Does Size Matter?

I'm talking about Knitting Needles!!

YES!

The size of the needle affects how big your stitches are, and therefore  the size  your finished product, will be. The gauge, or how many stitches fit into an inch of knitting, relies heavily on the size of the needles. In fact, if your gauge doesn't match what the pattern calls for, the way to fix it is to change the size of your needle. Most knitting patterns are pretty clear when it comes to telling you what size knitting needles you will need and that makes sense, because the designer wants you to be able to  recreate the project successfully. It would be a lot simpler, if knitting needles were a standard size, but in fact there are three (British, American and Metric). The American system starts with low numbers for needles with smaller diameters working up to larger numbers for larger diameters, the British system starts with high numbers for low diameters and low numbers for high diameters, and the metric measurements indicate the diameter of the needle in millimeters. The only place the American and British numbering systems agree is at 4.5 mm; both countries call that a size 7. One way of seeing that size matters, is to  try knitting a swatch on a size 10 American set of needles and a size 10 British set. You'll get two very different results! As seen in the picture below both were knitted on 20st over 20 rows, the top is the British size 10 and the bottom American size 10

Don’t fall into the trap of choosing projects with thicker needles because they’re initially easier to hold. Take into account that they’ll be heavier, need thicker yarn and ultimately result in a heavier project. Similarly very thin needles can be difficult to hold and the fine grip can be tiring. 4mm,4.5mm and 5mm are a good size to start with. If you love sock or lace knitting with fine yarns then intersperse these projects with ones that use thicker needles to give your hands a break from the fine grip needed for these.

Knitting to Help Bridge and Beyond

Continuing Charity month with the focus on  Bridge and Beyond dedicated to helping the homeless.

Their mission is to warm cold homeless people in need by providing hand knitted and crocheted items for men and women living outdoors in cold central Ohio (Bridge people), for women and children in desperate circumstance treated in 2 free clinics, abused and or homeless women living in temporary housing through Faith Mission, Men sleeping a night in The Shelter through Faith Mission, Families receiving a hot meal through Holy Family; and Homeless Families (men, women and children) living in temporary housing through The Homeless Families Foundation. Hats, Scarves, Mittens, and Slippers hand knit or crocheted accepted all year long.

The average age of a homeless person Nationally is a 9 year old child. There are many stories of how families become homeless and their struggles. A sad statistic is the children. Children typically fall 2 years behind their counterparts in school. When you don't know if you'll have a roof over your head, a bed to sleep in, or a meal it's awfully hard to focus on learning. The Foundation provides the safety net of a place to live (temporary housing for up to 3 months), they also provide day to day essentials. While counselors work with the adults to provide them with the tools they need to successfully care for their families (jobs and housing), they work with the children; planting the seeds of hope. After school programs, and summer programs provide safe, educational and enrichment programs to help the children reach their potential. Hot meals are provided, along with homework assistance through the Dowd Center.

How can knitters help?

 The most obvious way to help is to knit or crochet hats, scarves, mittens, slippers, and squares patterns are available on the website,                                                      

 below is a list of what is needed:

The Bridge Folks  There are no specific patterns that must be followed for hats, mittens, or scarves.  Please remember the primary focus is men (and some women) living outdoors without a roof over their heads; so light airy objects aren't good.  Colors appropriate for Men and Women (adults), as well as sizes appropriate for adults are needed. Please stick with yarns that need no special care or washing instructions, as the homeless do not have that ability.  Avoid suede yarn. Wool yarn is acceptable but  Please leave a note so they know it's wool. Most useable yarn is acyclic and washable wool.

Avoid the use of white, as it shows dirt too easily

Beyond The Bridge  This means helping beyond those who live under the bridge, reaching out beyond those limits.  For now beyond the bridge means our folks being treated in 2 free clinics.  Though they have a roof over their heads, they are very much in need.  Many have no heat, or very little heat and so wear the warm items (mittens, hats, scarves, slippers) indoors as well as outdoors. Here again think warm, sturdy; non lacy patterns.  Sizing and colors should be appropriate for Women and Teens, and children.  Babies are NOT treated at these clinics. 

