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The heart of a Crocheter… Donating handmade work to those in need!!

The heart of a Crocheter… Donating handmade work to those in need!!

Donating your crocheted work to those in need!

You can donate so many wonderful crochet items to so many causes…  I have compiled a list of 10 places to donate your work!!

A couple of years ago, I rounded up donations for  Crochet for Cancer… So many beautiful items were donated as you can see below!!

As many of you know, my Amazing Grace Free Pattern series is dedicated to breast cancer awareness and you can find all of those patterns at the top of the page…


     

But what do you do with all the items you make that don’t have a home to go to?? Or like many of us Crocheter’s, we are generous and would love a cause to donate to… Below are a few great ideas of where to donate your item and a guide on how to prepare your donations!!

 


10 Places to donate your crochet items

  1. Crochet For Cancer – is a Christian volunteer based non-profit that donates handmade chemo caps to cancer centers for patients coping with hair loss.
  2. Local Cancer facilities… In most areas, you can find a local cancer treatment center that may take donations…
  3. NICU Facilities – A neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), also known as an intensive care nursery (ICN), is an intensive care unit specializing in the care of ill or premature newborn infants. *you can find these centers in larger areas and these babies need preemie hats!!! and blankets too!!
  4. Homeless Shelters – With winter around the corner, homeless shelters are a great place to donate all types of crochet goods… Hats and Scarves are truly a blessing to these folks!
  5. Retirement Homes/Care Facilities – Blankets, shawls and much more could be a blessing for older people confined to bed or wheelchairs
  6. Local Schools – Some schools in may be willing to let the children wear donated hats and scarves… This is a school by school basis.
  7. VA Hospitals – Donate to those who served us and now need a little tender loving care!!! You can find a list of state by state by clicking here!!
  8. Operation Gratitude – For those in the military who are actively serving!
  9. Crochet for Charity (a part of the Crochet Guild of America) – CGOA provides a large list of places you can donate items…
  10. Donate to those in your neighborhood… Look around as you pass your neighbors… Maybe someone close to you could use a hat, scarf or blanket!!

How to prepare your items for donation

  1. For items donated to Cancer Patients, Hospitals and Children- you should use a soft yarn cotton or acrylic, pet free environment, no perfumes or anything else scented.
  2. For homeless shelters any fiber is ok, please make sure your items are new and clean
  3. For all donations, you should package them neatly and enclose a note.
  4. Check back often with the facilities you donate too to see if they need specific sizes or colors
  5. Enjoy the blessing of donating to others!!

Happy Crocheting!!

Elena


 

Simply August Boho Bag… Join the Crochet  Along!!!

Simply August Boho Bag… Join the Crochet Along!!!

Simply August Boho Bag

August 2017 Crochet Along

** Now available in PDF Format as a full pattern.. Click Here** 

Simply Chic Boho Bag is approximately 14″ x 12″ 4″ after blocked

If you love this pattern.. Add it to your Ravelry favorites.. Click Here!!


Are you ready for another Crochet Along??

Get ready for some fun,, An awesome Giveaway from Red Heart… And also a nice discount code provided by our friends at Red Heart Yarns!!!!

Today is the Material List Post… Head off and grab everything you need and come back and join me on August 20th to start the 3 week project!!!

Here is what you will need…

YARN:   2 Skeins of Red Heart with Love Yarn in Aran – 370 Yards each…

This bag will be made using 2 strands together.. So 2 skeins is the way to go!

Red Heart has been generous enough to give all of my Simply August Boho Bag Crochet Along participants a 20% Discount when ordering from Red Heart Yarns now through August 18th!!!

Buy it now!!!

 
HOOK:  J Hook

BUTTON: Decorative Button, 3/4″ – 1″

Yarn Needle and Scissors.

Plastic Container for blocking approximately 15″ x 13″ x 4″

That’s it… Super easy and simple…


Now the Giveaway!!!  

All the participants who finish their project by September 9th at 11:59pm PST and send me a photograph of the finished project along with permission to use the photo to [email protected]You will be entered into the Grand Prize Giveaway sponsored by Red Heart Yarns!!!   This is a $50 prize package of lovely yarns…

*Giveaway open to US resident only

4 Skeins of Red Heart Super Saver Ombre Yarn
3 Skeins of Red Heart Super Saver Stripes Yarn

Isn’t that awesome!!!!  I can’t wait to get started and see all of your bags…

You can also join my Beatrice Ryan Designs CAL Facebook Group to have chats about the  CAL.. Live Broadcasts each week. The first Facebook Live will be tonight, August 12th at 5pm PST.. Don’t miss a chance to see the Simply August Boho Bag live!!!


