Playing Safely: the condom amulet project

How often is it that you cross paths - even electronically -with someone who shares mulitiple interests? I don’t remember when, but somehow I crossed paths with Naomi, the Little Red Hen. I think it was a few years ago, when I was looking for another infusion of redworms for our composting box (we’ve been feeding worms for over a decade); Naomi’s Knit One Red Worm project collected knitted redworms (!!) to promote vermi-composting. After reading her “Creativity in the Third Age” essay, I knew I’d caught sight of a fellow traveler. My hunch was confirmed after discovering our shared commitment to “knitting in public” as a route to promoting “public knitting” (for public purposes) - Naomi’s documented plenty of public knitting in action, and I’m a “walking knitter“, clicking away as I wend my way through town and task, sharing and teaching whenever possible. Eventually, Naomi found me through my own knittivist project, the TikkunTree.

Naomi’s latest effort is the Condom Amulet project, which promotes HIV and safe sex education for women over 50. Naomi and others (including 60 members of the related Ravelry group) have been knitting artful, playful, and practical pouches for precious cargo - the condom - important protection for older women who find themselves dating in a dramatically different sexual world, the age of HIV.

I’m delighted to be able to contribute to the Condom Amulet project … here’s my Seashell Amulet Bag, inspired by the pearl oyster shell. This is a rather dressy amulet bag, a bit of jewelry in fact, that might encourage more of us to carry our own protection with us. Please do make one for yourself and for a friend! (just don’t use my pattern commercially).

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Seashell Amulet Bag
Copyright Tikkunarts 2008 (this pattern is available for personal use only)

Finished size: approximately 3 1/2″ wide x 3 3/4″ tall (not including the 10″ handle)

Materials

• Yarn: Silver metallic cord – I purchase mine from KnitPlace on ebay: Silver Metallic Sport Wt Yarn 5 Oz cone 600 Yds ($9.85 + S&H)
• Needles: Size 1 dpns (2.5 mm)
• 1 removable stitch marker
• tapestry needle
• one condom (though the bag will accomodate 2-3)

Directions

Row 1. cast-on 13 sts on one dpn, kfb on all sts (26 sts).

Divide and redistribute the sts so that they are on 4 dpns, as follows: slip the odd sts to a needle in front, the even sts to a needle in back, and then split the sts onto 2 additional needles. When you have done this you should have the following: needle 1 (7 sts), needle 2 (6 sts), needle 3 (7 sts), needle 4 (6 sts). Mark first stitch.

Row 2. * [k1, p1] 6x, kfb *, repeat between ** (28 sts)

Row 3. * k1, p1*, repeat between ** to end of round

Rows 4-6. repeat row 3

Row 7. * [ssk] 3 times, k1, [k2tog] 3 times, p1 *, repeat between ** (16 sts)

Rows 8-9. * k7, p1 *, repeat between **

Row 10. * k2, [kfb] 2 times, k3, p1 *, repeat between ** (20 sts)

Row 11. * k1, kfb, [k1, p1] 2 times, kfb, k2, p1 *, repeat between ** (24 sts)

Row 12. * k2, p1, [k1, p1] 3 times, k2, p1 *, repeat between **

Row 13. * kfb, [k1, p1] 4 times, kfb, k1, p1 *, repeat between ** (28 sts)

Row 14. * k1, p1*, repeat between ** to end of round

Row 15. * [k1, p1] 2 times, [kfb, p1] 2 times, [k1, p1] 3 times*, repeat between ** (32 sts)

Row 16. work all sts as they come (knit all knit sts, purl all purl sts)

Row 17. * k1, p1, kfb, p1, k1, p2, k1, p2, kfb, p1, [k1, p1] 2 times*, repeat between ** (36 sts)

Row 18. Repeat row 16

Row 19. * kfb, p1, [k1,p2] 4 times, kfb, p1, k1, p1 *, repeat between ** (40 sts)

Rows 20-21. Repeat row 16

Row 22. * [k1, p2] 2 times, [kfb, p2] 2 times, [k1, p2] 2 times, k1, p1 *, repeat between ** (44 sts)

Rows 23-25. Repeat row 16

Row 26. * k1, p2, kfb, [k1, p3] 2 times, kfb, p2, k1, p2, k1, p1 *, repeat between ** (48 sts)

Rows 27-32. Repeat row 16

Rows 33-36. Purl

To finish: BO purl-wise to the center of the back of the bag. Work an I-cord loop on 2 sts for about 2″ (or longer if you plan to use a large button closure), then continue binding off to last st. Work an I-cord handle on the last 3 sts. A 10″ length of I-cord should be sufficient for a purse or belt loop. Make the I-cord longer if you want to wear this as a neckpiece. Cut the cord, leaving an 8″ tail. Tie off the remaining sts, and sew securely to the pouch and weave in all ends. Sew on button.

Insert condom into pouch, attach to your purse, belt or body, and socialize safely!