Today we honor those brave service members who made the ultimate sacrifice for this great nation that we call our home. Let us never forget them and what they have done for us.
The Essential 1 x 1 Gaiter (Knit)
Happy Monday dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! We have one of our much anticipated patterns for you today.
As many of us know from personal experience, sometimes the additional material in a traditional scarf can either get in the way or create a working hazard, especially if you can’t tuck the ends into a jacket (e.g. working with power tools, etc). However, going without that extra layer of protection around your neck is unfeasible during the colder seasons and regions as it can be detrimental to our health (or in T.H.R.I.V.E. Association’s case, the health of our veteran community!). One way to get around this, while still having the warmth, comfort, and protection of a scarf is a gaiter. These are great garments! They work up quickly and are a lot of fun to make! Also, they are truly treasured by the veteran and/or the veteran dependent who receives them.
Since 2022, T.H.R.I.V.E. Association has been gradually integrating gaiters in our offered gifts to the Stand Downs that we serve. We have found that they are not only popular, but they are in great demand! This is especially true among the veterans and their dependents that are going to work in the trades, warehouses, etc.
This is an intermediate pattern, so there is no pressure if you don’t feel comfortable working out of your comfort zone. However, if you would like to create this garment as a gift for one of our veterans and/or a veteran dependent, please know that T.H.R.I.V.E. Association staff are here to answer any questions that you may have about this pattern. Please feel free to reach out to our office, and one of our dedicated staff will be glad to answer any questions or concerns that you may have.
Please read all notes and instructions BEFORE attempting this pattern.
Notes:
It is especially important to use the Italian Twisted Cast On (CO) for this garment as it provides both an invisible CO edge as well as the much needed stretch for the veteran or veteran dependent recipient to safely and comfortably fit the garment over their respective head.
It is equally important to use a sewn bind off for this garment for the same reason. It is essential for these gaiters to have a lot of stretch to accommodate the multiple sizes of the veteran community that we serve.
This garment is knit tighter than the average gauge. With that, it is crucial to knit a gauge swatch before starting and you should check your gauge while knitting this garment to ensure that you get optimal results.
Like any other patterns that are worked in the round, we do recommend casting on an additional stitch that will be passed over the initial CO stitch to ensure a jogless join.
Abbreviations:
CO= Cast On
BO= Bind Off
K= Knit
P= Purl
Sts= Stitches
PM= Place Marker
Rnd= Round
Rep= Repeat
Size: One size fits most
Materials:
Hiya Hiya Sharps Circular Needles Size 5.5 mm= US Size 7: Length 16 in (40 cm) or size needed to obtain gauge
Caron Simply Soft (Worsted Weight) Black
Darning needle
Stitch Marker
Gauge:
18 sts and 24 rows = 4″ [10 cm] in stocking stitch.
Pattern:
With circular needles, CO 91 stitches using the Italian Twisted CO.
Join in the round making sure not to twist. (Remember to pass the last stitch of the CO over the first stitch of the CO. 90 sts) PM for the beg of the rnd.
Rnd 1: *K1. P1. Rep from * around.
Rep Rnd 1 (K1. P1.) ribbing until the garment measures 8 inches (20.2 cm) from the CO edge.
Note: Since this garment is worked in the round, there is no “back” of the garment. You are only working the “front” (i.e. there is no turning). So, K the K sts, and P the P sts.
BO using a sewn BO.
Here’s to All of Our Awesome Mothers!
Happy Monday, dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! We hope that you all had a very pleasant Mother’s Day and were able to spend some quality time with the mothers and/or mother figures in your life!
T.H.R.I.V.E. Association supports all mothers, fathers, and children in the entire veteran family. Many of the female veterans that we serve have children in their care and we aim to ensure that not only do the veterans receive our gifts, their dependents do as well! With this being said, we are out of children’s (toddler to school age) sized garments. Many of the Stand Downs that we serve inform us ahead of time how many children that are under their care and we must ensure that we have enough stock of these age-appropriate garments on hand to meet the need. We thank all of our staff, donors, volunteers, and supporters for all of their hard work and continued enthusiastic dedication to the cause!
Scarf Measurements
Happy Monday dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! We hope that you all enjoyed the beautiful Flower Moon last Friday. Our staff certainly enjoyed crafting under the stars and marveling at this wonderful lunar event.
We have gotten a few questions recently regarding scarf width and length requirements, which we’d like to address here. It is imperative that all donated scarves are 60 inches (152cm) in length and at minimum 6 inches (15cm) in width. Ideally, the width of scarves bound for Stand Downs in colder climates should be 8 inches (20cm) wide. This additional width allows for the veteran or their dependent to cover from the base of their neck up to the bridge of their nose. Anyone who has lived in a colder climate, as some of our staff have, can attest to the importance of having your neck, mouth, and nose covered during those extra cold months. Through the years, we have received lots of helpful feedback from the veterans and their dependents about what they prefer and what they need. The longer scarves allow for the wearer to wrap the garment multiple times, ensuring that they stay warm. A wider scarf allows for more overall coverage, which also ensures additional warmth. We are all here to serve those who so selflessly served our nation and we aim to please!
A Tip for Tidy Edges
Happy Monday/May Day, dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! We’ve noticed that some of the donated scarves that we have received have uneven edges due to accidental increases. But have no fear, we’ve got a very simple and effective tip that will give any knit scarf that you apply it to some wonderfully clean edges!
