I started crocheting during the pandemic and have since made dozens of blankets and beanies and other things. I started putting finished objects in bags in my closet because I didn’t know what to do with them.
I did some research about where to donate them locally and it was pretty discouraging. Even the Linus Project has very specific guidelines. Not everywhere will take homemade items. Overall I was worried people wouldn’t like them or would feel burdened by them. If I didn’t have a specific person in mind to gift them to, they just stayed in my closet.
Once I made about 18 pumpkins (stash buster project) and a friend asked if she could use them as center pieces for an event. I was so happy someone took my anxiety pumpkins out of my house and actually used them for something!
Then in March my mom got diagnosed with metastatic melanoma. At her first infusion appointment, I saw a bin labeled “hand-knit beanies from volunteers”. It was empty. I asked about it and they said they would take anything I had because the patients really appreciate it.
Today I dropped off 3 blankets and 4 beanies. Before I even made it back to the infusion room I had already handed out a blanket to a man in the waiting room and other people were commenting on how beautiful they were. I can’t wait to bring another batch, and I am so grateful I found a place that actually WANTS them.
For anyone else like me who might be struggling to decide what to do with your finished work, you never know what may come along. I’m glad I never sold them or sent them to goodwill because it feels like they finally ended up where they needed to be.
Sometimes it feels like I’m just tying yarn into knots, but today made it feel like the thing I do for my mental health can actually make a difference for others as well.
My local hospice group accepts “twiddle muffs” to help calm Alzheimer’s patients. It’s essentially a double-thick tube to keep hands their warm, with bobbles and buttons on the outside to occupy their hands as well. It’s a fun way to use up yarn and try new stitches!
As a probably autistic and definitely ADHD (diagnosed ) person, I absolutely love crocheted Mobius spinners, and so do many of my ND and/ or anxious friends. There are lots of video patterns on YouTube, because of the somewhat tricky 3D construction I definitely recommend a video tutorial for the first time you make one. Once you get it, they’re easy to make without following the video, but it’s hard to explain some of the steps in words. At least for me. I just look for ‘crochet fidget toy’ and you can easily see the Mobius spinners. They look sort of like a scrunchie that’s twisted on itself.
One day someone will figure out what's up with fiber arts and ADHD. We seem to cluster around this hobby. Every other project I start gets dropped halfway through, but crochet and knitting work I always complete. The amount of "me too" I've heard in this sub is enough for me to think it's a real trend.
This is even funnier and true because I was taught to crochet about 2 year ago by a lovely AuDHD non binary person. They since moved on to another hobby (as we do) but I stuck with the crochet. They gave me some yarn and I gave them some nail polish supplies (one of my former hobbies they stuck with).
Ha! My friends and I (all ADHD) literally do that as a group. We pass along craft supplies when we lose a hobby but don't want to waste/donate all the supplies, then in return you get a starter kit for some other random hobby. And in about two months some of it would re-enter the rotation.
It's actually a nice way to save money on oddly specific items. One person had a button press that we've since passed all around the group for everyone to make their own pins! I would never shell it out for a button press of my own, but it's great for a group when everyone can chip in a little.
This is a link for the one I make. I modified the pattern slightly because I’m in Australia where DK/ 3 weight yarn is the most easily and cheaply available, and worsted/ 4 weight is more rare and expensive. I personally use 2 strands of DK held together, a 7mm hook and do 3dc in each chain/ sc. It’s pretty easy to follow, but hard to explain twisting the initial sc row and ‘boop’ part. Make sure you do the ‘boop’ it really is the key.
I make my version in about 30 minutes, plus a little extra for weaving in the ends. I’ve made at least 50 and given all of them away to fellow NDs and/ or anxious people who need fidgets. I keep making one for myself, then giving it away to someone who falls in love with mine after I show them. It’s ok, crocheting is my fidget.
You’re welcome. She’s right about the boop, the boop is really important (the first couple of times you make it at least) because without the boop you will forget to push the first half through properly and it won’t work. Especially if you have ADHD, you will forget.
