It’s that time of year again… Ok, well for me since I’m crocheting for one group or another, it’s always that time of year, but I back to the topic at hand.
It’s red hat and red scarf time! I lump them together because their due dates are both in December though they are two different organizations and recipient age groups. The red hats are for babies and are donated to the local American Heart Association. The scarves are for young people who have aged out of the foster care system. The red hat program was started several years ago in Chicago. Red hats are solicited from crocheters and knitters and the hats are donated to local hospitals and given to babies born in February. According to the website – the red is to bring awareness of congenital heart defects. The program has expanded nationwide and the red hats may be sent to the nearest local chapter for distribution to area hospitals for babies. When you go to the site, select your state or region of your state and then you will see the hospitals that receive the donations in your area.
I’ve made red hats for several years and things that I have learned from trial and error are – there aren’t as many preemie hats that are needed, so this year I’m not making any preemie sized hats. Also, even though red is a popular color, it isn’t necessarily a popular baby color in baby yarn, so finding soft acrylic or cotton yarns suitable for babies has led me to my favorite for the project – Baby Hugs. There is another yarn I like, but while it is washable, there is wool in it and that might irritate babies (sorry, Wool Ease).
Knowing this, I stocked up during sales. I have enough to make several hats. Another tip – baby hats work up quickly. I prefer to make bottom up hats, because I don’t like sewing the seam of the hats. Though the requirements state no buttons or bows which might be choking hazards, creating a diverse group of beautiful hats is not a chore and quite fun.
There is no limit on the number of hats that people may donate. In my Facebook group for the chapter that I donate to, there are crafters who make hats for a good portion of the year or are a part of a group that makes hats. Since this is one of my annual projects, I am setting a goal of 15 hats this year. For the past few years I have donated between 10 and 12 hats. After a while, it is not difficult to just complete a hat in an hour or so. (It’s not a race, there are enough groups and enough crafters to make things for the organizations that are near and dear to us.)
For more information and to find your local chapter – check the website.
Next post – red scarves
