Drum Roll, please!

AFGHAN CONTEST WINNERS!!

 As promised, we would like to share photos and stories, and patterns of the beautiful afghans submitted to us for the Afghan Contest.   Judging is hard work!    All entries  are   unique in the skills and original ideas  used.   So, let me share with everyone what we have based our decisions on. We have awarded points to each knitter in the following categories:

• The look of the Afghan-is it something that everyone would love to knit and own?
• Were the photos submitted clear and well planned?
• Were the instructions complete, clear, easy to follow?   Did the knitter share enough to assist each knitter to repeat the design.   In some cases, it may be necessary for a new knitter to learn new techniques.
• Is the design an original concept and idea of the knitter?
• Did the knitter take a concept and expand on it to give their afghan that special, unique extra?

 We have a total of 7 entries.   They are all winners, so special and unique!

First Place goes to Connie Mauger for her AJ’s Baby Blanket.   Congratulations!

Second Place has resulted in a tie.   Congratulations to: Annette Roa with a beautiful Kitty Afghan for her 4 year old niece, and Ella Roby with a unique design  with vertical stripes called”Stripes Afghan“.      

Connie Mauger’s AJ’s Baby Blanket is a  blanket that any little tot would love to curl up in.   Connie has used some wonderful techniques including the double 8 caston, cross over stitches, and beautiful crochet edges.   Her instructions contain lots of diagrams for following the stitch pattern that is repeated in each strip of the Afghan.

Annette Roa knit for her little 4 year old niece.   What child would not love all the adorable little kitties on this beautiful afghan.   It is knit with one repeated design completed 4 times in each of the 3 strips.   Each kitty is unique just by the choice of leftover yarn used.   This entry also has a beautiful crochet edge.

Ella Roby calls her afghan simply “Stripes”. We love this one because of the unique way that the vertical stripes were worked with the weaving of the different colors.   Ella does a great job of explaining the concept  with much detail.   The instructions are very well done!

Great El Paso Afghan was knit by Jacque Darra.   What a wonderful job on all counts.   Jacque uses 2 different stitches to create the warm look of this one along with lots of great fringe.   We also love that it was knit on a 38″ heavy duty board for a nice warm afghan with a lot of texture in just one piece.   The instructions are very easy to follow and this is important for all knitters.

Sue Kreitzer has once again come up with a wonderful afghan in unique  squares- The Fall Christmas Afghan.   What is so very special about Sue’s afghan is the theme that surrounds the whole design.   It represents  Christmas in the pretty red and green colors of the outer strips; Snow with the fleur de lis patterns on the green; and the     center strip  represents the season of Fall with the colors of the fallen leaves.   Thank you, Sue for your offer to donate your afghan to our Christmas donation box.

Ella Roby knit up another great one.   This one is called the Winter Afghan.   It is a pretty combination of stripes with the unique technique of vertical stripes.   Pretty winter colors make it feel very special.   Great job, Ella.

Another beautiful design by Annette Roa  was  a wedding gift with a rose pattern knit right into the afghan.   This one is knit in large squares with some of them showing the pretty rose pattern.  

All AFGHAN PATTERNS  will be shown in the “files” catagory of www.groups.yahoo.com/group/knittingboards

Great Job by everyone and thank you all for sharing your afghan photos and ideas with all of us.   May you all have a wonderful Holiday Season.   Stay warm and keep the ideas coming for the new year.  

If you are one of the winners please email Kim at kim@knittingboard.com with your address information.  All entries will recieve a one time 30% off discount on Knittingboard.com.  Please email for coupon ID.

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Afghan Contest Update Dec 3

Thank You—-to everyone that has submitted an entry to our contest.   Oh, you  will all be so enlightened when you see all the great afghans created on knitting boards.   Remember your entries will be judged on originality of creation, clarity of the instructions, and your photos.  

We will announce the winners on Saturday, Dec 6 which is one day later than planned to assist some of the knitters.   We will be posting all the photos and instructions so that everyone will be able to get one or two knit up during the holidays.   If anyone, submitting an entry, does not want their instructions to appear, please notify us right away.   We would need to remove the entry from the contest.

So, get ready for a delightful Afghan Saturday afternoon.

Thanks to all, Kim and Pat

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Keeping up with Donna’s Projects.

Donna Carroll has really been busy.   Lots of beautiful handknits to share with us all.   Many were knit  with patterns from this site as well as many others.   We decided to nominate Donna as the Knitter of the Month of March, 2008.   With 10 grandchildren to knit for, it’s no wonder that her knitting boards stay busy.   Thank you, Donna for sharing some of your projects.    

We hope that you will keep sending photos – we all love seeing what everybody else is knitting.   Thanks for sharing!

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Blankets are a Blessing for many.

New blankets  for our Veterans’ and our Childrens’ Homes!   Thank you Sue!