To accomplish this, simply add two additional stitches to whatever scarf pattern you are using. These two additional stitches are your “edge stitches” and are NOT part of the pattern; they are simply there to give you clean edges. So if your chosen pattern instructs you to cast on 30 stitches, you would cast on 32. At the beginning of every round, you slip the first stitch purl-wise instead of working it and then continue working in pattern as instructed. When you get to the last stitch of the row, knit the last stitch. It is important to note that the first of the two edge stitches (the one at the beginning of the row), is always slipped purl-wise and the second edge stitch (at the end of the row) is always knit. That’s it, no more uneven edges! Sometimes some of the simplest techniques net you the most consistent results! Happy crafting!
Rest In Peace
Dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family, it is with heavy hearts that we share with you this somber news. We are sad to report the passing of David Gillespie, a founding member and colleague of T.H.R.I.V.E. Association.
Rest in Peace
Thomas David Gillespie, Jr.
1969-2023
The Worsted Weight Crochet Gaiter
Happy Monday, T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! This is the Worsted Weight Crochet Gaiter, compliments of our staff at T.H.R.I.V.E. HQ! This gaiter is quick to craft, quite economical in the yarn needed, and comfortably fits under a jacket for our underprivileged veterans and their dependents. It can be as warm as a scarf, but less of the bulk. Here is how to make it:
The Worsted Weight Crochet Gaiter
Abbreviations:
Ch = Chain(s)
Sl st = Slip stitch
Hdc = Half double crochet
St(s) = Stitch(es)
Fphdc = Front post half double crochet
Bphdc = Back post half double crochet
Gauge: Chain 11, hdc into second chain from hook, 1 hdc in each ch to the remaining 9 sts. It should measure 3 inches in length. Adjust the amount of chains and/or hook size accordingly to meet 3 inches. If adjustments were needed, use those same adjustments to augment the pattern.
Ch 71. Join first ch with sl st, making sure not to twist the ch when joining the ends.
Foundation row: Ch 1, place stitch marker, 1 hdc in each st around (70), sl st into first st.
Row 1: Ch 1, fphdc around the first hdc from the foundational row. *Bphdc around the next. Fphdc around next.* Rep *…* to marker (70), sl st into first st.
Row 2-25: Ch 1, fphdc around the previous row’s first post. *Bphdc around the next. Fphdc around the next. Rep *…* to marker (70), sl st into first st. At the end of Row 25, fasten off after the sl st and weave in the ends.
Tips: If you have never tried Front post half double crochets (fphdc) and Back post half double crochets (bphdc), don’t worry – they are much easier than they sound! Here is a picture of what going through the front post looks like:
And here is a picture of what going through the back post looks like (note that the work is being tilted toward the camera to show the back post, thus effectively is a top down view):
Colors
Happy Monday, dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! We have been getting a number of questions recently about acceptable colors for donated garments. We know that it is Spring and our wonderful volunteers and donors are really excited to break out their lovely Springtime colored yarns, fabrics, etc. Trust us, we love bright colors too!
However, we here at T.H.R.I.V.E. Association are all about the veteran community that we serve. As beautiful as bright colors and pastels are, we have to keep the recipients’ preferences in mind. Through the years that we have been in operation, we have found that the veterans and their dependents prefer darker colors of blue, black, green, grey, and camouflage. If you are feeling particularly bold, both red or royal purple have also been very popular.
Next week, we will be introducing a new crocheted gaiter pattern, pictured above, created by the our awesome team! If you are a knitter, we also have the same pattern in knit coming at you in the following weeks! So, stay tuned!
In the Crafting Lab
Happy Monday, dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! We are currently hard at work in the crafting lab, and we’ve got lots of great new patterns and techniques coming your way in the coming weeks! We’ve got knitting, crocheting, and even loom patterns and techniques coming soon, so stay tuned!
Have Crafting, Will Travel
Happy Monday, dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! It’s time to restock! After serving the veterans and their dependents at the Alachua county Stand Down in Gainesville, FL, we’re fresh out of hats, scarves, etc.! While we are thrilled by this (as it means that we met our goal), we now need to start building up our inventory of lovingly hand-crafted goods for the next Stand Downs.
If you’d like to donate a hat, scarf, face mask, or other handcrafted garment to our cause, please remember that the dear veterans and their dependents prefer dark colors, e.g. blue, black, green, grey, and all-time favorite, camouflage. If you would like to knit, crochet, or sew a garment in a brighter color, red or deep purple are always popular bright colors. We cannot emphasize this important point enough: please do not use sparkly or overly decorative yarns and fabrics. While they have their place, they are simply inappropriate for the veterans and their dependents (including children because of potential choking hazards).
If you are not a crafter, but would like to help, there are still many ways to support our cause! Please consider donating materials and/or making a monetary donation to help us cover the costs of materials, shipping, and overhead.
If you need yarn, or other supplies, please contact us through email at thriveassociation@thrivevets.org or by phone at (469) 427-9654. Please be aware that any communications are recorded. If you have donations and cannot make it to one of our in-person knitting groups, we are still continuing our policy of curbside pickup. Please contact us to schedule a pickup if you are in the DFW area. If you reside outside the DFW area and would like to make an in-kind donation, please contact us to make arrangements. Remember, even one lovingly handcrafted hat or scarf can make a huge difference in the life of an underprivileged veteran or their dependent(s).
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