Faith Mission Hats, mittens, scarves, and slippers suitable colors and sizes for women.  These folks are living in temporary housing, some have been homeless, some abused; and some suffered both.  They often come with very little and are in need of warm items.  Again a variety of yarns is acceptable (except suede) including washable wool  Please avoid the use of lots of White

Holy Family Hats, mittens, scarves, and slippers for men, women, and children needed.  Holy Family feeds hundreds of hungry cold people in need every single day.  Warm items can be distributed along with a hot meal.  All colors except lots of white and ivory, warm patterns work (no lacy items).  Please again keep in mind warm, washable, sturdy. 

Faith Mission for Men This shelter serves men a night at a time.  They are always in need of warm, sturdy adult sized hats, mittens, and scarves.  If you're looming hats, the largest ring seems to work the best.

The Homeless Families Foundation Men, Women, and Children are cared for.  Temporary housing is providedfor 47 families.  They live in their temporary housing for up to 3 months while receiving support and guidance to locate jobs, permanent housing, care for children after school and other necessary things to get back on their feet.  On going support is provide as they transition into their permanent housing.  Our standard, hats, scarves, mittens, slippers will be provided; as well as afghans through our donated squares.  PLEASE see guidelines for squares regarding size, and months to donate them.  

Knit a Square. Please consider making a square or two with your odds and ends. It's a great way to bust your stash. Squares are accepted during the months of November, December of 2010, January of 2011, July 2011, AND December 2011. The squares will be joined and afghans given to one of 3 charities, based on completed size, color, and need at the time.

Sizes? not smaller than 7 inches and not larger than 10 inche Squares

Colors? Any, except White

Yarn Knitted Worsted Weight Washable Wool

**Remember to work in a tail of at least 5 inches before cutting yarn when you change or add yarn.  Always work in all ENDS, except the last and final tail.  Leave at least a 5 inch tail DO NOT TIE AND CUT IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE KNOT, THAT IS GUARANTEED TO COME UNDONE.  Knot if you want, but leave a tail and work in your ends. **

The afghans assembled from your donated squares will be donated to: Faith Mission, Homeless Families Foundation, and our Friends at Pine Street Inn.

There are other ways you can help too:

Tell everyone you know about the cause.  Tell your friends, neighbors, relatives.

Post the link to  http://homelessbridge.blogspot.com in your emails, and or on your blog.  Add their blog badge to your blog, to your facebook page. Tweet about them.  Print and distribute the flyer found in a tab across the top of the blog.

Buy yarn for someone you know who knits or crochets

Post information in your church bulletin

Socks, store bought socks are needed all year long.  Wet feet are miserable all year long.  

There are many cold hungry homeless in many cities across the country.  Is there a group in your area you can help?  Please help to raise the awareness of this sad problem.

September is Scarf Month, and Bridge  and Beyond  are having a contest.

From now until October 8, they will toss names into a hat for everyone who donates a scarf for a teen or adult...male or female.,and will draw the winning name from the hat and send out another box of yarn. Contests are fun and they have had several fun, productive, and successful contests in the past. Every scarf donated for a teen or adult (at least 5 inches wide and 5 feet or longer please), will qualify.

Contact  sandycrochet@gmail.com with questions regarding how you can help and for  mailing address to mail your donations to. PLEASE include your name, email address with your donation.

Please visit the web site: http://homelessbridge.blogspot.com    there’s lots more information!

 This is a grassroots organization, run completely voluntarily. No paid staff exists and 100% of your donations are hand delivered to those in need. This effort continues 12 months a year. During the warmer months, they're able to stock pile donations to be ready as soon as the cold hits.

Join the Bridge and Beyond and help build a bridge from Homelessness to Hope!

Please Help if You Can

If you would like the free pattern 'Knitting for Charity' please leave your email address in the box at the base of this blog. I promise to respect your privacy and will not pass your email address on.

Knit for Lisa's Stars

We continue Knitting for Charity month with another worthy cause Lisa’s Stars.

