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There’s Still Time! Newborns In Need Charity Drive + Giveaway

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newborns-in-need-drive-squareOn August 19th, 2013, AllFreeKidsCrafts revealed exciting news: we are running a Newborns in Need Charity Drive with Red Heart Yarn. Luckily, there is still time to participate in this heart-warming event. All you need to do to participate is donate one of the approved items, and you’ll automatically be entered to win the Red Heart Yarn Anne Geddes Prize Pack.

I hope you’re holding on to your hats because I’m about to show you what this incredible prize pack includes:

 

  • newborns-in-need-drive-prize1 ball of each color of Anne Geddes Yarn
  • 1 set of Size 8 tipping points needles
  • 1 bamboo crochet hook
  • 1 red heart thread cutter pendant
  • 1 Crochet Today Magazine
  • 1 Knitting Made Easy book
  • 1 Crochet Made Easy book
  • 1 RH Tote Bag

Whether you’re crafting or purchasing items for newborns, please make sure to follow these specifications:

  • All crafted and purchased items must feel soft and be washable.
  • If handmade and needs to be washed, it must be washed in fragrant-free baby detergent and, quickly after drying, sealed in a plastic bag.
  • If crocheting, do not use a pattern that produces large holes.
  • No ties are permitted on anything, including clothes and bibs.
  • Do not use yellow, gray, or dark colors. Please use baby pastels- pink, white, blue, light green, and lavender.
  • The items must come from a smoke-free household.
  • Note: Newborns in Need is not currently asking for hats of any kind.
  • Optional Free Sewing Patterns
  • Optional Free Crochet Patterns
  • Optional Free Knit Patterns
  • Optional Purchased Items

We have a wonderful collection of donations so far; add yours to the bunch!

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To donate your hats just send them to the address provided:

Prime Publishing
AllFreeKidsCrafts Newborns In Need Charity Drive
3400 Dundee Rd #220
Northbrook, IL 60062

If you are kind enough to participate then please read the specifications (or see above) for the donations. This charity drive goes until September 16, 2013. September 16 is the LAST DAY to donate, so we will allow one week for you to ship them to us after that date.  Grab your materials, and let’s get charitable!

Are you donating crafted or purchased goods?

 

How to Craft for Charity

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The holiday season is the perfect time to make and donate your projects. From hats to scarves, cards to scrapbooks, there are tons of crafting organizations looking for supplies, donations, and gifts for those less fortunate.

You may not know it, but FaveCrafts has a collection of craft charities on our site that you can read about. Our list of charities continues to grow, and we’re always looking for new charities to add to the list…so be sure to check back every so often for new information on craft donations.

Recently, FaveCrafts ran a charity drive with Operation Write Home. It was hugely successful and readers of all ages and skill levels got together and created well over 400 cards for the troops! A HUGE thank you to everyone who helped us achieve our goal!

If you’re looking for some charities or organizations that need your help, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve gathered a list of crafty charities that would be happy to have your donations.

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Project Linus

With chapters in all 50 states, Project Linus continues to grow more each and every day. Dedicated to insuring that kids of all ages have the warmth and comfort of a blanket, Project Linus works with crocheters and knitters all over the US to collect handmade blankets for kids. Blankets are collected locally and distributed to children in hospitals, shelters, social service agencies, or anywhere that a child might be in need of a big hug.

This Pastel Ripple Baby Blanket would be a great one to donate to Project Linus this year. Made with Simply Soft yarn by Caron, this blanket would be perfect for cuddling and sleeping.

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Heartmade Blessings

Heartmade Blessings is a world-wide group of volunteers dedicated to providing hand-crafted items to those people suffering a loss, tragedy, or going through a rough time that need to be reminded of the simple fact that people care.

Heartmade Blessings accepts afghans and “Bearghans“, and even provides patterns if you’re looking for something to make.

This Beginner Granny Afghan would be a great way to show your appreciation for those who are less fortunate. You could make the whole afghan, or crochet a few squares and send those in.

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Bags 4 Darfur

Bags, skirts, jeans, curtains, quilts, tea towels, kitchen aprons, flour sacks, couches, belts, neckties, bedspreads, and table cloths are being casually slung over shoulders from across the prairies, over the mountains, and over oceans and being sent to people in Darfur. This project began as a casual conversation and has quickly blossomed into a charity organization that provides housewares, clothing, and comfort to thousands of people overseas.

Sewists and crafters can make all kinds of projects for Bags 4 Darfur. These Fashion Shower Curtains would be great to donate. They’re easy to make and ship, and will be much appreciated by anyone lucky enough to receive them!

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You can find a full list of all the charities we support at FaveCrafts.com. More and more are being added every month, so check back soon to see what’s new!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Charity Blanket Drive to Benefit Project Linus!

