until K2, K2 tog. After this, decrease every row until 7 stitches on needles. Cut yarn 8-9” long, feed through remaining stitches and weave in.
*REVISION FOR RIBBING
AROUND FACE:
Based upon feedback from soldiers, please use these instructions entirely for ribbing around face.
With smaller needle still in neck portion, PU stitches around face. Join in circle and K in 2x2 ribbing for 1 inch. On last row of ribbing, decrease in 8 sets of purl stitches by P2tog (4 sets on each side of face, i.e. 10:00, 2:00, 4:00 and 8:00). This will pull the ribbing in close to the soldier’s face. BO in ribbing and work in tail. BO around face can be snug.
Designed by Bonnie Long, Knit Wits, 3419 Chatham Rd., Springfield, IL 62704. 217/698-6100. Revised 1/19/05. All rights reserved. Copies may be made only for the purpose of donating helmets to our active service personnel. In any case design attribution must remain.
WASHING INSTRUCTIONS:
WOOL. Do NOT put in washer or dryer; or it will shrink. HAND WASH ONLY with mild soap in COLD water. Lay flat to dry. Avoid exposure to direct sunlight.
Yarn Garden will supply the labels for you to include with your cap and will package them up and ship them. Hand-knitted for you with blessings by: (put your name here) . How many do you think we can make?