We need your knitting help

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This crochet and knitting help page has been set up for you to contribute any crochet and knitting techniques and tips you think may benefit the many others visiting the site, and especially, those learning how to knit or crochet. Knitting techniques could be anything from how to pick up a dropped stitch to tips to keep your work even.

Teaching children to knit and crochet
The Teachers and Parent Resource has been developed to encourage children of school going age to learn how to knit (and why to give at the same time). Your help will be much appreciated by them. Here's a wonderful example of what we hope to achieve in many thousands of schools around the world.

Easy knitting patterns
It would be great if you would share with us any simple crochet or knitting pattern for pretty squares, that others would enjoy to knit.

Postal instructions
It will also serve as the place we can collect postal instructions and costs for different countries around the world, and any other ideas to improve on getting the maximum number of squares to Africa in the shortest possible time.

Any great ideas?
 We recently had a letter from Anne in Canada, who suggested that non-knitters could be involved too by organising prepaid envelopes for the knitter's squares. Now that's a great partnership idea.

The contributions will appear as a link list at the bottom of the content form below, so if you are looking for knitting hints, just scroll to the bottom of the page, (although it may take a while to collect these tips). Thank you for your assistance in getting more squares, better done, more quickly to Africa. In the meantime, here is our knitting help to start with. Every square helps and will end up in a blanket for an abandoned child or AIDS orphan.

Knitting for profit
If any of you want a way to make some money to pay for the postage and a bit more besides, here is a terrific ebook to help you do just that. Click here to purchase.

Your knitting help contribution

If you wish to contribute to our knitting help section, just use the form below to type in your knitting techniques, hints, easy knitting patterns or postal instructions, upload a photograph if you have one and hit the 'my contribution' button.

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What Other Visitors Have Said

Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...

"no measure/bind off" square 
using double knitting wool and 4mm needles, cast on 81 sts.

row 1 and every other row, knit.

row 2, knit 39, knit 3 together, knit to end.

row 4, knit …

Diagonal squares 
Unless you work a sample, it's difficult to tell if your work will end up the required 20 x 20 size. If you work on the diagonal, you can be certain …

jill 
I decided to complete 40 squares, enough to make one blanket. After mailing the first 3, then 6 more, I was interested in a more economical method of …

Postage for 50 Squares from USA 
Our group sent 50 squares from Chicago, IL in a cardboard box. It came to just under 5 lbs., and $42. Postage rates are about to go up a little, but …

Vacuum packing 
I read the tip about vacuum packing squares to get more in an envelope and wondered how I could do it.

I explained to my local butcher what it was all …

Ask for the help of Crochet-ers as well! 
With the united help of all of the knitting AND crocheting groups and clubs all over the USA, UK, and other countries across the world we could more than …

shipping cost from Chicago 
I just mailed 3 squares in a 9 x 12 paper envelope w/ metal clasp (gallon ziploc storage bag around squares) and it weighed 5.10 oz. and cost $5.15 to …

crocheting an 8 inch square 
Hi everyone!

Just wanted to say that in order to make a square as close to 8 inches as possible, I find it easier to make a granny-type square, working …

Postage 
The cost is not going to be in the yarn, but in the postage. If anyone has any ideas on how to lessen postage (the ones I mailed today were $3.80 for …

afghan stitch 
The best crochet pattern for densely warm blankets is the afghan or blanket stitch. This does require a special afghan hook.

Knitting in the tail instead of darning. 
Instead of darning in the tail with a sewing needle when you have finished knitting your square, a handy hint is to simply knit it in with your working …

Learn New Stitches  
Here is another benefit that is practical that goes beyond doing the right thing. For those trying to advance their crochet/knitting skills... make 8x8 …

A Caution: 100% Wool is Fire Retardant; The Fake Stuff Is Not 
If you're as excited as I am about this opporunity to knit for the comfort of the children of Soweto, you're probably, like me, digging through your stash …

UK Postal Rates 2009 
Hi Again

Nearly finished my second square this week (4 days since I found this website)

I decided to investigate the postage and have found out the …

Technique to help in sewing up squares 
Always slip the first stitch on each row as if to purl... this will result in a nice braid-looking edge and it makes it easier to match up with a neighboring …

how to get 8 x 8 exactly 
I'm so frustrated! I thought I had my 8 inches when I casted on.........even measure after several rows. Then when I got finished.......it was bigger …

Knit a square in a square - "Square Borders" 
The general idea is to knit your 8"x8" square with a 1" Garter Stitch (st or sts) 'frame' around the inside edges. (Imagine a photo frame, 8X8, with no …

Easy square sweater - knit or crochet 
To make any size sweater in knit or crochet:

Can use up scraps for a striped pattern. I make mine different solid colors. This way there is no front …

***Super Easy Square Pattern! *** 
*This is a pretty pattern knit from corner to corner, giving a nice look and texture with holes along the edges to make it easier to sew it to other squares …

Quick way to knit Not rated yet
If you want to knit a square faster, try using bigger needles (say 10mm) with two or three strands of yarn. The bigger needles mean that there are less …

Postage from US to South Africa, 18 July 2009 Not rated yet
Weight and packaging Delivery time Rate

One ounce letter: First-Class …

Easy checkerboard stitch for squares Not rated yet
Cast on a multiple of 4 stitches plus 1 extra stitch

(such as 32 stitches plus 1 or multiple of 4 stitches

plus 1 stitch needed for size needle to make …

Garter Stitch Squares Not rated yet
Make an 8"x8" template. Starting with one stitch increase at the beginning of every row until the square fits half the template. Then decrease the first …

Holy Spirit Knitters Not rated yet
Plastic bags that can hold the squares and then have the air sucked out by a vaccum cleaner are for sale at WalMart. Two medium size bags are about $6. …

Click here to write your own.

postage Not rated yet
I went to the post office today to try to ship a 4# box with 58 squares and they try to charge me 42 dollars for regular mail. I will try to find another …

USA Postage Not rated yet
When I checked the USPS web site, I got the following info: A large envelope, weighing 1 pound, 0 ounces, shipping from 98362 zip code, would cost $9.85 …

Knitted hearts Not rated yet
Simple but very effective and works for any weight yarn. Get a piece of graphing paper and draw a heart using X's! Any style, any shape will do. Never …

Pretty Square Not rated yet
I pulled out a book at our local library on knitting stitches and found quite an array of designs that would fit into the 8x8 square ... this one is my …

Hooded Baby Wrap Not rated yet
This free pattern found at www.lionbrand.com, pattern number70090A is a wonderful idea, too. I've made several in organic cotton for new moms to use for …

Click here to write your own.

Launched 19 October 08. ©knit-a-square.com 2008
Dedicated to making children and orphans, living with AIDS in Africa, warm.
CONTACT US: kalai@knit-a-square.com

SBI
SBI!