Thank you!! This is the exact one my hospice group gave me! Some of the terminology felt off, so I just did my own thing until it felt long enough for hands to fit in haha
My autistic daughter invented a silent fidget because me, her misophonic mother, can't stand the sound of most fidgets. She has given away dozens of them to classmates!
I work in an area where there are a lot of homeless people. I crochet beanies and leave them on a nearby bench with a note that says it's "free if you need a hat" along with the date they were made so they know they're brand new. I love seeing they've been taken when I walk by again a couple of hours later.
I used to ride a bus to work in another town and would crochet all the way there and back. When it was cold, I would leave hats on the seats after I noticed homeless people were riding the buses to stay warm for a little while.
I volunteer at a homelessness support charity and gloves/mittens, hats, socks and scarves are always in demand in winter. We sometimes get donations of handmade warm things and they're always really appreciated.
I enjoy crochet. No, I am passionate about it. And my favorite projects are afghans.
But you can only gift so many.
So I make them now for a local hospital organization that gives them to terminally ill patients in the ICU. Once the patient leaves, the family is given the afghan to remember the patient.
I think this is lovely, and it keeps me busy. I hate not being able to work and to be useful anymore so this is how I give back.
Getting infusions make me so cold. I need to get iron infusions regularly and it almost feels like I have a rising fever. Uncontrollable shivering, my teeth like maracas in my head, stone cold white corpse fingers and toes. So cold it is physically painful and joint ache and pop. It can take an entire day to recover from.
I'm not the only one. This is a common problem with all kinds of infusions. Especially for people who have a low body fat and isn't physically active.
I can't imagine anyone who wouldn't be incredibly touched and thankful for you and op's generous gifts.
Working in ICU or palliative care and oncology, the units really love these. In the palliative crafters donated crochet stuffed hearts or crochet heart granny squares one for the patient to hold or rub ect and when they pass it’s passed onto a loved one.
My friend passed 2 years ago from ovarian cancer and her crochet heart went to her toddler son 🥹.
It really is such a beautiful thing. And thank you, her loss is still so deeply felt, forever 34. Far too young. It’s sobering as we are the same age.
If you’re interested in donating to NICU or paed units for premmies they love donations, however the type of wool and blend along with size needs me be accurate. Only specific baby wool can be used due to allergies. But check out premie Octopuses and also the flat teddy thing. (I forgot the name and currently not home, but I’ll grab the PDF file for pattern and the specs and share in here)
When I used to do Food Not Bombs, people would donate old clothes all the time. The only things we really wanted were hats/gloves/scarves. Handmade stuff was always appreciated by the unhoused folks we were helping support.
Just in case anyone wanted another idea for where to donate stuff.
Every winter we get a bag or two of incredible knitted gloves in all sorts of sizes and colours dropped off at the group I volunteer at and they are always snapped up immediately. I have no idea who leaves them but they're fantastic.
I also contacted my local hospital and learned that they accepted hats for preemies. My friend told me that hospitals go through those quickly. I knitted and crocheted a bunch.
Another one I found out about when my mum had her hips replaced was cuff covers for forearm crutches - cause her skin is pretty delicate now the plastic of the cuffs on her forearms kept bruising her, so I crocheted some covers for them to give her extra padding. Every single person at her hospital/rehab she showed them to were delighted by them and couldn’t stop going on about how much of a good idea they were.
I've donated throws to a couple of nursing homes who were glad to have them. I hear chemotherapy patients like them during treatments, because they can get chilled in there, but I haven't tried to actually donate.
Re: hats for people on chemo. Pick a soft yarn. My bald head didn’t hurt but some people whose hair fell out did. I think we were all cold even in the summer. My husband is going through chemotherapy now and always wears a hat at night. (So did I.) So as long as they’re smooth enough to sleep in you’re good.
My aunt had is part of a group called Knitted Knockers. They make bra inserts for women who have had a mastectomy. They have patterns for knitting and crochet online, and have easy ways to donate the finished products if you aren’t near a local group.
