Knitting for Charity Olympian Style
Look what happens when knitting for charity and the Olympics come together
What happens when thousands of knitters start knitting for charity? You get the 2010 Ravelympics. The 2010 Winter Olympics might be over but the knitters at Ralvery are still recovering.
No, they weren't exactly in the Olympics, but they performed like Olympians and made Herculean efforts to help those in need. And let me tell you, they worked their knitting fingers to the bone. These ladies took knitting for charity to the extreme -- in a good way!
What's It All About?
The moderators at Ravelry put their heads together and came up with the idea for Ravelympics 2010 in honor of the 2010 Olympics held in Canada. Of course, instead of competing in sports, they competed with themselves.
The goal of the Ravelympics was to set goals and see what they could accomplish. And accomplish they did. Here are a few of the stats:
- 9,538 Ravelry members took on the challenge divided into 440 teams
- $3,200 raised for Special Olympics
- 24,284 projects entered
- 12,878 projects completed by closing ceremonies
- 65 participating countries
- 8,068,000 yards of yarn
- 3 members completed over 26 projects
- Grammylove completed 33 projects
Is that a lot of knitting or what? I don't know who the biggest winners were -- the Raythlelets or the Special Olympics. I think they both came out winners.
Now, what should we learn from these ladies who knit for charity over at Ravelry? I think the lesson is that you can use any event or occasion to come up with a creative idea to knit for charity.
It's simple, really. Plan ahead and pick a holiday, special event or charity. Use this creative idea from Ralvery or find many more at the Knitting for Charity site. Choose free knitting patterns for charity that fit your theme or idea and get organized. You'll find detailed instructions in our article about how to start your very own knitting charity.
Knitting hats for charity, knitting blankets for charity, or knitting for babies -- it makes no difference. Whatever project, charity, or group you choose, it all adds up to the same thing -- knitting for charity is fun and fulfilling. So, let the knitting games begin!
