A Quick Guide to Crafting for Charity

We received such a tremendous response to our Charity Knit- & Crochet-alongs last year that we've got several more planned for 2020 - stay tuned! Before we announce our first Charity KCAL for 2020, we'd like to share some tips and resources for anyone new to the world of charity crafting, plus a few ways you can use your crafting skills to help those in need right now.

Materials to Use

Most charitable organizations have a list of requirements for donations. For handmade items, they may stipulate that all items must be machine washable or contain a certain fiber content, for example. Additionally, there may be specific fibers they wish to avoid, or specific colors that the items need to be.

Unless otherwise stated, it's best to opt for "easy care" yarns (i.e. super wash) to ensure that your donation can be enjoyed for years to come. Remember to label each piece with care instructions and fiber content before donating.

If you are donating items to children's charities, ensure that any small items that could be choking hazards (such as buttons) are secured, or us a child-friendly options (for example, embroidered features instead of safety eyes on a stuffed toy). 

What to Make

You may have a pile of gently-used or completely unworn hats, scarves and other projects that are in need of a good home. That's great - just in mind that some charities will only accept certain items or have other regulations that they must uphold. Before you send in your donation, check their website or contact them via email to find out what they need most. Donating items that are not needed can put a strain on organizations, where resources are frequently scarce.

Where to Donate Handmade Items

Chances are, there are plenty of folks in your own community who are in need! Not only will your donations directly impact your community, but you will save money on shipping (which means you can buy more supplies for making more items to donate). 

Start by contacting local shelters, hospices, hospitals, churches, and other community-based organizations to ask what they need and arrange your donation. 

Knittingforcharity.org is an excellent resource to, and you can also visit Crochet.org's resource list here to get started. For a more DIY approach, try the I'm Not Lost Campaign, as featured here on the Mason-Dixon Knitting Blog. 

Consider a Monetary or In-Kind Donation

Many organizations have limited space, and while the thought behind donating a handmade item is wonderful, it could have an adverse effect but straining other resources. Consider making a monetary donation instead; you could even sell your handmade goods and use the proceeds to fund your donation. If you've been cleaning out your craft room and have a lot of yarn and other unused supplies you'd like to donate, here are some places to contact about your in-kind donation.

Breaking News: Crafters Helping Victims of the Australian Bush Fires

Here is another cause where you can lend your crafting skills: animals affected by the devastating Australian bush fires are in need of handmade protective pouches and blankets to aid in their recovery (learn more here). We've also spotted numerous fundraisers within the crafting community to raise funds for animals and humans affected by the fires. For those who would prefer to donate funds directly to the source, Zoos Victoria has set up a Bushfire Emergency Wildlife Fund (and you can find more options for helping those affected by the fires here). 

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We'd love to hear about your charity crafting and knitting in the comments. Please help us spread the word by sharing this post! 

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Spring Charity KAL/CAL Recap

Our first-ever Spring Charity KAL/CAL has been a huge success, and we owe it all to our wonderful knitters and crocheters who spent the entire month of May making blocks to donate to Warm Up America!

We're pleased to see that many folks continue to KEEP making blocks, too  - we hope you will continue sharing them with us on Ravelry and using the #KPCharityKALCAL hashtag on social media (we may even award some prizes over the summer for folks who keep making and sharing their blocks!!). Here are some free patterns you might want to try:

WUA Textured Rectangle by Yvonne Tate

WUA Granny Rectangle by Yvonne Tate

Herringbone Stitch Knit & Crochet Rectangles by Vickie Howell

The Results

Many thanks to everyone who took shared photos of their completed blocks with us - you are all truly inspiring! From May 1-31, here's what our fantastic group of knitters and crocheters accomplished: 

• 603 knitted blocks completed, which is enough to make 30 baby blankets or 12 adult-sized blankets!
• 116 crocheted blocks completed, which is enough to make 5 baby blankets or 2 adult-sized blankets!
• A grand total of 719 blocks which can be made into 35 baby blankets or 14 adult-sized blankets!

Grand Prize Winners

In addition to providing free needles and hooks to participants, we also offered up some prizes to the participants who make the most blocks during the month of May, and we're pleased to share our winners with you today!

For knitting the most blocks with a grand total of 160, Kawaii00natsume has won a Deluxe Ginger Interchangeable Needle Set!

For crocheting the most blocks for a grand total of 45, Mottley1 has won a Zing Crochet Set!

