It’s a familiar conundrum for avid knitters:  what if you have too many scarves, and no one you know needs or wants one?  What if your kids have outgrown the desire to wear your hand-knit wares, and your own closet is bursting?  Relax, no need to put down the knitting needles!  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. A popular charity past time is knitting blankets for young children in the third-world.  There are some rules of thumb to bear in mind when knitting blankets or blanket pieces for charity.

First, you don’t even have to be a knitter to participate!  Get some felting supplies and some wool sweaters from the thrift shop; then, simply cut them into squares to felt.  Also keep your eye out for friends and family who are donating, and ask if they can give you their wool sweaters. Another advantage to felting sweaters is that it takes less time than actual 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.  It’s a good idea to use wool or heavy wool blends for charity knitting, unless otherwise specified.  Those receiving blankets often live out of doors, and are often near open flame.  Synthetic yarns and acrylic can possibly melt near open flame. An added bonus is that wool is resistant to moisture and anti-bacterial in nature.  It is the best choice for charity knitting.

There are plenty of other options for charity knitting, as well.  Blanket and blanket squares are only several among many options 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.

Be Sociable, Share!

Filed under: Top 10 Gifts

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!