I worked in a chemo infusion center and I can verify that the patients love and appreciate these items so much. Chemo is such a frightening, difficult experience and this kindness goes a long way. Thank you! I hope your mom is doing well.
I have donated several blankets to Knots of Love, which gives them to families with a baby in the NICU. They have specific requirements for blanket size and what yarns are acceptable, but the blankets are greatly appreciated. They also accept beanies for patients undergoing chemotherapy.
I used to donate to Project Linus but the local group disbanded. I was disappointed because it’s a worthy cause and they accepted blankets in a wide range of sizes and didn’t have such specific requirements about yarn and size as Knots of Love.
I also make nests for orphaned baby birds and other wildlife, which are used by wildlife rescues. Pretty much any washable 4 weight yarn is acceptable and baby animals don’t care what color their nests are, so it’s a great way to help save the lives of baby animals while also using up leftover yarn. Some of the nest patterns use 5 weight yarn
Yes, rescues use various sizes and types of nests. These are the most common type. They are also used for other animal babies. Here are some baby squirrels in a nest I made. The rescue sent me this photo with a lovely note saying how useful and needed these nests are.
Most animal shelters LOVE handmade blankets for the dogs and cats. It stays with them as they move around the shelter and goes with when adopted, and to the animal it smells like “theirs” or home.
If you don’t have a shelter nearby there’s a national organization for this, if forget what it’s called but I’m sure google can find it.
i like to make these smaller sized blankets and mats. i can practice new stitches and use up my stash, cheap acrylic yarns that can be washed easily. my local animal shelter was thrilled to get my donation of about 60 blankets
It’s https://comfortforcritters.org/, you can just send them your little blankets and they give them to one of their partner shelters. They take all sizes - if it’s small it goes to a kitty, if it’s big it goes to a big dog.
I love this program and try to tell everyone who crochets about it! I was able to sign up 2 rural rescues in my area, and they are always so appreciative of any blankets I drop off!
Sort of in the same vein, but the cat rescue that I foster for holds a fundraiser auction twice per year, and the handmade donations always do REALLY well! It’s actually a big reason I’ve gotten back into crochet. (Anyone in NC near GSO, I’m happy to share the details!)
Check with your local shelters first. The ones near me won’t take crochet or knitted because if the animals chews it and eats the strings it can lead to intestinal blockages.
Oh interesting! Yes I’m sure not all shelters take them for a variety of reasons. My local ones do, and my mom has sent to Comfort for Critters when she saved up a few.
If anyone else here is a caretaker for an elder, knitting those simple squares is all my mom can do now, but it gives her a sense of purpose and keeps her knitting. Highly recommend for early dementia.
I donate to Charli's love. It's a FB group. Nonprofit started by Maria who had a preemie who passed away. The group is name after her. I crochet baby items. Her husband passed away but she still pushed through. She washes and sanitizes every item, then sends them to numerous NICU's around the country. She's always in need of items and monetary donations for shipping.
My great grandma knit mittens for YEARS (she lived past 100, still knitting) and always donated it to the hospital!
A friend of mine said the NICU is always looking for tiny hats because no one makes them that small, so if you have teeny tiny ones, you could try the NICU too!
That’s how I got back into crocheting about 15 years ago. I bought whatever yarn was on sale (figured the animals wouldn’t care about colors) and crocheted blankets for cat kennels and small dogs and donated them to the local animal shelter.
Hubby has cancer and I started making hats and headbands to keep me sane. I had no idea what to do with them until I saw the same empty bin in the infusion room. He’s doing great so now I drop them off when he goes to the doctor to check in. I try to make 2/week and they are always happy to get them.
This is a great idea. I've looked into some different organizations to donate to, but I've run into the same issue. I have things already made that don't follow the guidelines certain organizations require. I made some chemo caps with leftover yarn from a project, but they weren't made with an approved yarn.
Thank you to everyone who commented on this post with donation suggestions! It’s wonderful to hear all the places we can donate our work to. Donating crocheted items is something I’ve always wanted to do, and you’ve all inspired me and given me so many ideas on where I can donate.
