Mother Bear

While browsing in Angel Hair Yarn today, I saw the back issue of Interweave Knits I've been coveting, Fall 2005. Hoorah, I bought it! I figured I've liked the cover sweater since last September or so. This is a lasting sweater attraction.

I realized today that if you want to knit a project from a well-known magazine or book, you can get ideas for yarn substitutions from online knit-alongs. That's where I got the idea to use Knit Pick's Palette. (My friend Laurie has blogged about her sampler of this yarn.)

When I googled the alpaca yarn the pattern used--and realized that I'd need to buy needles too--well, the cost of knitting the sweater grew quickly. And I've never knit a sweater before. Yikes.

But the Knit Picks yarn and needles are highly affordable! I ordered a color card.

I also sent $3 and a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the Mother Bear Project, a nonprofit organization "dedicated to providing comfort and hope to children, primarily those affected by HIV/AIDS in emerging nations, by giving them a gift of love in the form of hand-knit bears."

Leslie made one and said it's very basic, pretty much a scarf. Leslie lives in Memphis, and yarn stores and Temple Israel there are pumping out the bears. I believe the pattern calls for Wool-Ease or Plymouth Encore. After you get the pattern, you make the bear and send it to the group with a $3 donation to defray shipping costs to lands far away. I really ought to talk to Sheila or some other yarn shop owner about being a drop-off site for bears.

I have been ignoring my cut-out mandarin dress for several days. Busy knitting.