Monday, July 8, 2013

Knitting and Crocheting for Good

I decided to work on a scarf this time. I have several single skeins and I've been trying to use my stash to complete projects both because of space and finances. We have a good many costly home improvement/repair projects that need to be completed this year.


There is a newly organized group of ladies in New Jersey who are trying to make a difference in their community. The group is called Knitting for Good and they are working in association with three different churches in the area though they are happy to receive outside donations. The items they make and receive are given to the homeless, animal shelters, womens shelters, AIDS babies and preemies.  They can use items like sweaters and booties in all colors and sizes for infant to 1 year in addition to scarves, hats, squares and afghans.

You can find the Facebook page for the group here.

All items should use closed patterns as they are for warmth. They accept both knitted and crocheted items. If you do live in the area, you can drop by their group meetings and have some fellowship with like minded crafters. There will be someone there who can teach you as well as accept your completed projects.

Here is some information I was sent regarding their needs if you are in the area or would just like to help them get started.
Squares: any size.  6" squares would assemble well to make a scarf.

Blanket sizes for animal shelters: 14” x 14” for cats and small animals; 24” x 24” for cats and small to medium dogs; 36” x 36” for medium to large dogs. These are donated through the Snuggles Project and follow those guides. Shelter projects can use any yarn that is washable and in any colors with a closed pattern so claws don't get caught.  They also suggest double knotting yarn that is joined or tied off because of the continuous washing.

For hats, scarves, mittens, and socks any type yarn is acceptable and patterns don't matter as long as they are warm.  They presently have a lot of items geared towards women and could use more items for men in black, brown, dark green or any other masculine color.

They will soon have an e-newsletter. If you would like to be added to their mailing list, holler out to them and send your e-mail to them (not to me). You can contact them through the Facebook page. Meetings are held at different locations so you need to get an address for mailings.

I am not associated with this organization but learned of it through a friend in the area who was invited to join them. I have sent a couple things to them and the scarf pictured above will also be going to them

Finished size of the scarf is about 6" x 62". I wasn't given a size for scarves but assume any would size would work since they cater to men, women, and children.

In other news, I saw this item posted on Facebook and thought it was such a fabulous idea I wanted to share it here as well. It is a bin that has opening on the side and is clear so you can not only see what's in that bottom bin but get to it easily as well. I need several of these!

Also, I often see requests for pattern for circle to square motifs. Sarah London featured this one called Pop Wheel on her blog. Remember that her patterns are written in UK terms so her tr is U.S. double. Her dtr is my triple. This would not be a good pattern for the charity above, but would work for many projects.

I also wanted to mention this web site that converts your picture to a graph that can be used for various projects. It is called Knit Pro

That's all for now. Have a great crocheting week.

Happy crocheting!
Sandie

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