Knitting On The Run

Episode 71 – Be A Helper Craftalong – we’ll go over the (simple) rules and some ideas for what you can make.

Be A Helper Craftalong

4th Be A Helper Craftalong has begun! We keep the rules simple.

• Anything you make for any charity counts, doesn’t have to be knit/crochet/woven or spun. ANYthing you make for ANY charity.
• One FO per photo in the FO thread
• Donating blood counts too - post a photo of your bandaid or of you drinking OJ afterwards, something like that.
• FO Thread closes when I wake up April 1st.
• Wips are welcome

Prizes

• 1 skein of Sock Yarn from A Great Yarn in Chatham, MA dyed exclusively for them by Hauteknits in the Finest Hours colorway, 75% merino, 25% nylon
• 1 25g skein of Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock plus a mini skein of handspun
• Spun to order handspun, by me. I have 2 or 3 colorways that I’ll let the winner choose for me to spin up.

Need some ideas? Check out these charities:

• Preemie Hats – check with your local hospital for yarn requirements. These need to be washed in an industrial strength washing machine so there may be limits, many only accept acrylic/nylon. If your local hospital isn’t accepting hats, Dana from the Unwind Yarn Company collects them from her retreat attendees in the fall and I’ll be happy to collect them and mail them to her with my own in September. Greg, aka Knitting Daddy of the Unraveling podcast also has accepted mailed hats in the past for his local hospital.
• Knitted Knockers– these are prostheses for breast cancer survivors who have not had or cannot have reconstructive surgery. Knockers must be made with plant based yarn – wool is too scratchy on scar tissue – and a list of acceptable yarns is linked in the shownotes available via PDF and there are top down and bottom-up patterns on their website.
• Mother Bears– I learned of this charity from the 2 Knit Lit Chicks who run a Mother Bear KAL every year. These bears provide comfort to children who are victim of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa. Mother Bear will snail mail you the knitting or crochet pattern for a small fee. All they ask is that you return the finished bear with $3 to cover the shipping to Africa.
• KnitAid– has USA and UK branches. UK is currently collecting hats, mittens, blankets and water bottle covers. All items must be knit in dark-colored yarn because the recipients will not be able to wash them easily.
• CompassionKnit- Bay Area, CA charity that gives handknit items to foster kids, most of whom have very few belongings of their own. A gift knit especially for them, something a stranger took hours and hours to make just for them, is something they cherish.
• Animal Rescue Craft Guild – knit, crochet or sew Joey pouches, bat wraps, nests, possum pouches, etc for animal survivors of the devastating wildfires in Australia. Before crafting, check the announcements on the FB page (linked in the show notes) as the graphic is updated with what they do and do not need. They work closely with carers and animal rescue groups and update the graphic regularly. Please be aware they currently have plenty of koala mittens but are in need of a lot of other help.
• A Great Yarn in Chatham, MA runs an annual blanket project for the homeless population on Cape Cod. Use any washable worsted-weight yarn to make a panel 1-foot [30cm] by 6 feet [1.8 m] and drop it off or mail it to the shop, mailing address in show notes. Their goal this year is 250 blankets. A Great Yarn 894 Main Street Chatham, MA 02633
• A local homeless shelter or domestic violence shelter. Please check with them before assuming they take items, but many are happy to accept gifts of socks, hats, scarves and mittens especially in the winter.
• Do you have a charity craft idea that you think others would like to hear about? Let me know and I’ll talk about it on a future episode.

Out and About

Wayland Winter Farmers Market Fiber Days – Jan 26 & Mar 1

VKL NYC Jan 16-20

Stitches United - March 26-29, 2020

Knitting Weekend and Fiber Marketplace at Slater Mill - Jan 11 & 12

Boston Farm & fiber Fest – Feb 9