Help Diabetics with Knitting Charities
Lack of knitting charities leave diabetics in a bind
Knitting charities abound. This is good. Being kind to one another and helping those in need should be something everyone does. Knitters certainly seem to do their part with all the charity knitting they are involved in, but there is one group being neglected -- diabetics. Why do diabetics need help and how can you help them? Keep reading.
Why do diabetics need help?
Diabetes destroys the nerves and affects blood circulation in their feet. They usually have feet that are cold, do not sweat, are not as sensitive to touch or pain, infect easily, and heal slowly. Because of this, diabetics need to pay close attention to their feet and give them special care.
Diabetic feet don't have sebaceous or oil-producing glands so they rely on sweat to keep them from drying out. When this does not happen, the skin on their feet becomes prone to cracking which leads to infections. These infections are serious to diabetics. Because they have poor circulation in their feet, they don't have enough white corpuscles to heal injuries.
You can easily see why diabetics need the right socks. This is where knitters come in.
How can knitters help diabetics?
Diabetics need the right socks - a specialty of knitters! Diabetics need socks that:
-- Fit snugly
-- Do not impair circulation
-- Stay in place
-- Don't bunch or twist in shoes
-- Keep the feet warm
-- Keep the feet dry
-- Don't cause abrasions
-- Wicks moisture
-- Extra thickness in the heel area
Right yarn and right pattern
The best yarn to knit socks with is one that wicks moisture away from the feet. Believe it or not -- not cotton. Cotton absorbs moisture and keeps it on the feet, which leads to chapping and abrasions.
The best yarns were wool, Coolmax and acrylic. Look for baby acrylics and soft wool blends with a higher percentage of synthetic. Try:
-- Jawoll Superwash sock yarn
-- Regia's 75/25 wool/nylon blend
-- Austerman's Step - a wool/nylon blend treated with aloe vera and jojoba oil
-- Knit One Crochet Too's "Wick"
Developed by a diabetic knitter, this free knitting pattern may be helpful to you. Or, choose your favorite sock pattern that fits the specifications above.
Where can you donate?
Unfortunately, this is where the problem comes into play. There are no established or organized knitting charities for diabetics. If you are feeling especially energetic and charitable, research and start a knitting charity for diabetics. You can get tips and ideas about starting your own knitting charity here.
If you don't have that much time on your hands, simply contact doctors that treat diabetics in your area. Tell them you knit for charity and would like to knit socks to donate to their patients. They will give you information to get you started. All knitting charities are great, but let's fill in this much-needed gap and get started helping diabetics.