Charitable Knitting and You: A Perfect Combination

Avid knitters all eventually face the same dilemma:  what if no one you know wants or needs another scarf – least of all, yourself?  What if your kids have outgrown the desire to wear your hand-knit wares, and your own closet is bursting?   There is no need to put the knitting needles down!   There is a whole world of charity knitting that is open to you. The great joy of charity knitting is that one may indulge in a favorite past time while also doing service to another in need. 

Free knitting patterns abound for charity projects; you just need to identify your cause of choice. One of the more popular charity projects is making blankets for children in poor nations.   There are some rules of thumb to bear in mind when knitting blankets or blanket pieces for charity.

To begin, you don’t even need to be a knitter to get involved.  If you have felting supplies, you can pick up used wool sweaters on the cheap at local thrift shops, and cut them in squares for felting.   Keep your ears open for friends and family who are donating wool sweaters, and suggest that they donate them to your cause. A great advantage to felting sweaters is that it is so quick and easy; faster than knitting!

If felting sweaters doesn’t suit you, there are options for knitting of course.  Some charities accept full blankets, and others accept squares that are later knitted together. They usually have size requirements to ensure that the finished blankets are adequate to the recipients’ needs.   Unless otherwise directed, try to restrict the yarn you use to wool and heavy wool blends.  Those receiving blankets often live out of doors, and are often near open flame.  Acrylic and other synthetic yarns have the potential to melt in these circumstances. Wool is also resistant to moisture, and has anti-bacterial properties.   It is an ideal yarn for charity knitting.

There are plenty of other options for charity knitting, as well.   Making blankets and squares is only the beginning of the possibilities for charity knitting. Charities accept hats, sweaters, vests, and other garments for donation. The most important aspect of charity knitting is to choose a cause for which you have passion and a project for which you have enthusiasm. By integrating these two things, you have the drive to finish many projects, bringing great amounts of joy.