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Our friends at AllFreeCrochetAfghanPatterns have a big announcement! They have teamed up with Red Heart Yarns to sponsor a Charity Blanket Drive to benefit Project Linus!

Crocheting for charity is a great way to put your talents to good use. Project Linus is a nationwide organization whose goal is to comfort children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need. Just like Charles Schulz’s Linus character from the PEANUTS® comic strip was comforted by his blanket, the idea behind Project Linus is that children who receive donated blankets will be provided with love, a sense of security, warmth, and comfort.

The afghan drive will run from June 1, 2012-July 15, 2012. Once you have completed your blanket, please ship it to us at the address below. We will then hand-deliver your blankets to the Chicagoland chapter of Project Linus. Before doing so, however, we will randomly select one (1) winner to be the recipient of Red Heart Yarns prize package! The details of the prize will be revealed at a later date, but we can promise you that it will be a prize package worth winning!

*UPDATE*

Enter to win this amazing prize package from Red Heart Yarn by donating a blanket to AllFreeCrochetAfghan’s Charity Blanket Drive!

Included in this prize package is:

  • One (1) large red and black canvas tote bag with the Red Heart Yarn logo.
  • Ten (10) skeins of Red Heart Plush Baby yarn in Kiwi, along with one corresponding crochet baby blanket pattern
  • One (1) package of Susan Bates plastic yarn needles
  • One (1) Susan Bates aluminum crochet hook (size I-9)
  • Six (6) crochet magazines and brochures (including Crochet Today!) full of free tutorials and color photos

Enter to win this amazing gift, compliments of Red Heart Yarn, by making a blanket for Project Linus! Once your blanket is completed, simply send it to us and we will take care of the rest!

When making your blanket (knit, crochet, or otherwise), please keep in mind these important guidelines:

  • Keep fabric designs age appropriate. For example, yellow ducks would be perfect for a baby blanket while a college sports theme design would be appropriate for an older child.
  • The blankets must be washable and can be knitted, crocheted, quilted or crafted from fleece.
  • There is always a need for large and unisex blankets. Please consider making a blanket that is appropriate for a girl or a boy.

Recommended Sizes:

  • Mended Little Heart (Receiving Blankets) -36″ x 36″
  • Baby/Toddler-36″ X 36″/36″x43″
  • Preteen-40″ X 60″
  • Teen-50″ X 72″

Please ship your completed blankets to:

Prime Publishing
Charity Blanket Drive
3400 Dundee Rd #220
Northbrook, IL 60062

Have any questions? Please visit the Chicagoland Project Linus homepage, or read their Frequently Asked Questions. Please help spread the word about this amazing opportunity to craft a homemade blanket for a great cause.

Will you be making a blanket for our Charity Blanket Drive? If so, leave a comment below and tell us about it!

Project Winter Warmth – Prize Basket Winner!

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Earlier this month, I announced that AllFreeKnitting would be collecting knit and crochet hats, scarves and gloves on behalf of Project Winter Warmth.  For everyone who sent us in items, we would enter you into a contest for a special prize basket.  At the end of the month, we’d randomly choose a winner to receive this special prize.  Today, that basket is revealed – and the winner is announced!

 

The $50+ prize basket includes:

  • 1 copy of the book, Entrelac: The Essential Guide to Interlace Knitting by Rosemary Drysdale
  • 1 copy of the book Love to Knit Socks by Bronwyn Lowenthal
  • 1 skein of Red Heart with Love Premium Worsted Acrylic yarn in Bluebell
  • Kreinik Thread Legacy Sampler with 29 Spools of Metallic, Silk and Iron-On Threads (great for embellishing knit projects)

 

First, I’d like to say thank you to everyone who sent in donations.  Thanks to your generosity, more people and children in need will be warm this winter.

And now – who is the winner of this lovely prize basket?  

The winner is – Karen Z. from Illinios!  Congrats, Karen!  You can expect your prize in the mail shortly. 🙂

 

 

 

Free Crochet Patterns for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

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When it comes to dealing with people’s lives you’re going to get a little emotional no matter what the situation is; whether your teen got an A on a test, your toddler drew all over the wall or someone is very sick. Your feelings and emotions are uncontrollable so when someone is very sick you may not know how to cope with it; especially if it’s something severe like cancer. Do you know someone with breast cancer or any other type of cancer? It’s a heartbreaking disease that you just don’t want to hear about, but there are so many ways you can help with the cause for a cure. Even if you’re low on  money and you can’t support the cause that way there are other options for you.

Think of all the thrifty ways you can get involved to show your support. Are you a crafter or crocheter? Now is the time to learn and become budget friendly as it’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Once the door opens to crafts and crocheting you just won’t want to stop. One of my favorite crochet patterns to help with Breast Cancer Awareness is the Breast Cancer Awareness Slouch Hat. This is an intermediate crochet pattern that might take a few tries to perfect, but it is so worth it. Another crochet pattern you can make is the Breast Cancer Awareness Brooch.

