The Vast Right Wing Knitting and Needleworkers Circle: Topic for today - Charity needlework

11/2/05 | Knitting a Conundrum

[Knitting A Conundrum]

The Vast Right Wing Knitting and Needleworker's Circle





Today, as the Christmas season is almost upon us, and Thanksgiving looms close, let us talk about charity needlework. Do any of you get involved with this? There is a lot of need and a lot of resources out there, especially for knitters and crochets, but most crafts have some things that can be done.

Are there any projects we might want to think about supporting? I'll share my resources if you share yours!

[Knitting A Conundrum]

Seems the time of the season I start to think about those who will not have good Christmasses, and this will be a worse year than many. Maybe it's because we're supposed to get our first snow this week and I'm feeling the weatehr change...but it seems like a good topic.

[Knitting A Conundrum]

VRWKC Ping!

Once again, I think I lost someone I added to the list...stupid power outs!

[knittnmom]

Guideposts has the sweater project:
http://www.dailyguideposts.com/help/sweater.asp

[abner]

Is it AbsoluteGrace?

[Knitting A Conundrum]

You're right. My power blinked, and even though I had saved the file, it obviously reverted to an earlier version. Stupid Winter Weather! Have to check my freepmail to make sure I didn't lose anybody else.

[hocndoc]

Thanks for reminding me, it's time to bundle up and deliver.

I crochet booties for the local pregnancy crisis center and tiny ones that I give my niece, an RN who works in a Neonatal ICU. For the NICU, I leave the toes open so the nurses can put them over monitors, IV's, etc. Don't you hate to see those poor babies with one naked foot?

I can finish one bootie in 30 to 45 minutes, depending on how much attention I'm paying to it. It gives me something to do while waiting or while the air plane takes off. One good side effect is I always have a present when a baby is born.

And I get to mention the fact that there are pregnancy crisis centers to anyone who asks what I'm making!

[Knitting A Conundrum]

Bev's Country Cottage has a great list of charities:

http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/charity-links.html

[hocndoc]

whoops - here's where I found the pattern.

http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/bevsbooties2.html

[Knitting A Conundrum]

I like it!

[Knitting A Conundrum]

Great minds think alike..I was just on that site!

[Knitting A Conundrum]

Want to knit for the troops?

Check out these patterns from WWII:

http://www.cs.oswego.edu/~ebozak/knit/troop-knitting/bernat/index.html

[Knitting A Conundrum]

There's Caps for Kids

http://craftyarncouncil.com/caps.html

[rirepublican]

This is a project that I have done for the military.

http://geocities.com/helmetliner/

[hocndoc]

How about that we were probably linked at the same time. There's knitting instructions, there, too.

There's also Threads of Love, for knitted and crocheted premie caps and (sewn)gowns. (kinda sad to read some of the info about miscarriages)

http://www.threadsoflove.org/default.asp?id=56

[knittnmom]

Wow! That's a big list! Thanks.

[Knitting A Conundrum]

You beat me again.

It is a sad thing to need, but there is a whole cottage charity industry of kind souls who prepare burial outfits for babies, premature and full term.

here's a pattern for a bunting for that work:

http://knit4children.tripod.com/id22.html

But there are a lot of babies who are born little and need clothes too. Here are some pattern sources:

Gifts for the unborn:

http://www.geocities.com/giftsfortheunborn/?20052

preemie sized baby booties:

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Ranch/4054/knitbooties.htm

A nice collection of premie things:
http://tlcforangels.tripod.com/tlcpatterns.html

[Knitting A Conundrum]

I collected all of these links intending to make a website for charity crafting, but haven't gotten that far yet...a bad bout of depression, tummy trouble and troubled teenager sort of put it on the backburner...but now that these are subsiding, I will get to it yet!

[knittnmom]

None of those ailments are any fun - had a bout of "Gut Wars: Attack of the Crohn's" yesterday myself. Feeling better today, though.

[IN Farm Girl]

Here's one I did at the start of the war:

http://www.patternsonline.com/Features/Patch/Patch.aspx

I think I made nine patches. I hope someone got them who appreciated them.

Has anyone ever heard of the Binky Patrol? They make blankets and give them to firemen, policemen, etc. to give to children who are involved in situations that they have to cover. There is a chapter to the south of me that is very active (Crawfordsville, IN). If I could just rearrange my priorities a little bit, I would love to start a chapter in my community. Maybe even a VRWKNC chapter? That would be fun, too.

Oops, almost forgot: www.binkypatrol.org

[IN Farm Girl]

I am sorry about your troubles, but especially about the depression; I am having a "relapse" with my panic disorder, so I sympathize with you. It isn't something I like to talk about on this board because I have found that many folks on FR think that anxiety disorders are "in your head", so to speak. If only that was true...