Happy Easter everyone! I’ve been busy during Lent (the time between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday – 6 and a half weeks) working on some charity knitting. It’s only a small pile, but it’s something, and I’m hoping to add to it. Knitting for charity is something I’ve been doing since my early days of knitting, and it’s great for so many reasons – both for the knitter and for others. I want to talk about why. Keep reading for some great resources to find out how you can start knitting for charity today.
What I’ve been making
I made six things – one for each week of Lent – for a local pregnancy support charity in my state. One of the beanies was AWOL when I took the above photo but there’s a photo of it below. All the patterns I used were free, or made up by me on the fly.
I made three beanies, none of which were made with a pattern. I made them by eyeballing what looked like a good size, and with a basic knowledge of how to shape a hat, this is pretty easy to do. Let me know in the comments below if you’d like to see some posts about hat shaping and designing your own hats!
There was also this super quick baby vest, made using the Wee Speedy pattern by Taiga Hilliard Designs. It’s a free pattern and one I’ve made several times for charity pieces. The Wee Speedy pattern is for 0-3 month olds and the Wee Speedy 2 is for a 6 month old baby.
The last two pieces I made were these two pairs of booties, made using this pattern by Sascha. Again, I’ve used this pattern for lots of charity pieces, but also for babies I’ve known and loved, including my own little girl. They’re so quick to knit that you can make a pairin a sitting. What’s more, you won’t get bored knitting two alike!
I love knitting for charity, and to be honest I wish I did more of it. Here are a few reasons why you’ll love knitting for charity too, if you don’t do it already!
Some great reasons to knit for charity
You are helping people (and/or animals)!
The number one reason to knit for charity! You really are helping people when you knit for charities. Hand-knitted items made in quality natural fibres are excellent for new babies. Animals in shelters are always in need of new blankets. Every now and then you’ll see a specific appeal for knitted items, like hospitals who are running short of preemie clothes. I’ve even seen drives for people to knit jumpers for penguins!
Here are some places to get started if you’re looking for a charity to knit for:
If you’re in Australia (like me)…
- Knitting-and has a list of a few charities that accept knitted items.
- 5000 poppies – make poppies for remembrance day displays.
- Knit4Charities
- kogo – make winter woollies for people in need
If you’re in the USA (like most of my readers)…
- Knit Aid USA – knit items for refugees
If you’re in the UK…
Worldwide…
- KAS (knit a square) – knit items for people in need, with a particular focus on helping children
Warm fuzzies
Okay, this is an obvious one. Knitting for charity makes you feel good. In my teens and early twenties, I was one of these proactive young people who was in all the social justice groups and volunteering for all the charities. Silly me thought I’d be one of those people whose idealistic phase would never end. But alas, life gets in the way and I find myself now often sitting there thinking “I could do more”. Anyone else feel the same way? I try to do my bit for others, but there is always more to be done, and that is no easy feat when you are the primary caregiver for a toddler. Thankfully, there is charity knitting. You can do it from your own home. You can knit at any hour of the day. You can knit in your pyjamas. And you’re still helping people or animals!
Stash busting
Knitting little things for charity is a GREAT way to use up your leftover yarn, I have found. Instead of floundering in your stash cupboard getting tangled up, waiting to be thrown away, your scrap yarn can go to good use.
Think booties and baby hats. Don’t go past a simple blanket made of knitted squares from all your leftover yarn. Take a look at my blog post about things you can make from your garter stitch squares for some insanely simple but practical things you can make from small amounts of yarn.
Practising your skills
When I first started knitting, I made a lot of stuff for charity. That’s because I knew knitting took a lot of patience, so I started off doing small projects and working my way up to big ones as my patience improved. Baby clothes were ideal for this. I found patterns I wanted to do, which used a skill I wanted to learn. Once the project was complete, I got the benefit of having learned a new skill, and the charity received an item that could be passed on to someone in need. Win-win!
Where to find patterns
Ravelry, of course! There are many, many, MANY patterns, free and paid, on Ravelry at your disposal. Other great sources for charity knitting patterns are charity shops. There is usually a box of knitting patterns next to the yarn. Don’t be shy about buying yarn from charity shops, either! Often they still have the ball bands on them so you can see what fibre you’re using.
Many hospitals will have knitting patterns on their websites, too, so check your local maternity hospital’s website. Miracle Babies has some cute knitting and sewing patterns available on their website. Knitting For the NICU has this great article about how to knit for NICUs, with some links to patterns as well.
Knit Aid, which I mentioned above, also has patterns on their website.
So what are you waiting for? Start today! The free bootie pattern I used over Lent only takes an hour or so to make a pair. Start a pile of charity projects and get searching for a charity you want to support!
Peace,
Kat
