Search Results for: charity

Put Your Hobby To Work Helping Others

November 16, 2011

Interested in entering my holiday charity knitting/crochet giveaway, but not sure where to start? This post is meant to be a reference with some links and info to help you get inspired and organized.

Step 1: Find an organization seeking help from knitters/crocheters

If you are saavy enough with the interwebs to find this blog, you should have no problem locating plenty of interesting projects to knit or crochet for. This is especially easy for those on Ravelry, the free social networking community for yarnies.  There are 16 pages of Ravelry groups tagged with the word “charity” (check them out!). If that’s too overwhelming for you, the Charity Knitting group forums are a great place to look for where knitted and crocheted items are needed.

Not on Ravelry or just eager for some fresh ideas? The Knitting Guild of America and the Crochet Guild of America each maintain a page of links to organizations in need of handmade donations.

Last but not least, don’t forget to check with staff at your local yarn store. Many LYS owners collected handmade items for local projects during the holiday season.

Step 2: Learn and follow the specifications of the organization to which you are donating

Some groups ask for donated items to be made from all wool. Others want everything to be  machine washable. Many leave the pattern choice up to you, but some prefer all items be made from the same pattern or in a particular color. Pay attention to these requirements and do your best to meet them. If you are dying to use up particular stash yarn, make sure to find an organization whose needs match what you’ve got.

Step 3: Make your item (the fun part!)

I suspect that you guys, like me, have pattern queues longer than your arms and should have no trouble figuring out what to make. However, if you are in the market for a few simple free pattern ideas that work well, check out a blog post I wrote during last year’s Charity Challenge with links to five great patterns.

 Step 4: Photograph your item so you can enter my giveaway.

Information on entering is on my contest page.

Step 5: Donate Your Item

Mail or drop off your donated item. If the organization you are making for allows it, you may want to include a little note with care instructions and kind words for the recipient.

There you go! Charity knitting/crocheting in five easy steps. Still have questions? Please post to the comments or email me. I can’t wait to see what you make!

3 Comments - Leave a comment!
Charity Challenge Tags: ,

Charity Knitters, Start Your Engines

November 14, 2011

Don’t forget: my second annual Charity Challenge for knitters and crocheters is in full swing. Knit or crochet something for someone in need before December 31 and you’ll earn a chance to win prizes. Check the contest page for full details.

I’ll be announcing prizes throughout the coming weeks and today I’m excited to bring you news of the first two prizes, donated by two awesome sponsors!

SpinSpanSpun (@Etsy)

Chicago-based Myrtille sells gorgeous handspun yarn and handdyed yarn and fleece on her Etsy site. She has graciously donated a gift card for her shop and free shipping to one lucky Charity Challenge winner! Myrtille’s yarn and fiber stands out for its stunning colorways.

Three Bags Full (@Etsy)

 

Michele from Three Bags Full is based in Maine, where she makes fabulous cotton project bags that can help keep you organized. Each bag is fully lined with coordinating fabric and includes a secure zipper pull with a handmade bead. On the inside, the bags have an elastic holder for knitting needles and a pocket for stitch markers and notions. Michele’s bags would make great gifts, and not just for knitters. Michele has graciously donated the fun tropical print bag pictured to one Charity Challenge winner!

Thank you so much to these small business owners who are making this giveaway possible through their support. Please consider visiting their shops for gifts or treats for yourself. If you are a vendor or pattern designer and would like to support the Charity Challenge this year, please email me at wooldurham@gmail.com.

So are you getting excited about the contest now that you’ve seen some prizes?! Stop by on Wednesday and I’ll be sharing some links to help you find projects that need help from knitters and crocheters like you.

0 Comments - Leave a comment!
Charity Challenge Tags: ,

Getting real

November 4, 2011

Do you know that after this weekend there are only eight more weeks of 2011? While in some ways this is a good thing and I’m looking forward to 2012 very much, in terms of my knitting, the thought of only 56 more days of 2011 is freaking me out a little bit.

With so little time left to this year, it seems like a good time to prioritize the works in progress. Here are my ambitious, but hopefully do-able plans.

Goal #1: Effortless Cardigan for my sister

What I have done so far is pictured above. Hey…sometimes just picking out the yarn is progress, right? I’m using this soft merino wool I bought at Rhinebeck sometime in the early Oughts. The Effortless Sweater pattern is mercifully straightforward–seamless and mostly stockinette. I’m guessing I can work on it while I read for my upcoming comprehensive exams.

Goal #2: Laar sleeves & finishing

I’ve been working on this sweater FOREVER! The good news is that it is turning out great. The bad news is that the top down sleeves are a seriously fiddly business. I’ve had such issues with getting the right number of stitches picked up without the whole shoulder looking really lousy. It requires a lot of serious Paying Attention to do and until I can carve out the time to devote my undivided attention to it at a time when I am not exhausted so I can frog this wonky sleeve cap and start over, the whole thing is at a standstill.  Too bad my blasted dissertation prospectus is sucking up all such time lately! I think I may actually have to book an hour long appointment with myself soon just to set aside the time to get the sleeve stitches on the needles.