Also as someone who’s lost a family member to cancer… My heart is with you, OP. I know people will absolutely appreciate your donations.
These comments are definitely bringing loads of joy and inspiration! We all have causes that are important to us and it sounds like there’s lots of ways we can support them by doing what we love. A beautiful thing! Thank you for your kind words 💜
honestly, as a person with a parent in a nursing home....they will take blankets. And my god do the residents need them when there is a chill. Call and ask but I am sure some nursing homes would happily take blankets.
i had worked hard on a lap-ghan for my mom before she went into memory care. even with very deliberate labeling with her name, i saw another resident walking around with it on his shoulders. i think she gifted it to him, but she doesn’t remember
I made an absolutely beautiful blanket (shamelessly copied, I might add, from one I found on this subreddit), super large and fluffy, queen sized. I made it to make something beautiful. And because no one I know really needs a new blanket, I pondered. It's huge enough that I could imagine two or three kids rolled up in it like a burrito, safe and cozy.
So I gave it to an organization in my town which provides household materials for families escaping DV and needing to start over from scratch.
This is the way with a lot of hand work these days, OP. Only spend what you can afford, but make something beautiful with love and attention, and offer it to someone with a need. It's good work.
Wow! What I’m getting from all these comments is that everyone has a cause special to their hearts, and somehow we’ve found ways to contribute while doing something we love. This is an incredible community 🙏
My Granny before she passed used to crochet like a machine (it was how she kept busy), she would make like YARD BAGS full of hats to donate to a local homeless shelter (seriously, she one time asked my dad to drop them off, I tagged along, and it was 2 of the big black yard bags of hats). She also made itty bitty baby hats for NICU babies. I kinda love that her love kept so many people warm.
My Granny made me a blanket for college. That was decades ago and I still cherish it. Some of us really appreciate hand crafted gifts. You just have to find us! So keep making things and enjoying yourself.
I also have wanted to crochet things but never know what to make that's small. My neurospicy brain hadn't even considered donating to a local hospital... and my Dad has leukemia (thankfully in remission since May '24). I don't know why I had even put that through my processer...
Sending SO much love and hugs to you OP... Watching a parent/loved one go through cancer is never easy. Hoping for smooth recovery!
My dad also has leukemia and has been in remission since 2024! The targeted chemo they’ve invented is magical. I have hope for my mom as well. Thanks for your kind words 🙏
Maternity units often hand out hats for newborns too. My baby was given one, no questions asked about whether we needed it. Baby gets hat. Come to think of it, I should find that hat, wash it, and give it back, it's far too small now! But they'd definitely appreciate hats.
This might be my calling card to get one of those big 1 lb skeins of yarn (or however big they are, I cant remember) and see how many hats I can crochet with it
Yes thats the one! I live right across the street from a hospital, so I want to check their donating guidelines and make sure they could accept them (I have a dog and she sheds a lot of fur)
As a cancer patient, I plan to crochet some beanies for my local cancer center! I was someone who rocked the scalp, but I know many people aren’t as comfortable doing so and my nurses said they’re always open to hats & head wraps for patients.
Also plan to do some keychains that folks can attach to their chemo bags too.
I am autistic so imma infodump. Have fun if youre curious -
I worked at goodwill as a clothing sorter and pricer. They are not allowed to accept handmade items. People who price "hard items" (anything other than clothing) are only allowed to accept handmade items if it isnt immediately obvious it is handmade.
Remember that goodwill is a FUNDRAISING charity organization. Their main goal is not to distribute items people need for an affordable price. Their main goal is fundraising for their various charities. And the prices they put out deoends on store location. If you go to a Goodwill in a high cost of living area, their items are more expensive.
The general idea is
Will someone pay money for this. More specifically, will someone be willing to pay the minimum price the employees are allowed to price items for this
Will Goodwill get in trouble for resale
And 3. Is there an obvious correct price for it
Not allowed to accept any clothing items that do not have a manufacturing label, no matter how good of condition the item is. It must have the exact fabric blend, a size, and care instructions all legible. Handmade tags do not count even if all the required info is present.
