Many of my friends who work with yarn are knitters. I participate in a regular group and sometimes I’m the only crocheter there. This doesn’t bother me. I’ve been going to meetings long enough that they just tease me about how fast I crochet. I don’t think I go particularly fast, it’s a medium speed. Not everyone likes to work on the same type of projects or use the same type of yarn, which makes me think of even though there are a lot of people who like to craft for charity, they don’t choose the same types of recipients. A few years ago, on a trip, I met a lady who made angel blankets, and another lady who knitted knockers for ladies who had mastectomies. Once in a while my friends will send me links to groups soliciting crocheted or knitted items. I have a few groups that I actively support and after searching, I found a few organizations that I may spread some crochet love to as well. Just like there are crocheters and knitters; there are those who like big bulky yarns and those who like lace weight yarns. For charities, there are people who want to make things for animals or people and everything in between.
I prefer to make items for people and have made scarves for Foster Care to Success, as well as local distribution and red hats to raise awareness for congenital heart defects for several years. I have also made hats for shaken baby syndrome (purple hats) and special olympians when it was a national project.
Those are my choices. Some crafters are more passionate about wildlife or cancer patients or special olympians. There are more than enough groups to make something for and many groups could probably still use donated items, because there is always a need and things do wear out.
If you are in a charitable mood and don’t know where to begin, here’s a list that I’ve compiled from a quick search on Google. Here are a few charities soliciting handcrafted crocheted or knitted items:
- Binky Patrol – homemade blankets
- Blankets for Baby Rhinos
- Christmas at Sea – mariner’s garments for Christmas
- Click for babies – purple hats for shaken baby syndrome awareness
- Crochet for Cancer – chemo caps
- Feel Better Friends – dolls for children
- Forever Warm – angel blankets
- Foster Care to Success – red scarves for foster children who have “aged out of the system”
- Knitted Knockers – soft prosthetics for breast cancer survivors
- Knitting Rays of Hope – hats for cancer patients
- Knots of Love – hats and blankets for cancer patients
- Little Hats Big Hearts – red hats for congenital heart defect awareness
- Mother Bear project – teddy bears for children with HIV/AIDS in emerging nations
- The Preemie Project – infant bereavement items
- Project Linus – blankets for children
- Snuggles Project [Hugs Society] – warm items for shelter animals to help them get adopted
- Still Remembered – angel garments
- Warm Up America – warming hearts and bodies with yarn
- Wildlife Rescue Nests – nests used for rehabilitation of birds or small mammals
If you want to make it, there is probably a charity for it, if not, start one and fill the need.
