| Portable Knitting Projects |
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| Written by Kathy Blumenstock |
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Stealing time—it’s not a felony, but a knitting strategy. A few rows or rounds in the dentist’s waiting room or during the daily commute will spin lost minutes into satisfying results. The bus is late? So what, you’ve finished your sock ribbing! Some knitters heroically tackle major projects in transit: I saw one in the subway blissfully clicking through an intricate lace pattern on a blanket-size shawl. For the rest of us, smaller items are better. Tucked into tote bags or purses, they’re a welcome handful of stress relief from meetings and carpools and Monday blues. Scarves and socks are automatic portable choices, the workhorses of take-along knits. Socks, especially, have become rock stars—hugely  popular, practical, fast to finish, and fun, thanks to the endless assortment of sock yarn. But those fantastically striped or patterned yarns work just as well for other small projects. Try a skinny belt. With just 20-25 stitches on any sock-gauge needles, knitted as long or short as you like, it’s a pop of custom color for jeans or a skirt. Go retro with a headband, or even smaller with an elegant, one-of-a-kind bookmark.Another twist on sock yarn spotlights this season’s hot accessory: GLOVES. Yes, the ones with the fingers. They’re a perfect grab-and-go project. If the idea of knitting those tiny tubes leaves your double-point needles cold, remember, there are only a few stitches for each digit. You’ll be rewarded with amazing results very quickly. Too intense? Go for wristlets or mittens instead—you’ll finish that thumb in no time, and feel smug when the first snowflakes appear. The simplest portable, newly popular as we all ‘go green,’ is the knitted dish scrubber or wash cloth. Sturdy squares or rectangles of cotton yarn, these are forever useful and the ideal teaching tool for new knitters of all ages. Stitch two together for a place mat, group six or more for a baby blanket. Or indulge in organic cotton and knit some ‘spa cloths,’ tied with a ribbon, paired with hand-milled soap as a gift (for YOU, too!). They’re also perfect for mastering new pattern stitches—no one will alert the stitch police if your feather-and-fan has one yarn-over where there should be two.  With cell phones, Blackberries and iPods now part of our families, why not give these techie friends cozy customized covers? (One-of-a-kind knitted holders also make it harder to lose them. Just sayin’!) I recently came across a ‘vintage’ pattern for a cell phone case that could easily be a small purse today. The ‘vintage’ was 2001! Today’s sleek cells are so much trimmer, and an easy candidate for a petite holder that you’ll knit in the time it takes to tap out a dozen text messages. Tired of cardboard sleeves on your daily takeout coffee or tea? Knit a “coffee cozy” of your own. Start one on the morning commute, then slip it on over your afternoon latte.  For portable projects, let your imagination roam, from practical to gorgeous. Need more inspiration? Check out the excellent “One Skein Wonder” books by Judith Durant. Besides an array of ideas, she banishes any guilt over a single-skein splurge. Carrying around tantalizing yarn will keep you smiling and stitching, no matter how long the line is at the Motor Vehicle office. So take the plunge, and bring your knitting along. |
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