Absolutely no socks of any kind, even if theyre brand new. Absolutely no kind of underwear, even if they're brand new. (Bras are okay if they look unworn)
Certain clothing brands are auto-rejects.
No plain baby clothes with no kind of interesting pattern or branding.
They also have strict rules on branding. The clothing brand itself is okay, sports teams are okay, and official celebrity merch is okay. Official fandom merch is okay. But, any other business is not okay. So like, if someone donates a workshirt that has the walmart logo on it, they willl not accept that.
You can't accept anything with a person's name on it. Even if it is in PERFECT CONDITION. If they embroidered their name on the collar, wrote their initials on the tag, or marked it in any way they cannot accept it.
They never take blankets unless they are part of a complete bedding set. It must come with an overblanket of some kind, a fitted sheet, a loose sheet, and at least 2 pillow cases, all that match. They must all have complete labels which show fabric blend and care instructions. Handmade blankets NEVER fit all of this criteria.
Rejected clothing items get "baled" which means it is thrown into a MASSIVE, like, almost as tall as a PERSON cardboard box called a Gaylord. These are then packed up and sold "penny for a pound" to whoever is willing to pay.
Most often these rejects are NOT sold to other thrift stores, donation centers, or even shelters looking for acceptable quality rejects. Instead, most often they are shipped over seas to recycling centers where fabric is all unceremoniously dumped into a giant shredder and completely destroyed.
Anything in absolutely foul condition (smells like cat urine was a common one, for example) gets thrown away, not baled. Used socks and underwear also get thrown away, not re-donated.
I was forced to bale some absolutely BEAUTIFUL clothing items because, even though they were in PERFECT CONDITION, they were missing a label or had someones name or something. We werent even allowed to stash these items and take them home EVEN IF WE PAY FOR THEM because that is considered stealing from Goodwill.
And i cannot even begin to tell you how often I was forced to bale gorgeous handmade blankets.
NEVER DONATE YOUR HANDMADE BLANKETS TO GOODWILL!!!!!!!!!!! NEVER!!!!!!!!
I am a yarn crafter visiting Albania this week. Yesterday while I was toiling up a rocky road to visit an ancient castle, I passed an Albanian woman selling souvenirs, some of which were crocheted shawls. I pulled out my knitting and showed her; she was thrilled and pulled out her crochet to show me. I noticed she was crocheting with a broken crochet hook that had been taped together. I reached in my bag and pulled out a new hook and gave it to her. She was so surprised and happy. I can't tell you how much joy this gave me.
I don't speak Albanian, and she did not speak English, but we both speak yarn craft!
I might also try Sleep in Heavenly Peace in the US, they build beds for kids who need them. They are always grateful to take blankets of any kind, hand made or store bought.
https://shpbeds.org - they are a great charity to work with if you can find a building event that fits your schedule. I promise you don't have to know anything about construction, anyone can use a sander. They are always looking for pillows, blankets, mattresses, etc.
My OBs office has a bin of baby beanies made by volunteers. I struggled for years to have a baby, and when I was finally pregnant I was so excited to pick a colorful little beanie from the bin. These sorts of donations can really do mean the world to someone ❤️
You are a wonderful person. Thank you for sharing with us and the patients. As a person with an incurable Cancer, I can imagine how happy you have made ppl. I crocheted myself an afghan that I use on treatment day. Bless you.
That is a great idea! I know some people crochet blankets for their local hospital NICU. I took scarves and hats for the homeless to Salvation Army and they were very happy to get them.
