Knitting

Free Patterns, Tutorials and Project Ideas

Giveaway: A Charity Guide for Knitters

by

Enter to win a copy of this great charity knitting book

Congratulations to MaryAnn.

One of my knitting-related resolutions is to knit more for charity this year. In particular I’m interested in knitting for preemies, since my daughter was one, but in general I just want to be more generous with my knitting for all sorts of people (and animals) who might need it.

This first giveaway of 2016 will help a charity-minded knitter get started or continue on their giving journey. It’s a copy of Knit Along with Debbie Macomber: A Charity Guide for Knitters.

The book is a guide both to what to knit for charity and which charities to knit for, including 18 projects and 14 charities to choose from (the book is a few years old, though, and information may be outdated, so always check websites or call to determine current needs and where to send items).

In addition to the book, I will probably throw in a gift of yarn that could be used for charity knitting. But it’s a surprise, so you’ll just have to win to see what you get.

If you’d like a chance to win this one, leave a comment on this post before the end of the day Sunday, January 10. I’d love to know if you currently do any charity knitting and who you knit for, or if you’d like to start, what cause you’d like to contribute to.

Thanks for visiting, commenting and sharing, and good luck!

Comments

  2. I only started knitting last February and find it therapeutic. I currently do a lot of charity work but hadn’t considered that my knitting could also have a use for charity. I am not fond of making baby stuff, never having been a mother but I would love to knit for homeless or elderly people

  3. I’m not sure if my last reply was logged, so apologies if this is a duplicate. I started knitting last February and while I do a lot of charity work I’d not considered that my knitting could also be used in this way. I don’t like knitting for children, but I would love to help homeless or elderly people if I can.

  4. I have been knitting for about 55 years and have given away many items. But I’ve often thought about knitting for charity. I think it would be very satisfying to know that someone who needs what I’ve created would truly appreciate it and treasure it.

  5. I made washcloths for Haiti. I would love to have this book. Thank you for the chance!

  6. I’ve been making baby hats (newborn & small child-size) for a couple of the local hospitals. The next bag of 100 will be brought in next week. It’s fun to try new patterns & yarns & be creative. The best part, though, is seeing a little one wearing what you’ve made with love.

  7. I love to knit for others and recently found a great charity (Alice’s Embrace). This group knits prayer shawls and lap blankets for facilities who care for those with Alzheimer’s and dementia. Since I’m still a beginner, blankets and shawls are within my skills. I want to knit caps for those undergoing treatment for chemotherapy so I appreciate patterns for this purpose. Thanks!

  10. I am late to enter for the charity knitting book but I thought I would share my charity project. It is called Holy Sews and we make bereavement garments and donate them to hospitals, funeral homes, parents or wherever they are needed. They include tunics, a blanket, a wrap, teddy bear, knitted hats and sometimes little knitted booties. Also included is a Booklet for mom to record baby’s statics. They are given free of charge. These layettes are for babies 16-20 weeks gestation who pass on to the lord much too soon. We have a group of ladies who generously knit (or sometimes crochet) the needed hats and booties.
    I personally knit tiny booties and hats to donate to the NICU and when I get extra time I also donate cocoons to the NICU as well.
    Sheila Read. [email protected]

Have you read?

Book Review: Knit an Heirloom Blanket

It’s kind of coincidental that I recently posted about patchwork blanket knitting patterns right before reviewing a book that makes a patchwork blanket, but this one would also be a great choice if you’re looking to bust some stash and learn a lot about colorwork knitting at the same time. 

Knit an Heirloom Blanket by Annah O’Leary includes charted designs for 50 colorwork blocks worked flat that can be combined to make a blanket or used in other projects. The book calls for worsted weight yarn but also offers suggestions for using fingering, DK or even bulky yarn, which will give you blocks of different sizes.

It opens with a section on materials and tips for choosing colors and maintaining contrast among blocks across a large project. There’s also information on how to read charts and colorwork basics such as maintaining tension, measuring gauge, catching floats, holding yarn and yarn dominance, among other things.

There are 196 squares (14 by 14) in the blanket shown on the cover, which, including the edging, makes for a blanket that’s about 79 inches, or 200 cm square knit in worsted weight yarn. You can adjust the size as needed by working more or fewer blocks, especially if using a different weight of yarn. 

The sample was worked in Cascade 220 and the book includes the amounts of yarn used in each color so you can knit a blanket exactly as shown. Or use stash and leftovers from other projects to make a possibly less harmonious but more meaningful project. 

Colorwork patterns are arranged into 10 themes: flowers, tiles, diamonds, stripes, peaks, woven, sky, leaves, lovestruck and architecture. They’re also rated by skill level on a range of 1 to 3 balls of yarn. If you’re newer to knitting or colorwork in particular, you can start with the easier squares and move up as you build more skills. 

Each pattern is shown as a large black and white chart with three or four possible color variations, though or course you can also go your own way on the colors. There’s also a knit sample of each block pictured at the beginning of each pattern section.

There’s also a section to help you finish your blanket, including tips for weaving in ends, blocking, joining squares and adding a border. She also suggests different project sizes and color palettes for smaller scale projects.

In addition to the big blanket there are five other project ideas including a baby blanket made of 6 by 8 squares, a hot water bottle cover, a couple of pillows and a wall hanging. These are sure to give you ideas of different ways to use the blocks in other projects. 

Knit an Heirloom Blanket includes lots of fun colorwork blocks and ideas for using them that are sure to appeal to those new to colorwork as well as those with more experience. Even if you never knit a full blanket with them, you can add these motifs to your collection to work in other projects. 

About the book: 144 pages, paperback, 50 charts and 6 patterns. Published 2026 by David & Charles. Suggested retail price $25.99.