Lisa's Stars was set up in the Autumn of 2010 to make a difference to those who are unfortunate enough to lose a child prematurely. Their Founder is a lady who has sadly experienced this and felt something was massively missing from the aftercare of those babies and their parents.  Lisa's Stars initially started out as a way to support her local hospital, and her aim was to supply them with tiny blankets, hats and angelwraps so that any baby born too early would be kept warm and wrapped in love. It is heartbreaking that in some ares of the UK these babies are wrapped in nothing but tissue,or left naked.

Within 3 days of starting the group on facebook, Lisa's Stars had a website, a forum to give support to families and nearly a thousand members, not to mention an army of ladies loving knitting and sewing a mountain of angel clothes. They came to realise that the support for her vision and the need for an organisation like hers extended far beyond the need for blankets and hats, and needed to reach more than just the local hospital.

The aim is to not only supply her local hospital with knitwear but to spread them to as many hospitals as they can. The dream is to create memory boxes for those babys and their families so they have their treasured babys keepsakes to keep for all time.

A baby is classed as prematüre if thay are born at less than 37 weeks gestation. 8% of births in the UK occur before 37 weeks and although NICU care has improved in the last 40years, any baby born at 24 weeks or less is sadly not seen as ‘viable’ and many do not survive, leaving some hospitals to struggle to provide clothes small enough. Every hospital is different in regards to their care for these babies and we must never forget that no baby should be left unclothed and must be shown respect no matter what gestation they are born at.  While Lisa’s Stars provides items which are especially aimed to fit tiny babies born 16 to 24 weeks gestation,  are happy to provide clothing for all angels no matter what gestational age they are born at.

Calling All Knitters!

This is where you can help Lisa’ Stars, not only to provide suitable clothing and blankets fot these tiny sleeping angels but to also allow them to rest peacefully with the dignity they deserve and to also give their parents and families comfort in knowing their child is wrapped in love. By knitting  some of the items in the list below:

Blankets

Hats

Booties

Cardigans

Angel Pockets

Burial Gowns

Buntings

Sleeping Sacks

Wraps        You will find all patterns and sizing chart on the web site:http:// www.lisasstars.org.uk

Measurements are used only as a guide as all babies are different and special.

Knitters are given free reign when it comes to what colour to use, but are asked to keep in mind that baies born upto 18 weeks it’s often difficult to determine what sex the babies are so its recommended that whites, creams or pastel yellows, lilacs and greens are used. Of course for babies born over 18 weeks pinks and blues are fine to use. All donations are gratefully received including knitted items / wool / ribbon / baby buttons / tiny teddies /disposable cameras and candles.

Please arrange delivery with your nearest Representative as this helps to keep postage costs to a minimum and as their representatives are there to make contact with their local hospitals and deliver items direct which enables them to provide a personal service. You can find all the information on representatives and hospitals covered on the web site www.lsiasstars.org.uk or any enquiries to Facebook page. http:// www.facebook.com/pages/lisas-stars/159738440713941

Donations

If you prefer to donate money which will go towards  postage costs, purchasing of wool and other items, please use the donate button on the left hand menü on the web page.

All donations, however small or grandeur mean so much, as it allows the continuation of providing dignity to all babies, no matter how small as well as peace of mind to their parents through their most devastating time.

If you would prefer to send donations please send them to :

 Lisa's Stars  PO Box 653, Swansea.   SA1 9LL. United Kingdom

Help if you can                                 

Please note an additional mention.

Feathers are hosting a combined rally and Wave of Light this year on the 15th October – Wave of Light Day.

Please have a read of the following and try to go along if you are able to make it.

Taken from their Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/pages/feathers/175047039199005

After a great deal of planning this event is GOING AHEAD !!!!!!!!!!

We will be meeting at 6pm at Trafalgar Square then off to Downing Street for 7pm Wave of Light.

 For anyone that is unable to make the event and would like their angel/angels to be included.

We will be selling lanterns so your angel will be remembered. A picture of these have now been posted on the wall. I have been informed by the powers that be we are not allowed to use an open flame. The Lanterns will cost £3.00 each inc P+P (overseas will need to check)

Your angels name and dates will be added, along with a short message from you and the date, place and time of event.