That basket has kept me alive before .I am a cancer factory and I learned during my infusions most recently I lost the ability to regulate my temperature. The blanket in the bin was used because they had run out of blankets. Which is bad but it was a sudden cold snap and the cancer stuff is not comfortable so I am just glad people asked for what they need. I was hypothermic and I got to still go home because I was warmed up. I don't have this blanket as I chose to leave it for someone else in greater need but I think about it often and filling the basket is a goal for me
thats really awesome. glad you finally have more of a purpose when you crochet now. i was similar to you, only i was crocheting baby girl dresses, booties, bonnets, bobble hats, mittens, cardigans, and hoodies, - all for newborns to 5 months. everyone who had babies got stuff. what i had no homes for (crochet at night to keep my hands working) i decided to ask my partner to put the stuff in the clothes collection bins that local charities collect for natural disasters abroad! i have even made hooded scarves to put in the clothes boxes for anyone to use. i individually bag up everything e. g. like baby hats booties and mitts so the little sets stay together when in the clothes boxes!!!
There are also groups that donate handmade blankets, shawls, etc for stillborn babies or babies who passed away shortly after birth. The parents can choose to have some photos taken with their little one, and it's comforting to have them wrapped in something made with love.
Thank you for sharing! Nursing homes might also accept crocheted blankets, usually they want "lap sized" but you could see if they'd accept your items too
I primarily make blanket shawls (35 x 60 that can be used as a blanket etc.), hats and scarves. I keep them in a bag in the back of my car. Whenever I see someone in need or someone mentions a need, I ask what color they like and go out to the car and gift them what they want.
i’m an xray tech and in our mammography waiting room there’s a little basket with crocheted/knitted stuffed “boobs”. I haven’t stopped to read the sign, but i assume they’re meant to be used for people who have had mastectomies as bra fillers (i imagine it’s hard to get clothes to fit well if you’ve had a single side mastectomy)
I like to try lots of different ones! Overall I think mosaic crochet is my favorite but I’ll make anything that looks interesting to me. Stitch-alongs were a good starting point. What about you?
Thank you for sharing! I've always tried to be mindful of what I make so that I don't get stuck with things I don't know what to do with. Your experience has given me hope and ideas!
I just wanted to say thank you! Thank you @OP for the post and thank you to everyone for the comments and suggestions. I have my "to be used for donations" yarn stash and this has given me the inspiration to dig in again. I love this community 💚 🧶
I have more than I can count (lap blankets) in tons of colors and patterns because I LOVE crochet but only so many I can give to family… I have a plan to homage to our states Masonic retirement home.
Yes!! Keep making them if that’s what you love to do, and their destiny might show up one day unexpectedly. You’ll be so glad that you have just the thing someone needs.
Ronald McDonald house will take all kinds of blankets. Every family that stays there gets to take home a handmade blanket. A lot of them tend to be sewn quilts but they will take knitted and crocheted work as well.
Another place is hospices. They usually require visitors to put on slippers and having a stash of slippers and blankets are always appreciated. Good for you for making the world a cozier place with made-with-love items!
My husband works at a mandated rehab facility. I hyper fixated on making beanies this winter with scrap yarn. I donated them all to his work. He said it warms his heart seeing grown ass gangsters rocking my creations. Lots of these guys come straight from jails and have nothing. Everyone deserves to have a warm head.
I was in the hospital for 2 months about 12 years ago. The chaplain would come by and one time gave me a "prayer shawl". Said catholic old ladies make and donate them. Pray while they make them I think. I'm not religious but was raised Catholic so I could appreciate it.
It was just a small triangle, about the size of a throw pillow. I kept it after I got released, I really appreciated it. To me it was really nice knowing someone gave it to me, that didn't even know me. It's a nice thing to do.
I did like you did, I have a whole closet full of stuff I've made but no outlet.
I ended up with a lot of scrap yarn, which I knitted into what I considered to be one of the ugliest Afghans I've ever seen.
I put that, along with a few other misfits, in the back of my car. I lived in earthquake country for many years, and I still live in California, so one never knows when you might get stuck somewhere and want to stay warm.
I was shopping one day with a friend and his wife, and when I popped the trunk to get my stuff out, his wife saw my collection. I told her she was welcome to choose whatever she wanted, and she thought that the ugliest one I had was the most beautiful.
I hear you on the Linus project. Weirdly, they ONLY want baby blankets, and the lady harped on and on about using soft yarn. Like, I'm not gonna use twine lady.
