Knit Pretty

Knitting for Charity!

Posted on December 1, 2009 at 8:38 pm, by Amanda Rae
in Category Knitting | Tags: Charity

With the holiday season upon us we feel the need to give. Making hand-knits for those less fortunate than us shouldn’t only happen during the holidays; but it seems like a good time to talk about it since it is the season to give.

There are hundreds of charities you can knit for. Two sites I found that have a lot of charities listed are from The Daily Knitter and Interweave Knits. Here are some of my favorites or ones that I have donated to:

Chemo Caps – Chemo Caps are hats made for those that are battling cancer; all ages. Hats are made to keep them warm especially when they are going through chemo and are open to catching a cold.

Hats for the Homeless – Hats for the Homeless is where people make hats, scarves, mittens and other warm accessories for those that do not have a home. With being outside, especially during the winter, having a knit accessory can make all the difference.

Project Linus – Project Linus is where you make blankets for children who are seriously ill, traumatized or in need. These blankets provide warmth and comfort to these children when they otherwise may not get it.  Their site also provides patterns if you wish to use them.

Snuggle Project – The Snuggle Project is where you knit small blankets for animals in animal shelters to have some physical and psychological comfort in their steel cages. On their site they post pictures of the animals with the blankets (super cute puppies and kittens!!) and give you cute patterns to use if you wish. 

Socks for Soldiers – Socks for Soldiers is where you knit socks for those that are fighting for our country. Soldiers are able to get a new pair of socks that are made with love!

Red Scarf Project – The Red Scarf Project is part of the Orphan Foundation of America. Scarves are made for those that are just leaving foster care and going off to college.

All of the sites have information of what is accepted and where the donations can be sent. If you are not a knitter you are still able to donate by crocheting, sewing, etc.

Most knitting done for charities are small easy projects such as hats, socks, squares, scarves, etc. With the projects being on the smaller side you can make them in between your other projects or when you are on the go.You are able to use up yarn from your stash and it is for a good cause!  

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Yarn Stash

Posted on November 3, 2009 at 7:43 pm, by Amanda Rae
in Category Knitting | Tags: Charity,Knit of the Month,Stash,Yarn Swap

Does your yarn seem to pile up and your stash keeps getting bigger? Don’t panic. This is normal. With most knitters it seems like we have a lot of yarn with no plans on what we will be using it for. Instead of having your stash grow larger and possibly to the point that it will need it’s own room; I have some ideas to help possibly decrease your stash!

* Teach someone to knit! Grab a friend, daughter, grand daughter or someone you think may be interested in knitting and give them knitting lessons! Instead of having that person go out and buy their own yarn, have them take some of yours (that you are not extremely attached to).

* Arrange a yarn swap. This may not decrease your stash, but you may get some yarn that you have ideas of what to make with it. Get a bunch of knitting friends together or try to arrange a swap at your local yarn store. Make a party of it! Have snacks and ask everyone to bring yarn that they don’t want anymore and what they are knitting. Exchange yarn with people and show off what you are working on!

* Make projects for donations. (There will be a post about this later) There are a lot of organizations that take knitted objects: hats, scarves, blankets, squares to make blankets, etc. that gets donated to charity. Knit up that yarn you aren’t so much of a fan of and have it go towards a good cause!

* Donate the yarn to a knitting group that makes projects for charity. There are a lot of groups, especially on college campuses, that have yarn just for charity use.

* Make your own knit of the month club! Take 12 brown paper bags and find 12 patterns that you really like. Match up the yarn you have to the patterns you picked and put one in each bag. Close up the bags and put them in a safe place. Each month grab a bag and open it up! Ta da! That is something you can knit that month! Make it your goal to have it done by the end of the month so you can open your next bag. Because you cannot see into the bags it will be a surprise every time you open a new one!

No need to worry about your yarn stash getting out of control; use these ideas or post some of your own to share!

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