Knitting in the News: Giving, Gifts and Handmade Art

This week we learned about Hosanna and Jubalee Meisburg, 13-year-old twin knitters in Jacksonville, Florida, who knit a baby sweater for Trig Palin, Sarah Palin's youngest, who has Down Syndrome. The girls, who've only been knitting about 18 months, have set up a website where they will sell similar sweaters to others and donate money from each purchase to a Down Syndrome charity.

In other giving news, a Delaware group has made more than 6,000 items to be given away to charity over the past year. RSVP, a group that coordinates volunteer efforts for senior citizens, say more than 85,000 hours have gone into the knit and crocheted items crafted by more than 100 people.

If you're looking for gifts for yourself or another knitter this holiday, check out this rundown of new crafty books and kits you might enjoy, and go over to the felting page at Craft Gossip and enter to win a cute snowman needle felting kit (OK, it's not strictly knitting, but still a lot of fibery fun). And don't forget knitting crafts for your dog or cat!

Finally, if you're in the San Jose area you might want to check out She Made It!, an exhibit at History Park highlighting handmade clothing, quilts, knit socks and much more, made by women's hands through the years. It's always good to remember that we're connected to those women who had to craft to survive, and how lucky we are to get to call it fun instead of work.