It must be getting closer to the holidays, because just about every story about knitting I came across this week had to do with knitting for others.

There are Vancouver-area seniors knitting scarves for the needy, Massachusetts financial workers knitting chemo caps for kids, British knitters making teddy bears for poor children throughout the world, New York knitters knitting hats for babies (New Jersey knitters, too) and Omaha knitters making prayer shawls.

There's the story of a man who knits mittens so local kids won't be so cold on the way to school and a craft store chain that's sending more than 4,000 knit scarves to the troops thanks to the generosity of its customers. Keep knitting, everyone!

If you're a teen who'd like to learn how to knit but you don't know anyone who can help you (or if you know a young person you'd like to encourage to start knitting), "No Rules Knitting at the Teen Knit Cafe" could be a big help.


The DVD includes instruction on casting on, knitting, purling, binding off and fixing mistakes, as well as information on the basics of choosing yarn and needles.


Because it doesn't cover other basics like increasing and decreasing, it's of limited value to all but the newest knitters, but it may still present a way to get young people interested in knitting and help them learn the basics quickly.

There are so many different ways to do ribbing you could probably have a pretty happy life as a knitter knitting almost nothing but different rib stitches.

This week there's Twisted Rib, which involves knitting the knit stitches through the back loop rather than the normal way. This puts a twist in the stitches and makes them stand out in a lovely way.

This pattern would be a good choice for an allover ribbed project like a pair of socks or a vest. It's a little more interesting to knit (and to look at the finished product) than plain ribbing would be.

If you're a new knitter who needs to see what's happening in order to really understand how to form the stitches, but maybe you don't have a person nearby who can teach you (or you want to be able to watch the basics over and over until you get it), check out Leisure Arts' "I Can't Believe I'm Knitting in Motion" DVD.

Featuring knitting ace Melissa Leapman, the DVD takes knitters through the basics of knitting and purling in continental and English style, teaches basic increases and decreases and provides valuable information on yarn, needles and other supplies.

The DVD also includes several patterns, a couple of which are presented in a knitalong style so it's easy to understand what's happening. This is a great way to learn the basics and get a couple of projects under your belt so you can go on to knit with more confidence.