 I know lots of people knit for donation, and I guess, we just all feel so ‘good inside’ when we send something handmade to another person that will bring them love and comfort especially during rough times.  

Well, we all love our blankets knit on our knitting boards, right?   They are the softest and warmest blankets and so special when they are knit and given from the heart.   I want to thank Sue Kreitzer for her latest creations.   Sue has knit   and sewn 2 new blankets that we are sending to Help Hospitalized Veterans with special notes on them from Sue.   This organization serves over 50 locations that assist our American veterans.   They are hospitals, transition homes, and rescue sites.   They supply craft kits and donated items directly to our soldiers.    I know they will love the warm, cozy blankets and  ’words of encouragement’ from  Sue.  

The next  blanket in the yummy blues and purple was knit by Laura Carlos and sent in for donation.   Thank you so much, Laura from Neptune, NJ.   This blanket was knit in  3 sections or 3 strips with crochet all around the edges.   This is so pretty.      Laura also knit up 8 additional squares and they are on the way to Sue Kreitzer for sewing.   If anyone has any questions for these 2 knitters, just leave them a comment.   I’m sure you will hear from them soon.

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8 year old Brock’s first project.

Sister, Molly, models Brock’s Scarf    

We just wanted to share with you a Christmas story that made us smile. Not long ago, we recieved an email from Tina, Brock’s mom.  She told us about her son, 8 year old Brock, who had happened across    our website and had viewed our how-to videos.    After viewing the  videos, Brock decided he wanted a knitting board for Christmas more than anything else, even   surpassing his desire for an ipod.  He  even showed the videos to his dad. Tina decides to get him a knitting board, so that his grandma can surprise him with it on Christmas.   Brock  was so excited and eager to learn and get started.     Brock put in the DVD himself, and watched and learned the technique of double knitting entirely on his own.  

This beautiful scarf was his first project.   It was a gift for his Aunt. He knit it and added the fringe and  just asked his mom to help him trim the fringe so that it would  be even and look nice. What a great job!!    Tina remembers when  Brock was about 4 years old and learning to hold knitting needles, he told his 92 year old Grandmother,

“Now I know why you love to knit so much; it makes you feel so good on the inside.”

What a great family!!

Brock received a big sack of   thick yarn from his grandmother. For his next project he will be working on a wall hanging for his room, and his next gift of a another beautiful scarf. He is even planning on some mittens.  Tina said that she already sees improvement on his new projects.

Molly also knits with 2 needles and has been since she was about 4 years old, thanks to their grandmother. The entire family are all active knitters including Brock’s older brother.

Thank you all for sharing.   We look forward to more photos and projects from Brock as he continues to learn knitting on his knitting board.   He can now work side by side with his grandmother as they both knit up beautiful creations.   Grandma is also very active, knitting for her church ministry.

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Working together to keep some folks warm this winter!

             Thank you, Sue Kreitzer for the new blankets you have knit, sewn, and donated to our cause.   These blankets are going to the American Foundation for Disabled Children, and, Help Hospitalized Veterans of Washington D.C.   I would like to share our most recent letter from the Foundation for Disabled Children.   I will just copy the message here just as it was written.   We can all feel good this holiday season.

“Dear Pat,

We would like to thank you and your many knitters who have contributed their talent and time in creating the beautiful knit blanket that you sent to us.   We will be so happy to pass it on to a needy child to wrap up in this winter.

Nothing makes us happier than making a difference in the life of needy children and their families by showing them that there are many special people out there who truly do care about them.

Thank you for helping the American Foundation for Disabled Children, Inc.   The kindness of caring individuals like all of you, help to put smiles on the faces of many children in need.   Sincerely…”

So I say ‘thank you’ also.   The new blankets knit in blue yarns with the pretty fringe will be sent to the recovering vets of war.   I just apologize that my photography is not the best.   These blankets are really so great.   We also continue to send scarf kits along with the blankets for the veterans to work on as they are able while recovering.   Your help in all of this is so greatly appreciated.    

Blanket #1:   Blue and white yarns and is knit in 3 strips, each about 30-34 stitches wide.   The color changes make it appear to be in separate squares, but by doing just the 3 strips, you only need to do 2 seams to connect it.   Then it has pretty fringe in all shades of blue.   this one is going to the Hospitalized Veterans in D.C.

Blanket #2:   this one is knit in many large squares.   It’s so much prettier than my photo.   Many different yarns and stitches are used in each square.   this one is also headed to the veterans in recovery.

Blanket #3:   This one is very pretty and is knit in all one piece with yarn changes creating the stripes.   this one is going to the Disabled Children in New York.  

Do you know of a great organization that would appreciate the blankets from the knitting board knitters.   If so, please leave the info in a comment.   Thanks, Pat

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