Winter Headband with a Twist (Knit)

I saw someone walking down the street with a headband similar to this, and decided to make one for myself. The pattern is pretty simple, don't be put off by the single cable. I posted a picture tutorial for cabling under my last headband pattern, which you can find here. The knit 1 purl 1 ribbing on this piece makes it a bit thicker, and helps keep it flat instead of curling at the edges. Hope you enjoy the pattern! 

Materials

Worsted weight yarn

Size 8 (5mm) needles, and a spare needle

Cast on 20 stitches

Work knit 1 purl 1 ribbing until half the length of the diameter of your head (approx. 9").

Put the first 10 stitches on a spare needle and hold them to the front of your work.  K1 P1 to end of the row. Put the first 10 stitches back onto the needle, and then K1 P1 to end of row. 

Work knit 1 purl 1 ribbing until desired length. Cast off stitches, and sew the two ends together, and weave in yarns ends. 

Finished size: approx. 18" x 3"

What the piece looks like before being sewn together

Cabled Throw Blanket (Knit)

This is my favourite go-to blanket pattern. The cables are gorgeous, and there's just enough of a pattern to keep it from getting boring. The pattern is modified from a baby blanket pattern available from redheart.com, but I added a border, and changed the size of the ribbing between cables. If you haven't tried cabling before it isn't as hard as it looks! A cabling tutorial with pictures is available on my cabled headband pattern post. If you want to make this blanket smaller for a baby, or a bigger throw blanket, then add or subtract stitches in multiples of 12. Enjoy!

Materials

Lion Brand Homespun yarn, or another bulky weight yarn (4 balls, or 20 oz total)

Size 11 (8 mm) circular needle (a slightly different size will do)

Cabling or spare needle. 

Cast on 108 stitches

Knit 10 rows

A) Row 1, 3, 5, 7

K5, *K2, P2, K6, P2*, repeat from * to * to last 7 stitches, K7

B) Row 2, 4, 6, 8, 10

K5, *P2, K2, P6, K2*, repeat from * to * to last 7 stitches, P2, K5

C) Row 9

K5, *K2, P2, C3F, P2*, repeat from * to * to last 7 stitches, K7

When desired length, knit 10 rows and then cast off, and sew in loose ends. 

Note: C3F means put 3 stitches on a spare needle and hold to the front of your work, knit 3 stitches, but the stitches from the spare needle back on the circular needle, them knit those 3 stitches.

Finished size approx. 40" x 50"

This blanket is very similar to this pattern, but with more rows in between cables

What Families Supporting an Individual with a Disability Really Need from You!

Raising a child with a disability brings additional challenges that other parents may not face, and it is a role that continues into adulthood. Recent research about family quality of life among families with a member with a developmental disability has shown that many families are not getting the amount of practical support that they need from friends and families. It also found that lots of families do not want to ask for help, even when they need it. This makes it more important for everyone in the community (especially those who have family and friends with a child with a disability) to step up and provide supports to these families. Many people tend to feel intimidated or unqualified to help, but I’m sure that there is at least one way that you could make a difference. Below is a list of ideas for how you can help a family with a child with a disability. I would be happy to hear any other comments as well!

• Send a card or encouraging message
• Respite! Offer to watch the person with a disability- in their own home, in your home, or take them out. Sleepovers are also nice so parents have a chance to reconnect or get away.
• Advocate for services for individuals with disabilities
• Call, text, e-mail, etc. someone
• Have a family over for dinner- including the kids
• Help spread awareness about issues
• Offer to watch kids while parent goes to night class or work meetings
• Pick up their child from school
• If you aren’t as comfortable working with a person with special needs, you can provide some special attention to typically developing siblings- take them on a date to a movie or a restaurant, have a sleepover, play games, etc.
• Offer a shoulder to cry on, or just be someone to listen
• Give someone a ride to appointments, or lend them your car
• Bring them a meal
• Don’t judge, don’t try and fix things, just listen and be there
• Go grocery shopping for them
• Offer to help with housework- cooking, cleaning, errands
• Support the family with donations of clothing, diapers, toys, etc.
• Send the parents on a date night
• Financial support- you could give them money, hold a fundraiser, or give them support that would allow them to seek educational or career goals. Medication, special equipment, and therapies can be very expensive, and some of these costs come out of pocket for families, especially those who do not have insurance coverage.
• Don’t stare in public. Please.

 
This post is a little bit different from my usual crafts and recipes. As you may know, I am currently a master's student in child clinical psychology. In one of my courses I had to write a paper and then present a way in which it could be applied practically. I decided to write this blog post based on the assignment because I feel like it is a good way to reach people, and I am hoping this post will go (at least a little bit) viral! Thanks for reading :)

Source:
Gardiner, E., & Iarocci, G. (2012). Unhappy (and happy) in their own way: A developmental psychopathology perspective on quality of life for families living with developmental disability with and without autism. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 33(6), 2177-2192. doi: 10.1016/j.ridd.2012.06.014