Good Afternoon! My friend Jill is amazing. I've not really felt well since July 2. I was thinking about what I would write for you all this week when OUT of the blue my friend Jill sent me an email with an offer to write the blog for me. Sometimes Jill and I start thinking along the same lines we write about what we love and what interests us. Our husbands then become frightened because she and I think alike. LOL! (probably a good idea... let Jill and I loose in any bookstore or craft store and watch the chaos ensue) Without further ado or comment from Moi... Jill: Lyn is allowing me to take control of her blog this week to share my views on what I call "unorganized" charity knitting. She has been highlighting a charity every Sunday that asks for handmade things to give to those in need. There are so many out there that request things that it can be hard to choose who to knit for. Which leads me to "unorganized" charity knitting, knitting done because you feel like sitting and knitting a dozen baby hats, or you get on a whirlwind of slipper knitting. Then you find yourself with a pile of nice items looking for a home. It might be tempting to just drop your slippers or baby hats off somewhere thinking that they can certainly use the items. Before you are tempted to do this, CALL! Some organizations are limited on storage space. Some already have a box of baby hats sitting in the back room that no one has taken. Keep in mind when you are knitting that it is seasonal too. Wool mittens in the summer aren't something many organizations want to take in and store until the need arises. So please, call ahead to see if they would like your items so they don't end up in a bin gathering dust. Many people do like to keep their charity efforts in their own community. If you are planning ahead and have a particular organization you would like to make things for, call and ask what they can use. Be specific! Ask what materials they will accept. Many places don't want wool. Some want wool and not acrylic. Some ideas of places who may want handmade items: Homeless shelters Recovery Centers Assisted Living Houses Animal shelters Libraries Be creative. How about using up bits of leftover sock yarn to knit bookmarks for the library to hand out? Or mittens for a mitten tree at the library? How about a nice dishcloth donated to the food pantry so people who are picking up their next meal can have something nice to clean up with? (You can buy a bottle of dish soap and wrap the dishcloth around it, and someone will be very happy to recieve that!) The past two years I have knit dishcloths for the food baskets my friend's Girl Scout Troop hands out at the holidays. I wrap the dish cloth and a purchased kitchen towel around a bottle of dish soap. How about a favorite non-profit who needs things to sell for a fundraiser? Many groups participate in Relay for Life to raise money for cancer research, so that stack of things you made and tucked away might be something a group could sell to raise money. Just remember that when you are knitting for charity you are spreading smiles, and presentation counts. Here is a pile of baby booties I knit: I used jam jars to package them as “Toe Jam.” Now they are indeed a gift, of my time and my hope that whoever gets something I made smiles, knowing there are those who indeed care.
3 Comments
7/12/2015 06:27:29 am
Jill, I am the Coordinator of The Pink Slipper Project. We make slippers and washcloths for women and children who are victims of domestic violence. The things made by our members are sent directly to a specific shelter for abused women. We feature a shelter frequently (3-4 a month). We post to our Facebook page the number of slippers and the sizes needed for the specific shelter. Those wishing to help then make a pledge for the number and size they would like to do. I work with the shelter to get the sizes and amount that the shelter needs. Pledges are required! If we didn't have pledges, we wouldn't be able to know that we are sending enough. Our members also make (knit or crochet) washcloths (using dishcloth cotton). The gals at Pink Slipper love making washcloths and the shelters love them. We love new members. Drop by and visit us at www.facebook.com/ThePinkSlipperProject.
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Lyn
7/12/2015 01:39:39 pm
Hi Rachel.
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