Before the event we are hoping to hand in a petition to the Prime Minister. If you wish to attend this please contact me.

We also hope to have the national news papers there so please show your support.

Lets light up Downing Street with all our angels.

Please note, if you would like to participate in lighting a candle please contact Feathers direct to make the purchase.

                                                                                                        

                                                                                                      

Romantic Stole

This stole adds a romantic layer to any glamourus outfit, where you feel the need for a little extra coverage. 

This design looks beautiful and is so soft and light, gives warmth without feeling heavy for that special night out.

The pattern is so easy and hardly takes anytime at all.

You'll need size 6.5mm needles
Yarn is different here in Turkey i used Dalma which is an eyelash yarn and a mohair type yarn for the contrast.
The tension guide is 14 sts and 19 rows over 4inches/10cm

Abbreviations
K- knit
P- purl
St st- stocking stitch (knit across front row, purl across back row)

Using fluffy yarn cast on 115sts. Work in St st for 10 rows. Change to contrast yarn and work 10 rows St st . Repeat 3 times then change to fluffy yarn and work 8 rows St st. Cast off.

Edging

Begining from cast on row, work blossom trim (or edging of your choice) along all edges.

Ties (opptional)

Using fluffy yarn cast on 15 st work 10 rows St st, change to contrast yarn work 8 rows St st, change back to fluffy and work 10 rows St st, Cast off loosely. Repeat  (1 tie for each side).

Make a simple flower for embelishment. I will give details of one i used in tomorrows post.

Knit a Square Project

We continue Charity Month with KasCare. Aid for Aids orphans. Knit a Square Project.

The knit-a-square project was started as a family project in 2008 and are now a registered charity under the name of KasCare, with the family still 100 percent involved. They are:

The McDonalds, Sandy, Roger, Kalai, and Cressida and Sandy’s, mother, Zanny, who are all in Australia and Ronda Lowrie, Sandy’s aunt and Zanny's sister, and her daughter, Erin who, live in South Africa.
Ronda visited The McDonald’s in 2008. She told them of the scale of the disaster facing so many children in South Africa whose lives are greatly compromised by the twin perils of HIV/AIDS and poverty. She explained she often gave out blankets to children as she drove around Johannesburg, and of her frustration—too many children, too few blankets.
Many of these children are AIDS orphans or have been abandoned. Many live in great poverty in shack settlements. Some head up families of their siblings together with other children. Some live alone, without shelter, in hills and dumps around the cities.

Can you help the challenge?

The knit-a-squillion challenge officially started, July 11, 2011.

The goal is to send 1,2 million squares to South Africa by July 10, 2012.
To do this, first download the Knit-a-squillion flyer by filling in the form below. This explains the challenge.You can find this on the web site:
http:// www.knit-a-square.com

Over and above charity knitting, for every square you knit and every person you tell about it, you are all contributing to changing the world's awareness of the plight of these children.
Every additional blanket keeps another abandoned child or AIDS orphan warm.

At it's heart, knit-a-square really is a simple crochet and knitting for charity project. To make and send 8"/20cm squares takes little time, costs little and DOES make a difference. And all while you do what you love - knitting and crocheting.

Knitting Instructions: For one 8"/20 cms square, you will need:

Yarn from a 100 gram (3.5 oz) ball of yarn or scraps of yarn or wool.8 ply (Aus), worsted (USA), double knit (UK)

Size 6mm needles (Aus)  4 (UK, Canada) 10 (USA)

A yarn sewing needle.

1. Cast on 32 stitches (try to make your stitches neither too loose nor too tight to help ensure uniform squares)

2. Row 1: knit

3. Row 2: knit. These two rows form the 'garter' stitch knitting pattern for your square

4. Continue knitting as per these two rows until you have knitted a square

5. To ensure you square is 8"/20cm either use a tape measure or form a triangle by folding one corner of your square over to meet the opposite corner - if all sides are equal - then you have a square!