Winners will be contacted via Ravelry PM to arrange for the delivery of their prize.

Thanks again to everyone who participated in our Spring Charity KAL/CAL!

Pin this post to spread the word...and keep on knitting and crocheting those blocks this summer!

Spring Charity KAL/CAL: Warm Up America!

We're hosting a charity Knit-along & Crochet-along this spring in our Ravelry group! Benefitting Warm Up America!, we're challenging our fans to see how many squares they can make during the month of May - and we're providing FREE knitting needles and crochet hooks to any participants who need them! Keep reading to find out how you can join us in making the world a better place with knitting and crocheting.

Warm Up America! accepts knitted or crochet squares that are 7” x 9” which are used to make afghans that are distributed to individuals and families in need. The foundation maintains a database with requests from social service agencies at a community level as well national chapters organizations such as the American Red Cross. As afghans are received and assembled, they are shipped to the agency at the top of the list.

All squares need to be made with machine washable and dryable acrylic yarn, and you can find free knit and crochet patterns here on the Warm Up America website.

Knitter's Pride will provide US 7 single pointed knitting needles or H8 crochet hooks to all participants who need them; click here to submit your request by March 22 so that we can ensure timely delivery.

Between now and May 1, we encourage you to check your gauge to ensure that your squares will meet the specified dimensions; the 7″ by 9″ template was selected because it is a convenient size to form blankets of varying dimensions, and receiving donations that are uniform in size make it easier  to join sections knitted and crocheted by different people across the country.

To make measuring easier, you can cut a 7"x9" piece of cardboard or card stock to use as you knit or crochet.

Click here to join the conversation in our Ravelry group, where you can share your tips for making squares, which colors you'll be using, or other charity projects you're currently working on. Sharing photos is encouraged!

At the end of the KAL/CAL, we will award prizes to the participants who make the most squares between May 1-31 as outlined below. Prizes will be announced and awarded in June.

• The person who knits the most squares/rectangles will receive a Deluxe Ginger Interchangeable Needle Set.
• The person who crochets the most squares/rectangles will receive a Zing Crochet Set.

We hope you'll help us spread the word by sharing this blog post with a friend, inviting them to join our Ravelry group, sharing on social media using the #knitterspride and #KPcharityKALCAL hashtags, or sharing this post on Pinterest using the graphic below.

Winner + Knit & Crochet for Charity: Where to Donate

Congratulations to LisaTknits, our first prize winner for the Spring KAL with Angela Tong that's happening now here in our Ravelry group! We will get in touch with you to arrange for the delivery of your prize, a Marblz DPN Set. Click here to learn more about our KAL on our previous blog post! 

Our Spring KAL is a great opportunity to knit items to donate to charity, especially if you're making the newly-released Hishigata Hat by Angela Tong! Knit in a bulky weight yarn with a pretty diamond cable pattern, this hat is a fun, fast project that can be donated to those in need.

The Hishigata Hat by Angela Tong

Of course, you don't have to limit your donation to projects made in our KAL, or just hats - there are plenty of organizations that are looking for hats, scarves, and other items year-round! Today, we'd like to spotlight a few of these organizations where you can donate your finished objects (FOs), though this is by no means a complete list! If you happen to knit or crochet for a particular organization that isn't listed here, we would love to hear about it in the comments! 

25,000 Tuques

This project was launched last year to collect knitted and crocheted hats (or tuques, as they are known in Canada) for Syrian refugees arriving in Canada. Initially begun as a small group in Quebec, the project quickly spread throughout the country and even into the US with Purlescence Yarns in Sunnyvale, CA serving as a donation collection point for American crafters. While the project is focused mainly on hats, other donations of mittens and scarves are also accepted if they have a matching hat along with them.

Halos of Hope

This not-for-profit organization accepts knitted, crocheted or sewn caps for chemo patients which are distributed to over 450 cancer centers each month. They provide a set of guidelines for your handmade donation here on their website, as well as free and for sale hat patterns for knitters and crocheters. 

Knit for Kids

This organization accepts donations of sweaters, caps and blankets to distribute to children living in poverty worldwide. They prefer items which are knit with easy-care acrylic yarns and provide free patterns for making your donations. Donors can also use a pattern of their own choosing if they prefer.

Warm Up America! 

This organization accepts donations of knitted and crocheted blankets and other accessories year-round; you can check their Current Needs section of the website to see which items they are currently looking for.