Knots draw a pillow together

Teddi-Jann Covell of Orono and her son Darren, a member of Boy Scout troop 478, are all tied up in knots – polar fleece knots, that is. Covell, an air traffic controller, crafted a scarf, blanket and pillow from the material. She helped her son’s Boy Scout troop make polar fleece pillows as holiday gifts for their families – and not one stitch was taken.

Here’s how she did it and what you’ll need to make the pillow:

. One and a half yards of polar fleece.

. Scissors, pinking shears, or a rotary cutter.

. Cutting pad if you use a rotary cutter.

. Ruler.

. Pillow form of any size – Covell used one 16 inches square.

Here’s what you do:

. Cut two polar fleece pieces and allow an extra 4 inches all around for cutting fringes. For example, if your pillow form is 16 inches square, cut the two pieces 24 inches square.

. Check the stretch. Polar fleece stretches one way but not the other. Make sure you lay out the fabric so that both layers stretch in the same direction.

. With the two panels aligned, and wrong sides together, cut fringes through both thicknesses. Cut the fringe 4 inches deep, making it the width of your ruler. When you get to the corners, which will measure 4 inches square, cut them completely out and toss in your scrap bag.

. Starting at one end on one side of the cut fringe, tie one front fringe with one corresponding back fringe all along the side. Tie square knots if you know how. If not, don’t worry about it. Tie it any way you like. Do the same on the opposite side of the pillow. Then tie the third side, leaving the fourth side open. Insert the pillow form. Tie the fourth side. And there you have it, a no-sew pillow.

The same technique may be used to make a scarf or a blanket, except no pillow form or stuffing is needed.

Small cat-size blankets made with this technique would make a perfect project to benefit humane societies that send newly adopted cats home with a blanket to help ease their adjustment to a new family.

A word of caution, though. The polar fleece pillow is so easy and quick to make, its potential to become a binge craft can’t be overstated. I made one in less than 25 minutes – I probably could have done it in 15, but my cat tried to take a nap on the fabric and that slowed me down some.

Snippets

A reader from Winterport is seeking a pattern for an old-fashioned crocheted rag doll. The doll is about 9-inches high and made of Knit-Cro-Sheen or similar weight crochet cotton. The arms and legs are bendable. E-mail Alayne at ccjbrown6204@cs.com if you have a pattern to share.

Another reader is seeking a pattern for children’s mittens knit on size four knitting needles. E-mail lyndabarnes@hotmail.com if you know where to find such a pattern.

A reader from Orland is hoping to find a knitting wheel like the one she bought in Searsport 20 years ago and has now lost. It was, she said, two cardboard wheels attached in the center and used to calculate the number of stitches needed for a particular size sweater. E-mail her at markginn@worldnet.att.net.

Quilter George Merry of Smithfield has designed and made a quilt using a variation of the Multiple Madness pattern. The quilt is a fund-raiser for the Norridgewock High School Alumni Association’s Eaton-Norridgewock Scholarship Fund. The quilt has twelve “points,” which symbolize the 12 members of Norridgewock High School’s Class of 1944, of which Merry was a member. The quilt is done in white and red, the school colors. The drawing for the quilt will be held in July.

Although Norridgewock High School burned in 1945 and the town no longer has a high school, the alumni association awards scholarships to graduating seniors at Skowhegan Area High School.

Raffle tickets for the quilt are $1 and available by calling Merry at 362-4411.

Ardeana Hamlin welcomes comments, suggestions and ideas. Call her at 990-8153, or e-mail ahamlin@bangordailynews.net.