6. Cast off

7. Use your yarn sewing needle to sew in all the yarn ends using a darning method

VERY IMPORTANT

Leave a one metre (one and a quarter yards) length of your yarn attached to your work after you have cast off. This will be used to join the squares together.Or be a little bit creative! If you're an experienced knitter and enjoy working with different stitches, (eg stocking, moss, basket weave) or a combination of stitches and patterns, then please enjoy yourself and be creative with your squares.The children will treasure these blankets for their warmth, texture and colour, as well as for their knitted patterns.

 

Other patterns such as hats, pullovers & vest are  available from web site:

 www.knit-a-square.com

please knit a square (or more) and send them to Africa to make up blankets for the children.

Crocheting and knitting for charity, especially for children in need, is a meditative act of love. More importantly, it makes a difference. There are many millions of abandoned and vulnerable children and AIDS orphans in southern Africa, who live in dire poverty. Many lack the very basics we take for granted—love, shelter, food, education and warmth.
Your contribution of squares to this crochet and knitting project will add to the many thousands of 8"/20cm squares from around the world, which are joined into blankets and distributed to these children.
The finished blankets add more than warmth to the children’s lives. As co-founder of KasCare, Ronda said in a South African press interview: “ They are a currency we use to tell the children exactly how beloved they are. We tell them they are the future, unique and special.”

Make a Financial Donation
Kascare are also a volunteer organisation and would be deeply appreciative of your support. This will help  continue the  grassroots movememt to raise awareness of the AIDS orphans' plight. They need your help to continue this work to keep warm every child who is cold, who has been abandoned or orphaned, who is infected or affected by HIV/AIDS and who lives in extreme poverty.
In order to do this, KasCare must fund help for the hard working volunteers who collect, sort, record and bundle the thousands of squares and garments that are arriving every week. They must have proper working, storage space and adequate transport for collections and distributions.
They also need to sustain the resources required to find, persuade and inform the millions of knitters and crocheters throughout the world to contribute, so that they put tens of thousands of blankets on the children next year. To warm just the 500 children a day who become orphans in South Africa would need several million squares!.

You can find the details of how you can donate on the website www.knit-a-square.com and you can aslo subscribe to their newsletter Square Circle. As your squares arrive, they are collected, sorted and bundled into blanket packs by the KasCare Volunteers They then organise sewing and distribution days which are recorded in the Square Circle, so you can see and enjoy the results of your wonderful work.

They need your help more than ever! The goal for 2011 is 175,000 squares (5,000 blankets), 5,000 hats and 2,000 knitted garments, and hope to double that number in 2012. A bonus for the children is the knitted clothes and toys that some knitters send with their squares. The blankets are so vital. But to see the children receive their first ever toy, and to witness the amazement with which they receive it is heartbreaking and heart-lifting at the same time!

Every 14 seconds a child will become an orphan!

 We all understand how awful it is to be cold, but many of us have not experienced the misery of being cold all night, every night, hungry, and perhaps sick as well. Many of the children are themselves infected by HIV AIDS. As it is an auto immune disease, keeping warm helps their ability to stay well.

Keeping a child with HIV AIDS warm is vital

Please help if you can.

If you would like a free copy of pattern book 'Knitting for Charity' please leave your email address in the box at the base of this blog. I promise to respect your privacy and will not pass your email address on.

Knitting To Help RSPCA

We contiue knitting for charity month with RSPCA.

When the RSPCA was founded in a London coffee shop back in 1824, the men present knew they were creating the world’s first animal welfare charity, but they couldn’t possibly have imagined the size and shape that the charity would become today. Back then it was the SPCA - Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Royal patronage followed in 1837 and Queen Victoria gave permission to add the royal R in 1840, making it the RSPCA as they’re known  worldwide today.

The RSPCA has always been influential in forming and improving animal welfare law.

