Total bummer
So you all know how I have been talking about making beanies for the troops? Getting anyone I can to donate a handknit beanie? Well, I was reading Penny's crafty blog and she had a post about the military beanies. She talked about how great it is to work on an easy project--I agree. And knowing that it is for a good cause is even better. But what hadn't even occurred to me is we shouldn't be using yarn with acrylic because it melts. I am bummed that I had all this extra yarn I was gonna use and ready to knit like a mad woman and that the donated beanies I have already are probably acrylic. Gail said I should still donate the ones already made and the next beanie I start make sure I use 100% wool.
I am still toying with that idea. I want to send a big box of beanies at the end of October. The next beanie I start will be from 100% wool that isn't for felting.
And what I have decided is definitely future acrylic beanies will go to shelters. Because I do have a lot of extra yarn that otherwise would just go to waste.
But I am still bumming ...
I am still toying with that idea. I want to send a big box of beanies at the end of October. The next beanie I start will be from 100% wool that isn't for felting.
And what I have decided is definitely future acrylic beanies will go to shelters. Because I do have a lot of extra yarn that otherwise would just go to waste.
But I am still bumming ...
4 Comments:
Don't be bumming, Ann! You still can send those beanies to people who need them, just not soldiers in war zones. There are all kinds of charities that take hats (and other things) for people in need all over the world. I'll see if I can find some Web sites, or like you said, you can take them to your local shelter. I'm sure the people there would love a well-crafted hat that will keep them warm in winter (and assuming you made them in military-type colors, they should hide well the dirt that comes with living on the streets).
You live in a place with cold weather, so it's totally a natural for you to donate locally.
Don't be bummed! Just see this as a bonus good deed that you didn't even know you were going to do.
Oh, and one other thing: Don't worry, you're gonna have a big box of (all-wool) beanies to send in October, especially now that I know how easy this pattern is.
Plus, I taught my mom how to knit last week (well, she had learned as a child but just needed a brush-up course), and now she that she saw my starter beanie, she totally wants to make some too. So you'll have a bundle coming from the Walker women.
Thanks for your words Penny. It did make me feel better.
I just ordered some of the Moda Dea yarn. I have to do a baby blanket first. So the yarn should arrive just in time.
And right on about your mom. That will be great!
I am not planning on sending until the end of October. So we have 2 months to knit like crazy women.
And I am feeling better. Yes, it will be great to donate all those beanies to shelters.
I looked around on the "Support Our Troops" board on Ravelry, and some of the pattern links there said it was OK to make them out of acrylic (but they also said it was OK to make them out of bright colors for service folk on ships, so I'm not sure if the acrylic only applies to ships or all troops ...)
Anyway, I posted a question on that board about whether hats for ground troops really need to be all wool, so we'll see what those knitters say.
And for fun: Someone posted this link from the V&A museum in London with WWII knitting patterns -- they're fun to look at:
www.vam.ac.uk/collections/fashion/features/knitting/1940s/index.html
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