Also… All the post will be available in the Crochet with Me CAL Tab at the top of the page.. And.. When we are all done, This pattern is available in full as a PDF also… Click Here!!

Let’s have some fun!!!

Happy Crocheting!!

Elena


 

Touch of Teal Afghan… Free Crochet Pattern!!

Touch of Teal Afghan… Free Crochet Pattern!!

Touch of Teal Afghan

If you love this free crochet pattern… Save it to your Ravelry Queue and Favorites for easy access!!!!  Click Here…


This simple and quick afghan is part of my Decorating Your Home with Crochet series!!!  Touch of Teal Afghan is my first project made exclusively for this series to decorate my new home… Teal, beige and white are the color scheme for my new bedroom… Stay tuned for more crochet decor in this room.. Of course~ I do have some previously made doilies made by myself and my grandmother(Beatrice Ryan Ramshaw) decorating this room… When the room is done, I will post a full story along with the pictures of everything crochet in this room!!!

Now to the Touch of Teal Afghan… This is a super easy crochet pattern using only front loop single crochet and back loop double crochet to create the base… The edging is a simple shell pattern.  Using  a super bulky yarn, this really goes quickly!!!

Let’s get started decorating our homes!!!!


Materials~

Yarn: 1050 yards of super bulky(size 6) yarn. In this pattern I used Michael’s Loops and Threads Country Loom Yarn in Clear Skies. It took 10 skeins.. But, one reason I love Michael’s.. They have great yarn pricing and coupons!!!!This Week's Coupon at Michaels.com

 

 

 

Hook: N

Stitches~

Ch ~ Chain      St ~  Stitch     Sk ~ Skip     Sp ~ Space     Sl St ~ Slip Stitch     Sc ~ Single Crochet     Dc ~ Double Crochet     Fl ~ Front Loop     Bl ~ Back Loop     Trc ~ Treble Crochet

Size~

105″ x 40″   ** This design is very stretchy so the afghan will be able to cover a much larger area.

*Tip ~

Even rows are the right side.


Instructions~

Chain 131

Row 1:  Sc in 2nd ch from hook and each across. = 130 sc

Row 2:  Ch 3(Counts as Dc now and throughout), turn, bl dc in each st across.= 130 dc

Row 3:  Ch 1, turn, fl sc in each st across. = 130 sc

Rows 4-59:  Repeat rows 2 & 3.

Do not finish off

Edging~

*You will repeat on both short ends of the afghan

*Working on the wrong side, turn your project so you will be working down the side of the rows.

Row 1:  Ch 1, sc 91 evenly down the end of rows. = 91 sc

Row 2:  Ch 5(counts as trc + ch 1), turn, (trc, ch1, trc, ch 1, trc) all in the same st, sk 2 sts, sc in next st, sk 2 sts, *(trc, ch1, trc, ch1, trc, ch1, trc, ch1, trc) in next st, sk 2 sts, sc in next st, sk 2 sts*, repeat *to* 13 more times,  (trc, ch1, trc, ch 1, trc) in last st. = 14 shells,  2 half shells & 15 sc

Row 3:  Ch 1, turn, (sc,ch1,sc) in same st, *sk ch 1, (sc,ch1,sc) in next trc, sk st, (sc,ch1,sc) in next trc, sl st in next sc, {*(sc,ch1,sc)in trc, sk ch 1*, repeat * to * 3 more times, sk ch 1, (sc,ch1,sc) in next st, sl st in next sc}, repeat {to} 13 more times, (sc,ch1,sc) in next dc, sk ch 1, (sc,ch1,sc) in next trc, sk ch 1, (sc,ch1,sc) in last st. = 76(sc,ch1,sc)

Finish off

Join yarn on opposite end with wrong side facing at the top right edge.

Repeat rows 1-3.

Finish off.

Congratulations!!! You now have a Touch of Teal Afghan!!

Please make sure to share your finished projects on my Beatrice Ryan Designs Facebook Page... I love to see your work!!!!

Happy Crocheting!!

Elena


©Copyright 2017 Elena Hunt/Beatrice Ryan Designs.  All of my patterns and posts are my own work. Do not copy them in any way. If you want to share this information with someone, share the link to this post. If you want to share on your own blogwebsite or social media, then you may use the first photo in this post and link back to this post. You may not give away printed copies of this post. Thank you. This post may contain affiliate links/ads. If you purchase something from a link in this post, I may be compensated.


 

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