dianacouture.com

Confession – I am a slow knitter.  I am amazed by what some knitters can produce, including my daughter who I taught to knit.  People who sell knitted items astound me.  This scarf is from www.sticktoyourknittin.etsy.com  and you can own it for $28.00.  I made this scarf pattern (in another color and yarn,)  and there is no  way I would sell it for $28.00.   It took me a month to finish it!

Here is a picture of my scarf when it was in progress.  I hope to have a finished photo on my beautiful daughter soon:

 But even more awe-inspiring than knitters who sell their work, is that special breed of yarn crafters,  the charity knitters.  How do they do it?  I don’t know!

After my sister died last year, I made it a mission to give her yarn to people who would use it for good causes.  I am a yarn snob of sorts and would never work with an acrylic yarn trying to pass itself off as a wool look alike.  My sister, on the other hand, loved yarn unconditionally.  She “rescued” it from garage  sales and clearance aisles at Hobby Lobby.  It was stored carefully in bins under beds, in closets, on shelves…  She had a dozen different projects going on at the same time.   She said she liked beginnings, the possibility in the yarn delighted her.  It was actually finishing everything she wanted to accomplish that discouraged her.   Pick one project or one craft?  Impossible!

My sister was also very giving and gave away a lot of what she made.  She was always interested in the world outside of her own existance and sincerely tried to make it better.   I knew she would love the idea of the yarn being used for charity instead of stored in other people’s  closets indefinitely. 

After some research, I was very excited to donate the yarn to a group in my area, north of Dallas – www.halfknits.com 

Halfknits is a very active group of charity knitters who work on a variety of projects, and I liked that.  They knit for children, the elderly in nursing homes and homeless people as well.    I felt they were perfect recipients for my sister’s yarn and am delighted that the yarn she had rescued and loved will be providing comfort for so many people through the talented hands of the members of Halfknits.    Here are photos of a few of HalfKnits donated works.

If your yarn stash is spilling over, or if you have inherited yarn that you would like to go to a good cause, there  are several great groups that will take yarn donations or your very own knitted or crocheted items.  

Project Linus is a great organization that makes blankets for children in need.  Project Linus has local chapters that might be interested in donations of yarn or quilting fabrics.  A listing of the chapters and contact info can be found here:  http://www.projectlinus.org/chapter.php  

Afghans for Afghans  -  http://www.afghansforafghans.org/blanket.html

Look at the bottom of this page for lots of links to charity knitting organizations!  http://www.e-patternscentral.com/charity.html

http://crochetkitten.com/cuddlesforkitties.html has free patterns for kitty blankets to donate to animal shelters.  I lost my precious cat a few years ago.  While looking for her we visited the animal shelter.  It was sad to see the poor cats in those cages without any type of padding in the cage.  This is definitely a worthy cause for animal lovers, and I think that even I could finish something this size!  Unfortunately I don’t crochet, but a knitted version shouldn’t be hard to create.

In the DFW area, there will be a Knit Out on September 26, 2009 at the big Half Price Books on the Northwest Highway in Dallas!  http://dfwknitoutcrochet2.blogspot.com/   I am planning to go.  It sounds like a great first step to getting involved in knitting for the community.   The thought of charity knitting makes me feel way out of my league.  but I think I am inspired to give it a try.  Wish me luck and speedy needles!