Have you ever thought about knitting for charity? If you are a knitter, knitting for charity can definitely be fun, but it can also be one of the most soul-satisfying things you'll ever do - in your spare time, that is. <grin>

But to get involved with charity knitting, are you wondering where to start? Is there a need? Are there resources available to learn about knitting for charity?

All these questions -- and much, much, more -- will be answered in these pages!

Let Me Introduce Myself

Hi, I'm Nellie the Knittin' Nut - or at least that's how my best friends refer to me. They're right, of course - I could probably safely say I'm obsessed with knitting, and especially knitting for charity.

I'm NEVER just sitting still - in front of my computer screen, watching a movie, even driving in my car, my knitting is ALWAYS on my lap, or in my bag beside me. (Don't worry, I let my hubby do the driving!)

And knitting for charity is in my bones. Here's how I got started:

Several years ago, I spent a winter with my hubby in a little cabin in the middle of nowhere while he worked on a special contract job. He had to work 'graveyard shift,' which meant that he slept most of the day.

And me? Well, there wasn't much for me to do, so I took up the knitting I'd learned a few decades earlier. I decided to knit hats for all my children, who were young adult snowboarders at the time.

Well, that took about two days. :-) So then I knit them each another one. And then a friend suggested that my kids weren't the only people who'd like a knitted hat, so I knit a few for the local shelter. And then another friend suggested that those same kind of hats were in demand for 'preemie' babies... and when I delivered a bag full of knitted preemie baby hats to the local hospital, they told me about another local program that desperately needed knitted slippers... and when I delivered the slippers....

You get the picture! There's SO much need for charity knitting out there, I've never let up to this day! And charities can use all the help they can get... so I've created this website to hopefully show others how to knit for charity!

What You'll Find Here...

In short, you'll find the answers to just about ALL of your questions about knitting for charity - how great the need is, the variety of projects you can get involved in, what kinds of yarn to use, how to save a ton of money knitting for charity... and much, much, more!

So explore these pages - all about knitting for charity - and I'm sure you'll find something you'll want to get started knitting right away!

If you love community service projects, you need to know how to give instructions on how to knit

Have you ever tried to give instructions on how to knit? It's harder than it looks -- especially if you're dealing with children. At the same time, though, knitting can be a fun way to engage people of all ages in a creative, fulfilling activity. You can volunteer your time almost anywhere: retirement homes, elementary schools, children's hospitals, homeless shelters -- anywhere someone might want to learn something new.

Continue reading "How to Give Instructions on How to Knit" »

Posted by Nellie at 10:44 AM | Permalink

Whether you live in Texas or New Hampshire, From the Heart of Texas provides a great opportunity for charity knitting

Like so many other groups of charitable knitters, From the Heart of Texas started out with a group of friends having coffee. These women met to crochet, knit, and sew for charity, enjoying one another's company and their shared mission.

However, before long a corner of Houston wasn't enough for these ambitious ladies, and they moved their organization online. Now From the Heart of Texas reaches charities across the world and has dozens of members in their online group.

Continue reading "From the Heart of Texas to a Child's Hands" »

Posted by Nellie at 10:40 AM | Permalink

Share your joy in creating with impoverished families with Afghans for Amigos

Jimmie Lu boasts that Afghans for Amigos can find a home for anything you might make -- and challenges you to try that boast! She and her husband, both ordained ministers, practice short term mission trips where they travel to various places to lend help and support. Their most common destinations? Mexico and Native American reservations in South Dakota.

Continue reading "Afghans for Amigos Carries Knitting Donations to Mexico" »

Posted by Nellie at 10:33 AM | Permalink

Whether you're knitting for charity or yourself, it's a lot of fun to create your own knitting patterns.

Have you ever tried to create your own knitting patterns? If you're experienced at inastarsia or Fair Isle knitting then you've probably considered it at some point. All you need to create your own brilliant patterns? Some graph paper, a pencil, your yarn and needles, and a spark of creativity -- and let's face it, we knitters have that in spades!

Continue reading "Create Your Own Knitting Patterns" »

Posted by Nellie at 3:39 AM | Permalink

Two color knitting is easier than you think

Whether you call it inastarsia, Fair Isle, or a pain in your neck, sooner or later every knitter has to deal with two color knitting. Beginners often find instructions for working with more than one color yarn complicated and confusing. Sure, we all understand how to make a big stripe (you break the yarn, you attach the yarn, presto chango, you're finished!).

But what about small, intricate patterns or small stripes -- things you don't want to constantly break yarn to create? Fortunately, two color knitting is much easier than you think.

Continue reading "Learn to Work With Two Color Knitting" »

Posted by Nellie at 4:32 AM | Permalink

Use your knitting powers for the American Brittany Rescue and its volunteers.

The American Brittany Rescue focuses on a rarely mentioned area of animal need: abandoned purebreds! Unfortunately, many people continue to breed dogs irresponsibly. That can result in purebred dogs (in this case, the specific breed of Brittanys) who wind up in shelters, lost on the streets, or simply tossed aside.

Although many people would prefer that no one breed dogs at all until they'd emptied every shelter, it's not the Brittanys' faults they're here, and the American Brittany Rescue refuses to let their plight go unheeded.

Continue reading "Join the American Brittany Rescue and Save an Animal" »

Posted by Nellie at 3:25 AM | Permalink

Put your needles to work for neglected animals with bunny knits!

When you think of bunny knits, you probably think of, well, knitting bunnies -- in other words, toys for small children. And while that's a worthwhile goal, that's not what we're talking about here! I've written about several charities that accept knitted blankets for dogs and cats -- mostly shelters and SPCA locations. But do you know that hundreds of rabbits are abused, mistreated, and abandoned every single year?

Continue reading "Bunny Knits Might Mean More Than You Think" »

Posted by Nellie at 3:17 AM | Permalink