Charity Knitting Knocks At My Web Door

Most of my knitting is done for myself. Why? Frankly because only I can fully appreciate the time, effort and thought that goes into it. Plus, I knit slow, so why waste my efforts on gifting to others when I can just go out and buy them another gift so much faster and cheaper and save the knitted items for myself.

But on the other hand, I've been feeling lately that I should be more giving. Maybe I should do some charity knitting? It was as if Norma was reading my mind! In her July 29th blog entry, she talked about knitting for charities such as Dulaan and CIC. Both organizations are constantly needing children's socks, hats, neckwarmers, mittens and other child-sized accessories. They need 100% wool items. (The wool is warmer than acrylic).

Then Catherine, over at Bossy Little Dog, started talking about how she'd spent the weekend knitting little baby hats for Save the Children - Caps to the Capitol. She knit a whole slew of little hats while I groused about the heat and struggled with making a present for myself, yet ANOTHER pair of socks (and in this decluttering effort we're undergoing right now here at the house, I've realized that I don't really NEED anymore socks, felted bags, nor any of the other mindless but fun projects I've been indulging myself with).

And on top of all THAT, Marguerite over at Stitches of Violet, who has LONG been a charity knitter and constantly makes me feel guilty with her selflessness and generosity, also started discussing the CIC socks she knit and sent in the mail the other day. In fact, she even has offered one of her patterns for use with CIC participants.

Are you girls all ganging up on my consciousness or what? I wonder how many other knitters you've inspired?

So in short, I feel guilty, spoiled, self-indulgent and extremely lucky to be living in a nice middle-class American existence. And maybe it wouldn't kill even SELFISH me, to knit a few pair of socks or hats for a child in an orphanage who doesn't have to worry about her socks shrinking, because there's no hot water to wash them in. And maybe a child's stocking cap that might take me a few hours to knit might just add to the comfort of a little kid in some far away place. Who knows?

So I started exploring the CIC, Dulaan and Save the Children websites. I even pulled out some Cascade 220 and started gathering together some patterns that might be suitable for this project. (Haven't quite cast on yet, but that's coming soon).

Even though I promised to make August UFO month and not to cast on any new projects, I'm going to bend the rules (just a little) to say only CHARITY KNITTING projects can be cast on in the midst of my finishing some UFOs for myself and some much-needed little warmers for those most in need.

If any of you feel inspired to do the same, let me know and we can gush over one another's efforts. Many of you already do charity knitting and are way ahead of me! But I'm finally inspired to look into it and to feel grateful for what I have.

I'm going to fix dinner. Have a great week everyone. This is my last week of freedom and I'm still cleaning and decluttering. (Fun, Fun).