Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Something I learned in college


My Freshman year in college I learned two vital life skills. One was to use either baking soda and water or Coke on my car's battery to get rid of all corrosion. The other was to knit bell ornaments.

About the first of November we had a hall meeting for the sole purpose of deciding how to decorate our Christmas tree on the second floor right wing of Conestoga Hall. Everyone knew how to make paper chains and gum wrapper chains and popcorn chains. But we didn't want to use just chains. We wanted something a bit different. One of the girls knew how to knit these bells and everyone had to knit at least one. (This didn't preclude non-knitters! Everyone had to learn to knit, if only for the bell! This was when "we were women and could do anything!" (Helen Reddy....) Throughout the years I've knit many. They're fine for the tree but can also be a pin or earrings or package decoration -- imagination is the limit!

This particular bell is knit on size 2 straights. (You can use any size you want and any yarn you want as well as knitting on circulars -- "knitter's choice", as Meg Swansen says!) Cast on 16. Knit 4, Purl 12. Second row Purl 4, Knit 12. Keep going until it's as long as you want. The trickiest part is in the cast off. You want the cast off to end on the stockinette 4 stitches so you can use the yarn end to seam up the bell, create a hanger and have enough to hang a bell or miniature ball from it!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

That's neat!! I may have to try that one. Thanks for sharing.

yarn elf said...

I think this could be a good beginner project for the season. A small project, somthing useful, but can be your own. Have to fit this one. Thanks for shaing the idea.