In 1822, two years before they were founded, ‘Martin’s Act’ was passed. It was the very first animal welfare law and it forbade ‘the cruel and improper treatment of cattle’. Thirteen years on, in 1835, and ‘Pease’s Act’ consolidated this law. The prohibition of cruelty was extended to dogs and other domestic animals, bear-baiting and cock-fighting was forbidden, and it insisted on better standards for slaughter houses. Other successes along the way have included laws for lab animals, the abolition of fur farming in the UK, and the ban of fox hunting with dogs.

Today they are still changing the law.

The RSPCA as a charity will, by all lawful means, prevent cruelty, promote kindness to and alleviate suffering of all animals. Much of their direct animal welfare work is carried out through branches. These separately registered charities across England and Wales are run by volunteers who are unstinting in their work for animal welfare. RSPCA branches are self-funding and raise money locally to support the animal welfare work they do. Each branch operates at a local level offering advice, microchipping, neutering and subsidised animal treatments, as well as rehabilitating and rehoming animals taken in through their clinics, animal centres, boarding and fostering facilities. Additionally, there are around 215 RSPCA shops.

On average every 30 seconds someone in England and Wales dials 0300 1234 999 - the RSPCA's 24-hour cruelty line - for help. They received more than 1.1 million phone calls during 2010.

They have 278 RSPCA inspectors, 57 trainee inspectors, 82 animal welfare officers (AWOs) and 58 animal collection officers (ACOs) working to prevent cruelty and promote kindness to animals and have a network of 166 RSPCA branches around England and Wales, and work with many animal welfare organisations abroad through an international team. There are four RSPCA animal hospitals and five clinics to treat pets in need of preventative medicine or welfare treatments belonging to members of the public who can’t afford private veterinary fees.  (They also have 37 clinics and 3 mobile clinics run by  branches.)

For information on your local branch  go to the web site www.rspca.org.uk

Some Recent Facts and Figures

During 2010 the RSPCA...
rescued and collected 130,033 animals
treated and helped 211,188 animals in hospitals and clinics, including neutering 79,810 animals
found new homes for 83,268 animals
microchipped 67,388 animals, helping them to stay safe
investigated 159,686 cruelty complaints
secured 2,441 convictions by private prosecution to protect animals against those who break the laws
provided 5,653 meals for animals in their care on Christmas Day

How knitters can help

Their animal centres use towels and blankets as bedding for the animals, and during the cold winter months more supplies are needed to help keep the animals warm and snug. The dogs have plastic beds which they line with towels and blankets to keep them warm. This is especially important at this time of year, so the RSPCA are appealing to kind-hearted knitters to donate any blankets they are able to knit. The Putney Animal Hospital is in particular need of bedding as they are caring for six puppies with parvo virus. All the blankets they use have to be incinerated to prevent spread of the infection. You can take any blankets to your local branch who will be very appreciative of them.

For information on other ways you can help Please browse the pages  of the web site to find a way to support them that suits you www.rspca.org.uk

From endangered whales to fairground goldfish, from pet cats to circus lions,the RSPCA  are on a mission to promote compassion for all creatures and it is their vision to have a world in which all humans respect and live in harmony with members of the animal kingdom.

Please Help!

Without generous supporters there would be no RSPCA. You make the RSPCA what it is!

If you would like a free copy of pattern book 'Knitting for Charity' please leave your email address in the box at the base of this blog (i promise to respect your privacy and will not pass your email address on)

Knitting with 'Loving Hands'

  Knitting for Charity month Featuring Loving Hands

Loving Hands Charity Knitting Group is a Knitting, sewing and crochet group and  was formed by Lou Jaap after a very succesful 24 hour Charity Knitathon which took place in the Volunteer Centre in Kirkcaldy, Fife to celebrate National Volunteers Week. The event went so well they decided to start up a group to continue the great work started during the Knitathon. They now have a blog site and forum and have members from all over the UK who knit and crochet for various charities. Loving Hands are happy to accept donations of yarn, needles, patterns,toy stuffing, material, thread, lace trimmings, wedding and bridesmaids dresses (to unpick and turn into burial gowns), blankets, duvets, towels, bedding, baby clothes, cloth nappies, etc.

How You Can Help

They need Help with the Autumn Challenge, several items on a list that are urgently required. There is still time to help them as challenge finishes  Saturday 22nd October 2011.

