Theads of Love

Three Caps of Different Colors

Threads of Love is a national organization that makes tiny clothes for pre-mature babies, donating them to hospitals around the nation.  A number of years ago I read about the organization, made a few things and sent them to Louisiana. They thanked me, but told me of the chapter in Birmingham, so now that’s where my caps go, but first let me digress.

I want to tell you how glad I am that you stopped by, but I wish you could have  been here yesterday for lunch.  It was just the two of us, but it was the kind of meal our mothers might have cooked 75 years or so ago — the best of country living.  With another item or two the menu consisted of fresh roas-sneers (corn), fried okra, stuffed peppers and sliced tomatoes — all from our garden.  This might have  been what our mothers would have cooked, but no doubt they would have had fried chicken because by this time of year the fryers would have been the right size for frying.  A good Sunday dinner (in the middle of the day) and good eatin.’

New Cap Under Way

Now back to the subject.  My volunteer job for Threads of Love is knitting caps.  I use a circular needle size 6 and 9? inches long.  I cast on 45 stitches (most of the time); then slip the first stitch cast on over to the other end of the needle beside the last stitch cast on.  I now knit these two stitches together and I’m off and running.  In the picture I’ve knitted one round and the cap is under way. I just knit round and round — this makes a little cap without a seam.  Some times I cast on a few more stitches and a few less — as no two babies heads are exactly the same size.  Some patterns say to knit on all the stitches cast on all the way to the top; however, I shape my caps.  I knit till the cap measures 2 1/2? then knit three stitches and then knit  the next two stitches together for one round.  I continue knitting until the cap measures 3 1/2? and then I decrease by knitting two together and knit two for the round.  At 4 1/2? I knit one and then knit two together after which I run a tapestry needle through all the stitches and finish off.  Ends must be hidden, too.

Cap Near Completion

As you can see I knit different colors and sometimes I make a cap from two colors just for variety –  I try to make some using “boy” colors and some using “girl” colors.  I make one from dark brown that looks just like a little boy to me. I try to remember to pray for the family and baby that wears the cap I’m making.  I find it a real pleasure, as well as a ministry of a sort.

So far this year I’ve sent 86 caps and have seven ready to go now.  Threads of Love can use more volunteers should you be interested — it’s another facet of country living.