Knitting Meets Generosity: Giving Blankets for Charity
Meet the inspiring blurb that will change how you see blankets for charity!
Do you love to knit blankets for charity? So do many other people! Lion Brand yarn has always provided a great forum for free patterns, researching charities, and sharing stories of how knitting has touched your life. One of their more popular sections is the "Your Charity Story" area, where knitters share their experiences with yarn and charity. And that's where I found the story of Ethines.
It's About Charitable Knitting
This tiny blurb, written by an unnamed contributor, tells about a sponsored child named Ethines in Zambia. The sponsor wanted to send a knitted blanket to her child, but as in many cases, the sponsor organization only allows small envelopes (a practical consideration, as anything larger magically "disappears" in post offices in many of these countries!).
Undaunted, this creative sponsor found her own solution: she mailed the blanket one square at a time! Not only that, she included blunt darning needles and instructions on how to stitch the squares together. Forget about blankets for charity: this is one special gift that little girl will treasure throughout her life.
One of the things that struck me about this story was how creative charitable knitters are -- and how much their creativity improves on an already great idea! Sponsoring a child is a wonderful experience, one that allows you to form a connection with a child in need, getting an idea of his or her life. But this knitter took things a step further. Now she has sent the child a special gift, but also a special skill. Imagine learning to sew blanket squares together from hundreds of thousands of miles away!
Inspiring stories such as these remind us why we love knitting for others. Whether you make scarves, hats, or blankets for charity, you have the unique opportunity to touch lives in a very personal, meaningful way. Let's be honest: knitting isn't the most profitable charitable endeavor. Donating money is a quicker, easier, and more efficient way to help others. But it doesn't have the same personal touch as a hand-knit sweater.
Kudos to this anonymous writer! Little Ethines is lucky to have such a sponsor. As for the rest of us, this is a great chance to remember that we're not just knitting blankets for charity -- we're knitting our way into someone's life.