As knitters, we generally enjoy sharing warmth with others. Many of my friends and family members have been recipients of my knitted goods over the years, but I also try to do my bit and knit for those in need, or to raise money for worthwhile causes. Stay tuned for an opportunity to use your knitterly talents to PAY IT FORWARD (this special post will be added sometime in the next 24 hours)

This time last year I was helping a group of high school students knit hats for people who attend a hot lunch program at a downtown church. We knit a total of 30 hats, and brought them to the lunch program toward the end of November. We mixed and mingled with the lunch program patrons, and let them choose a new hat, hand knit just for them. The joy on their faces of the knitters and new hat owners was wonderful to behold.

Donated to the Lunch Program

Some of the same high school knitters had also come together to make a blanket for a local women’s shelter. We delivered the blanket for Christmas 2007. The blanket was made from donated yarn knit up into garter stitch squares and rectangles by beginner knitters, and fancier cabled and intarsia squares and rectangles by the more experienced in the group. The large pile of pieces were put together “Tetris style” to form a very unique blanket.

almost finished (lots of ends to sew in)

This year we are making a blanket for Project Linus, a charity that delivers blankets to children in need of comfort in times of illness or trauma. There are many new knitters in our group this year, so some of the pieces have been more free-form than in the past. It will be an extra challenge to piece them together this season.

next blanket (not nearly enough squares yet)

I challenge you to get together with your friendly neighbourhood knitters and put together a blanket to donate

Linus

Every now and again I get asked to donate some of my knitting for different silent auction tables. I’ve made stranded mittens, thrummed mittens and more recently slouchy hats. I am always surprised what types of things bring in the most money at these types of events. A slouchy hat I made in a single afternoon brought in twice the money that my lovely thrummed mittens did (that took significantly longer and more materials to make).

Auctioned for a school board breakfast program

This week I was asked to knit mittens or a hat for a charity silent auction raising money for “green initiatives” in the local community which is being held at the beginning of December.

What knitting donation do you think would bring in the most money for this worthwhile cause?