They have a list of requests for prem baby and burial items wich is growing all the time. Cuddles, Sands and lots of hospitals and pathology labs and morticians are in need. It would be great to be able to respond to every request straight away so they need burial gowns and bonnets, hooded wraps, tiny blankets 10 or 12 inches, sleeping bags, tiny hats, pairs of tiny teddies or other toys, Sands blankets, prem cardies from 10 inches to 16 inches chest, prem hats vent bonnets, angel pockets, prem blankets from 16 to 24 inches and cribs. They aim for 100 Sands blankets and as many of the others as possible

They could use a massive BOOB injection. Knitted breasts will be used by breastfeeding support workers, midwives and community mothers, to give instructions on hand expression to new mothers. Loving Hands get direct requests from hospitals and health boards to supply them by the hundred so they are always in great demand.  They do not need to be realistic ’flesh’ tones - the midwives say the nice colourful ones go down a treat.   If you wish you can send them in ‘flat’ and Loving Hands will stuff and finish them off. They are hoping to get 500 of these.

 For animals they have had enquiries from a few dog and cat homes (Battersea included) for cat toys, they get a huge influx of cats, having kittens every year and they like to have toys to keep them amused, the link to the page with patterns at Battersea website is here - http://www.battersea.org.uk/about_us/whats_new/cat_knitting

They will collect the usual items to be included in shoe boxes : hats/scarves/gloves/mitts/socks/glove puppets etc, toiletries, writing pads, pens, colouring books, pencils, toiletries, razors, etc, etc. Items for all ages they do boxes for categories boy/girl 3 to 7, boy/girl 8 to 12, teenage boy/girl, man or woman and elderly woman.

  They have also been asked for 500 teddies for tragedy.  If you could help out with this and you do not want to stuff them and put on faces, send them in ’flat’ and faceless and  Loving Hands will finish them. 

They have a very comprehensive list of patterns available to members through Their forum Pattern Central pages –

http://lovinghands.freeforums.org/patterncentralf31.html?sid=5314dc2d841467946a98b0b8612b13a6

and can only be accessed when a member is signed in to the forum using their username and password. It is a very simğle process to join. You will find hundreds of patterns and links to patterns for knitting, crocheting and sewing there to inspire you.

Loving Hands now have many charities on their  books - all have  been checked to make sure they take all the donations and they give them directly to the people or animals in need.  They do not supply items to be sold in charity shops.

Here is a list of some of the charities you can veiw the whole list on the web site:

Boobs for Breastfeeding Initiative

Blythswood Care

SANDS

BLISS

UK Maternities, Morticians and Pathologists.

Animal Shelters (SSPCA, RSPCA,Cats protection league, Fife cat shelter, the donkey sanctuary, Little hen rescue centre, Help the animals Wales, WSPA, Edinburgh Zoo and others)

Teddies for Tragedy

If you would like to know more about Loving Hands or the work they do, or would like to ask for items for your organisation or join them and help to make things better for people and animals all over the world  cantact details are:

Lou Jaap

Loving Hands Charity Knitting Group,

18 Clentry Crescent Kelty, Fife  KY4 0LG  Scotland.

Web site:www.lovinghands.org.,uk

email : charityknitters@yahoo.co.uk

Tel : 01383 830277

If you wish join them they will do their best to supply you with most of the materials you need to create items for the charities.  Their policy is that members give their time and talent to help and do not want to empty their pockets but it’s quite alright to use your own yarn. No matter what you choose to make they can find a home for it.

If anyone would like to donate to Loving Hands postage and materials fund you can do so by Paypal to charityknitters@yahoo.co.uk  or by cheque or postal order made out to L. Jaap (loving hands) they also raise funds for postage through Easyfundraising you can find details on the web site:

http://www.lovinghands.org.uk

Please remember your help is needed all year round!

   If you'd like our free pattern book'Knitting for Charity' please leave your email address in the box at the base of this blog.( I promise to respect your privacy and will not pass your emial address on to anyone else.)