Charity Block #1: Wide Cable

 

There comes a time in a knitter’s life when they run out of people to knit for.

That time varies from knitter to knitter, depending on how many hats and scarves and sweaters any one person needs and on how receptive their friends and family members are to those gifts.

That is the perfect time to start knitting for charity, if you haven’t already.

There are so many knitting charities out there (check out this list from Craftsy if you need some ideas), and you can also donate items to local shelters, soup kitchens, churches, etc., who can distribute them to people in need.

Warm Up America! is the charity I’m currently knitting for. (I’m not affiliated with them, I just think they’re great!) You can read here about why they’re the perfect charity for me right now and what their requirements are, and you can check out their website here. Every so often over the next few months, I’ll be featuring a block for the WUA! blanket I’m making, with a pattern that you can follow to make your own.

I’ve been in a cable mood since publishing my easy cable hat pattern, so for this first block, I decided to do one large cable. Here’s how you can make one too:

 

What you need:

• Size 8 needles
• Worsted weight acrylic yarn

 

Skills you need:

• Knit and purl stitches
• Cables (You can see the video tutorial here.)

 

Gauge: 4.25-4.5 stitches per inch

 

Cast on 30 stitches.

Row 1: knit

Row 2: k10, p10, k10

Repeat these two rows until block measures 2.5-3 inches* from cast on edge.

Cable row: k10, slip 5 sts onto cable needle and hold it in back of work, k5, k5 from cable needle, k10

Slip 5 sts onto cable needle or dpn.

 

Hold cable needle in back of work.

 

Knit 5 sts from left needle.

 

Knit 5 sts from cable needle.

 

Done!

 

Repeat row 2.

Repeat rows 1 and 2 until block measures 6-6.5 inches* from cast on edge.

Repeat cable row and row 2.

Repeat rows 1 and 2 until block measures 9 inches from cast on edge.

Bind off.

*I did my cable rows at 3 inches and 6 inches, but if I did it again, I’d do it at 2.5 and 6.5 inches to give more space between the cables and less space above and below. Measure the length in the middle of the cable, not along the sides.

 

The garter stitch sections on either side will scrunch up, but that’s ok – they’ll stretch back out when the piece is blocked and sewn to other squares. (Blocking is essentially getting the piece wet and pinning it to the shape you want it to be, so that all your blocks are the same size. If you’d like a full tutorial on blocking, let me know in the comments!)

 

Blocking the square.

 

Who do you knit for? What is your favorite charity? Tell me in the comments — I’d love to hear about more groups that do good in the world!