Knit For Others, Bring Joy To Yourself
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 teenage kids are “too cool” to wear your hand-knit wares, and your own drawers are bursting at the seams? There is no need to put the knitting needles down! There is a whole world of charity knitting that is open to you. The pleasure of charity knitting is that you treat yourself to a favored hobby, while doing something good for someone in need.
Free knitting patterns for charity projects are plentiful; just decide which cause you support. 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. 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!
For those who prefer not to felt sweaters, and instead prefer to knit, there are several options. Some charities accept full blankets, and others accept squares that are later knitted together. Charities often have size requirements to make sure that the recipients get the size they need. 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 the best choice 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. Other items you can knit for charity include hats, sweaters, vests, and other various garments. 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. If you integrate these two things, you will finish project after project, bringing joy to people less fortunate.
