To wrap up Distributed Proofreaders’ 20th Anniversary celebration, we feature the creative work of one of our teams. DP has numerous teams on a wide variety of subjects – book genres, DP activities, languages, geographic regions, and hobbies, to name just a few. The Knitters Who Read team was founded in 2003 and is still going strong. One of its members, GenKnit – who is also a very active smooth-reader at DP – here introduces the team and shows off its handiwork in honor of this special occasion.
I’m not sure how long ago I joined Knitters Who Read. I was attracted to the group because I both knit and crochet. Initially, having been told by someone elsewhere that crocheting is a waste of both time and yarn, I was hesitant to join the group. But I had exchanged private messages and e-mails with some members of the group, and they seemed like really nice people, so I took the plunge and dove in. Almost right away, I asked if someone who both crochets and knits would be welcome in the group, and I was told that it didn’t matter, as long as I also read.
The camaraderie in this group is warm and welcoming. We may go for a while without posting anything, but if someone does post a picture of something they’re working on or have finished, we all admire the project, ask questions, and exchange comments. Being part of a group where I know I can ask questions and get valuable advice is one of the best things about being part of Distributed Proofreaders.
As time has gone on, I have smooth-read many books of knit and crochet patterns, which later end up on Project Gutenberg. If I find a particular book, such as Miss Lambert’s My Knitting Book (1843), interesting or puzzling, I post a question in Knitters Who Read. Invariably, I receive good feedback. Sometimes I think an instruction is unclear, or something is phrased in an amusing way, and I’ll post about it in the group. I thoroughly enjoy hearing back from the other members of this group.
I don’t only ask questions about books I smooth-read. One of the other members of the group is also a crocheter, and she posted a photo of an adorable Tunisian crochet sweater she had made for her grandson. I asked her for the pattern, and she gave me a link. Even though the instructions are in German, my friend was pretty sure I could figure them out, and she offered to help if I ran into something I didn’t understand. You see, I don’t read German. But knitting and crocheting are universal languages much like mathematics. If you know the basics, you can knit or crochet in any language.
As DP’s 20th Anniversary approached, the Knitters Who Read team members talked about what we might do to mark the occasion. Someone suggested that we might consider making 20 of an item. Someone else suggested that we might consider creating something related to 20th anniversary symbols, such as an item in emerald green. And so we got both!
Emerald Blanket
I decided to make this blanket in emerald green. For those who would like details about the design and method: The squares are made of seven rows of double crochet, then one row of single crochet. I joined them using the (American) slip stitch. Then a row of sc all the way around the outside edge of the blanket, and finally the row of shells: sc, sk 2 sc, 6 dc in next sc, sk 2 sc; repeat around, making 9 dc in center sc of each corner. (For an explanation of these crocheting abbreviations, see this Crochet Abbreviations Master List.)
Emerald City Socks
DP’s General Manager, Linda Hamilton, is also a knitter, and she made these “Emerald City” socks for the 20th Anniversary. She used a toe-up fleegle-heel design. These toasty socks are designed to keep your feet warm while reading in winter.
20 Lapghan Squares
WebRover, who wrote the three 20th Anniversary blog posts last week, and is a Project Facilitator at DP to boot, knitted these 20 cheerful squares. They will be stitched together to make a lapghan (a lap-sized afghan) for donation to a nursing home.
I’d like to close with a poetic tribute to Distributed Proofreaders:
Smooth-reading’s a whole lot of fun
Though sometimes I’m glad when I’m done.
I get to find goofs
As I read through the proofs
I tag them and feel like I won.
Reading for fun if I please
Makes my “job” at DP a real breeze.
As I read through the books
I take very close looks
Find mistakes, and on them I seize.
Hard to believe it’s been 20 years
Since DP started—three cheers!
We’re having a party
Now don’t you be tardy.
I hope we go 20 MORE years!
Kudos to everyone at Distributed Proofreaders and Project Gutenberg who have made our e-books possible these 20 years!
This post was contributed by GenKnit, a Distributed Proofreaders volunteer.
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Great Post! I like that it includes so many aspects of DP. As you know I love the poem!
Very nice! I’m also a crocheter – learned that from my grandmothers and my mom first. I knit but the instruction for that came from a friend when I was much older.