Last week I got a wonderful email from Mary. Hi Mary! And thank you! She told me how she mostly knits for charity now. She knits a lot of scarves and hats, which she donates at her local church. Mary wanted me to pass the idea on and I think it is a wonderful idea.

But, I also acknowledge that there are a couple of obstacles when it comes to knitting for charity. For example, I don’t have a local place that accepts knitting. I usually just send the stuff with my regular donations. I also live in Kuwait so there isn’t a great need fro hats and scarves, unless they are being sent to a different country.

I did some research and realized that there is actually a lot more options and opportunities which I hadn’t been aware of previously.

Team up!

We did this with my local knitting group. The first time we knit squares that were then joined to make a large blanket that got sent to Syria. It is hard to knit a big blanket quickly. But this way you could get one done fairly easily. If you are in Kuwait and were looking for the coolest bunch of people to hang out with and knit check out Kuwait Knitters on Instagram. If you don’t have a local group, check out Knit-A-Square. It is a charity that accepts single squares and makes blankets for orphans.

Think Global!

I really love the idea behind Afghans for Afghans, the name is really smart too.

Hand in Hand take aid directly into Syria

Crochet or knit a bear for children all over the world with Knitting without borders. The pattern is free and very easy, you could probably finish a bear in a couple of hours.

I love the idea of Knitted knockers. Knit and crochet breast prosthesis alternatives for breast cancer survivors!

Think Different!

Maybe you could instead, purchase a pattern from P/Hop, Pennies per hour of pleasure. All of their proceeds go firectly to Doctors without Borders.

The closer the better

While all of these initiatives are worthy and amazing, I still think that the bulk of my charity knitting will remain my local normal thing. I knit whatever I am knitting and the stuff goes to my local donation center. Every city has several. Socks, blankets and clothes are always welcome.

Teach!

If you can’t donate an FO, consider teaching a class.  The saying goes give a man a blanket and he will be warm, teach a man to knit and he will keep everyone warm with his blankets.

Donate Materials!

Time is tight, we all know that. If you have extra needles or hooks and some yarn that has been in your stash forever that you know is not for you then give it away to someone who can make use of it.

Don’t forget!

• Make sure things are clean and washed. No loose ends, ever! Non-crafters will not be able to weave them in and your beautiful item might end up being unravelled. If your intended recepient is a child, unwoven ends might be a choking hazard.
• Think easy to launder. Try and stick to yarns that can be machine washed and are generally easy to care for.
• Ask first, make later. If you are going to send to a charity that has clear guidelines stick to them, if you want to do something different make sure that it is ok with them. There is no point in spending hours on something that will end up in the trash because the organization can’t use it for whatever reason.
• Most charities will state what they need the most. From what I have seen, blankets, hats and toys seem to be the most requested items. But washcloths, clothing, reusable grocery bags and washable diaper covers are all very useful items that will be well received.
• Think of charity as general help instead of just poor. And while that is a very important thing, the knitted knockers are a great example of this. You can help someone and make them happy.

I am not affiliated with any of these charities so I can’t vouch for them but this is what I have found online. If you know of one that you would like me to add let me know.