This is the best kind of free crochet pattern you can make because it will put a smile on someone’s face. Make one for yourself or make many for cancer patients; it is the small things in life that make a big difference.

There are a few things you can do to reduce the risk:

  • Control your weight
  • Get plenty of exercise
  • Maintain a healthy diet
  • Get annual checkups and mammograms

If you’re looking to help support Breast Cancer, there are also a few things you can do:

  • Y-ME Race
  • Susan G Komen for the Cure
  • Avon Walk
  • Crochet for any hospital or charity

Take the budget friendly route and crochet some beautiful Breast Cancer hats. You’d be amazed at how much impact you can make on one single person with a project like this.

Mother Bear Project: I Have Legs!

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Hello fellow knitters and crocheters,

 

As many of you may have heard, AllFreeKnitting is participating in an exciting charity challenge: we’re going to knit a bear for the Mother Bear Project and we’d like for you to join us!  If you’ve never heard of this organization before, all knit and crochet bears are made with a special pattern provided by the Mother Bear Project.  Completed bears are sent to Africa where children affected by HIV/AIDS get to receive your thoughtful donations.  Want to win some yarn just by participating?  Send us photos of your bears by Oct. 13 and you’ll be entered into a special yarn giveaway!

Progress Update: Our Bear Has Legs!

As promised, we’re going to show you our progress as we knit our own bear for the charity.  Here’s what my cuddly little guy looks like so far:

 

 

That’s right, just the legs and feet so far, but I’m already super excited to keep going!  Because you’re encouraged to have fun with your bear, I’m planning on using several different kinds of stitches to make this cutie.  For the feet I used Bernat Soft Boucle yarn in the garter stitch.  I just love how the yarn makes the bear’s feet look so soft and cuddly.  You can find some cheap Bernat Soft Boucle yarn here.  For the bear’s pants (or trousers), I decided the classic stockinette stitch was the way to go.  Since I imagine my bear is a casual, laid back kind of guy, I figured he’d be wearing blue jeans.   Red Heart Super Saver Yarn in Soft Navy was the perfect choice for these; I also happened to have some in my stash!

Stay tuned for our next post!  I’ve already started making the sweater. 🙂

Have any of you started making your bears yet?  How far are you?

 

Crochet Charities Provide the Opportunity to Create a Finer World, One Thread at a Time

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Not everybody can be gifted at everything. I, for instance, am a terrible baker, a worse juggler, and downright dangerous if I try to combine the two. But people have unique talents too, and today we’re pleased to share a few organizations where crocheters and knitters of all skill levels are using their abilities to make a difference in the world.

The Warm Up America Foundation has been around for more than two decades, and helps people work together in creating afghans and clothes for people in need.  They’re involved in every stage of the process from training would-be-crocheters, to coordinating their efforts, collecting their finished products, and distributing these products to different charitable organizations, which means there are a lot of ways that kind-hearted crafters can pitch in.

More details on how groups and individuals can get involved are found here.

Nobody is ever too old to appreciate the effort that goes into a handmade gift.  That’s why Foster Care to Success, an organization that helps foster kids get the financial, emotional, and advisory help they need to attend college and transition into successful adults, started the Red Scarf project.

Each year they collect upwards of 10,000 red scarves to distribute to former foster kids away at universities or vocational schools.  You can learn more about how to help them here.

 

Winters in New York City can be bad.  This is doubly so if you don’t have a roof over your head or a way to come in out of the cold.  Hats For The Homeless is trying to do their part by collecting warm winter accessories to give to the less fortunate at Christmas. If you can make hats, gloves, or scarves, then Hats for the Homeless thinks you can also make a difference.

The CureCaps Hat project is a grassroots movement to fight against neurological diseases.  It starts with concerned crafters making and donating all kinds of hats, which the project then sells to raise money which is donated to leading researchers in neuroscience and neurodegenerative diseases.

 

They have already distributed 15,000 dollars in research grants, and are making a difference in millions of lives.  This is a great project for those who want to feel that their efforts are helping to end diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, and you can learn more about it here.

 

Do you craft for charity? How do all of you use your talents to help out, and what do you make?

 

Make Scarves for the Special Olympics

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The colors for the 2012 Special Olympics Scarf Project have been announced!   If you didn’t get to participate in last year’s event, now is a great time to start.  Haven’t heard of the Scarf Project before?  Every year, Red Heart Yarn reaches out to knitters and crocheters in an effort to collect scarves for participating Olympians. Why scarves? The Vice President of Marketing at Coats & Clark, Alyson Bell, explains, “The Scarf Project is an opportunity to create a handmade gift for the athletes, coaches, families, volunteers and supporters who can wear with pride knowing that it is crafted with love.”