Once I get the stitches picked up properly, the sleeves should sail right off my needles (knock on wood) and there is next to no finishing on this thing–it’s seamless.

Goal #3:Foreign Correspondent’s Scarf

Slow going but stunningly beautiful in “Stovepipe” Tosh Merino Light. I’m using vintage straight needles with really sharp points, which helps with knitting all the yarn overs and knit-2-togethers in this pattern.

Goal 4: Salida Socks

Like the scarf, these are slow going, but so pretty in person. I’m nearly at the heel of the first sock.

I am not counting Rae in this list because I only have a few inches left to knit on it; one art history article later and Rae will be, well, history.

So four big goals seems like plenty, right. I may sneak some small Christmas knits for a few individuals who are readers of this blog and possibly some baby hats for the Charity Challenge. Otherwise, I think I’ll be really satisfied with myself if I get through all this knitting!

How about you guys? Is November forcing you to prioritize projects too?

5 Comments - Leave a comment!
Knitting, Works in Progress

Announcing the 2011 Charity Challenge!

November 1, 2011

Today is November 1st and that means it is time to kick off the 2011 Charity Challenge!

I’m hosting the Charity Challenge to encourage knitters and crocheters to donate a little bit of your time this holiday season to make something warm to help someone in need. The concept is simple: Each time you knit or crochet an item for a good cause (of your choice) between today and December 31, 2011 will earn you an entry in a prize drawing.

More details about how the contest works:

You knit or crochet a project of your choice and donate it to a charity of your choice between November 1, 2011 and December 31, 2011.  Throughout the contest, I’ll be featuring charities and projects to inspire you.

To enter the contest, you must complete two simple steps 1) fill out a quick online entry form  and 2) submit a photo to me via Flickr, Ravelry, or email.

I’ll choose prize winners in the first week of January 2012 using a random number generator.

Prizes will be announced soon!

To keep things fair, here are some ground rules:

  1. The contest is open to knitters and crocheters anywhere in the world. Participants outside the U.S. are welcome!
  2. Entries must be handknit or crocheted. One project = one entry. However, since not all projects are equal, if you knit/crochet a project that requires more than 400 yards of yarn, I will enter your name in the contest twice (i.e. a baby hat or afghan square will count for 1 entry, a pair of full size adult socks will count for 2).
  3. Entrants may have a maximum of 10 entries. If you make more than 10 items, I encourage you to share your photos via Flickr to inspire the rest of us.
  4. Your entry MUST include an email address where I can reach you in January.  If you win a prize and I can’t reach you within the first two weeks of January, I’ll pull another name.
  5. As the contest host, I am not eligible to enter the contest or win a prize.

Links to Enter (in case you missed them above):

Start by filling out a quick Online Entry Form.

Then share a photo on Flickr. Or send it to me in Ravelry or via email to wooldurham@gmail.com

Check my Contest page any time throughout the contest for details on rules and prizes.

Need some ideas to get you started?  Check out some of last year’s entries.
I can’t wait to see what you make!
3 Comments - Leave a comment!
Charity Challenge, crochet, Knitting

Coming Attractions

October 5, 2011

With the dramatic increase in academic demands on my time lately, much of my knitting has shifted from actual to imaginary. After experiencing the soul suck that was almost one entire week with no knitting, in which I became a real grouch of a person, I have decided I will be carving out time each day to knit at least 25 yards of something for the preservation of my health and sanity/marriage/attitude toward life and humanity in general. However, at that pace, I have to say that I hope that y’all are ready to hear a lot more from me about works in progress than about finished objects in the next few weeks.

As part of my ongoing struggle efforts to decrease the size of my yarn collection, I have been attempting to match up yarn I already own with projects that I want to knit.  This idea was the fantastic suggestion of reader Alli and I have to say, it is really helping me get excited about the yarn I already have on hand.  I’ve been stealing little study breaks and moments between classes to surf Ravelry and build a realistic queue.

Here are three of the projects that have me the most excited:

Cria by Ysolda Teague in Berroco Ultra Alpaca Light

I love the look of the garter stitch yoke on this adorable cardigan and I think it will be very soft and cozy in this alpaca blend yarn.

Effortless Cardigan by Hannah Fettig in Mountain View Farms Merino

{source: Hannah Fettig/Knitbot}

I’ll be making this great on-trend cardigan for my sister this fall out of some fabulous, soft dove gray merino wool that I purchased at Rhinebeck many moons ago.

Redwork Cowl and Mitts in Classic Elite Fresco

{source: Veronik Avery/Knits 24/7}

My version of this set will use the same yarn as Veronik’s but in turquoise and rust.

One other exciting coming attraction to note:

Wool Durham’s Charity Challenge 2011 will launch on November 1st this year and run through December 31. This year knitters outside the United States will be eligible for prizes, too, so everyone start thinking about what you would like to make for charity. Full details on how to enter will be posted on November 1.

What new projects are getting you excited this fall?

 

 

 

4 Comments - Leave a comment!
Charity Challenge, Works in Progress
« Older Posts
Newer Posts »