Ready to get involved?  Crocheters and knitters are invited to make a scarf (or several) to donate to their states’ participants  in order to show their support for the Special Olympics. Here’s how you can participate:

 

  • You can use any knitting or crochet scarf pattern you want, but scarves must be 54-60 inches long and 6 inches wide.  Fringe or other adornments should be included within these measurements.  Please read the full project guidelines for complete details.

 

When you visit the official site, choose your state from the drop-down menu to find out which sports your state participates in, how many scarves they need donated, where to mail completed scarves to, and what the deadline to send scarves in is.  Participating programs will be announced May 23, 2011. Check back to their site for more information.

Happy knitting and crocheting!

7 Days ’til Christmas: Crafty Charitable Deeds and a Giveaway

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From now through Christmas day, we’re featuring a project here on the FaveCraftsBlog, along with a question for you to comment on. From those comments, we’ll pick a daily winner and you’ll receive a Gift from Santa’s Sleigh! How’s that for a great way to celebrate all month long?!

I’ve seen over the course of the month that many of you have mentioned on Facebook and on this blog that you’re also making items for charities this Christmas and I think it’s great! My grandmother was a crocheter. In years past, a local yarn manufacturer donated yarn to church folk in the area who were willing to crochet and knit mittens for the kids in need in the area. Each year there was donated yarn, she spent her free time making mittens for the mitten tree. And my Grandpa, practical man that he was, would grumble about her sitting there crocheting mittens for strangers! (He probably would still have grumbled if it was for family, but he would have grumbled less.)  And every year Grammie would remind him that it was one small thing she did for others, it kept her busy, and the yarn was free, after all. (He was a frugal farmer, so FREE would quiet him down every time!) Though I never got to wear Grammie’s mittens, it warms my heart much more to know that kids in need DID. Over the last few years, I’ve made scarves which I donate to whichever charity needs them each year, and in some small way, it feels like Grammie is there crocheting and knitting along with me. I know she’d be proud. So in her honor, here are some mittens!

Chunky Crochet Mittens and Scarf

By: Bernat

This adorable chunky mittens and scarf set is going to be your best friend this winter season. It’s a great free crochet pattern that will be nice to give as a gift or keep for yourself.

Do you craft, knit, crochet, or sew for charity? What’s your favorite cause in need? Leave a comment below – one lucky commenter will receive a Gift from Santa’s Sleigh. Hurry. You only have until Midnight central time to enter. Tomorrow will be another day, another featured project, and another giveaway!

P.S. Since our comments require approval before they are live on the site, your comment will be included as an entry even if you don’t see it on the page. Also, we only include one comment per person, but you can make more than one comment if you want!

[Note: The giveaway is now closed, but feel free to leave your comments if you like! See all of our Christmas Countdown posts here!]

How to Crochet for Charity

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Helping others out is always a feel-good kind of situation. I know I’m one of those people who try to help people out when they are in need, even if they don’t ask for help I am always willing to give a hand. It’s always nice to help the less fortunate as well, especially around the colder months of the year. If you can find some charities to donate to, why wouldn’t you? There are so many charities out there that allow you to crochet patterns and send to them to help out.

Here you can find some great charities to donate to. During the chilly months people are always looking for scarves, mittens, afghans and more. These people are brilliant when they come up with a special event or cause to endure in. Go ahead, crochet some patterns and make someone’s day.

From Ewe to You– This is a great charity in North Carolina that is need of afghans, scarves, hats, mittens and more. Please contact them if you are interested. They accept any patterns no matter what time of year.

Planet Blanket– Contribute a granny square to help with this big blanket. People around the world are adding their granny squares to make one giant blanket.

Bridge and Beyond– The goal of this charity is to warm men and women living under a bridge in Ohio. There are so many homeless people in the world, this is one small favor you can do to help out. As they say “no donation is too small.”

Warm the World– Homemade projects are some of the most heartfelt and warming gifts someone can give. Lend a hand by crocheting a beautiful pattern for a complete stranger. It will mean more than you realize.

Hat Box Foundation– If you know someone who has or had cancer then you might really like this charity. The goal is to make handmade crochet or knit projects and give them to cancer patients across the country. This charity believes that something from the heart helps heal the human spirit.

There are millions of charities in the world that are calling your name. Whether you know how to crochet, knit or sew there is a charity you can help with. Even if you never get the chance to meet that person you help, you will always have that satisfaction of putting a smile on someone’s face or keeping them warm through the night. If you’re looking for a crochet retreat read about the http://www.favecraftsblog.com/crochetcama-a-forward-kind-of-retreat/. We also have an embellished baseball cap you can decorate for any special purpose.

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