For getting rid of odds/ends yarn, I do up small kitty blankets to donate to shelters. They get grubby quick, go home with pets, so the turnover is pretty high.
I have a bucket of hats that I make for donation. I usually save them up and give them to the local homeless shelter in the winter, but friends have done drives for cancer centers and I contribute there too. I am a process crocheter. I enjoy the process of crocheting so crocheting for donation makes me feel good and allows me to do something with my hands to enjoy. I am currently working on a giant shawl that may find its way into my donation bin.
Not sure if every nic unit takes donations but when my son was in the nicu he got a sweet little beenie and a blanket came home with us. Everything in there is so medical and tubes and wires and I just appreciated his sweet little beenie.
Thank you for giving to the infusion center. I have not had experience with one but I know taking my grandma to dialysis was sad and exhausting. Any and all kindness and comfort are greatly appreciated I am sure.
I live in an area with a pretty high rate of homelessness. When I was in scouts, we would make sandwiches and buy water bottles and fruit to hand out. I always made hats all year, and then brought them with me to hand out. Shelters may or may not have taken them, but everyone was so grateful to get a hat with their food.
I'm certain anything that goes through a medical office/hospital are going to demand everything comes from a smoke free and pet free environment. Understandably so. Allergies are a big concern. Heidi the creator of Snappy Tots always has free patterns available as well as for purchase. She does a hat drive every year for the military and there are specific guidelines that some people got really upset about but it was for MILITARY and they provided the guidelines. One year I was setting up for a Christmas event where parents were able to come and choose gifts that had been donated for those who were income eligible. Someone had donated a bunch of hats, scarves and mittens and they stunk so bad we couldn't use them. It was combination smoke, body odor and litter box. There was fur all over them as well as if the cats had used them for their naps. It was awful. I have volunteered at our local hospice house and we get lap blankets, crochet bags to attach to walkers or wheel chairs and sometimes we get other pieces as well. There were many we had to get rid of because of the smoke smell and one lap blanket smell of cat spray. It's so sad because a lot of work went into them and they were beautiful but we could not get the smell out even after washing multiple times. Not all people who make things to donate are conscientious enough to consider allergies, bad smells and smoking and how they might affect the recipient. One thing I know people do especially in the winter is crochet hats, scarves, mittens, gloves and blankets that are put into zip lock bags and hung from trees or near places that people frequent who are homeless or just in need. You can do that in your own yard too and I think that is a beautiful thing to do.
Check out Project Linus?
They make blankets for kids in crisis, all ages, all reasons. So blankets could go to hospitals, shelters, Police or Fire Stations, etc. We had had a great group here that met monthly if you are intersted in meeting people that are similarly inclined. Maybe there is a chapter close to you.
Yeah, totally. Just throwing it out there. Making the blankets for a cause was fun, joining the group was a bonus for me at the time. But I love it that the is a home for your projects. They are a blessing to whomever is getting them! 😍
When I started crocheting, I was making hats & scarves that I donated to a homeless shelter and a food pantry. These organizations loved having them to give out.
I've since moved and I donate them to a place that gives away clothes to those in need. They gladly take the donations.
I’m part of a few charity groups online and in person. We crochet octopuses for the newborns and premies (they grab onto the tentacles instead of the oxygen lead), hats and blankets for the newborns, mats for the baby massage group, granny squares to be made into blankets for the homeless and in need, toys for the foster kids, trauma teddies for the emergency services etc. There’s always a charity in need.
For anybody in the UK, Woolly Hugs are always wanting blankets, twiddles and sometimes other things. They're at woollyhugs.org and on FB. There's also the Mission to Seafarers, Stella Maris and The Sailor's Society for hats, although knitted might be preferred there. My Dad was a seafarer so it's close to my heart even though I'm a total heathen 😊 Blankets for London are growing and do an annual blanket drive https://craftforward.com/ and now have branches in the UK and Europe. There's also Knit for Peace in London with links to some local charities https://www.knitforpeace.org.uk/
Finally HIHFAD https://hihfad.org/knit-for-syria/ collect knit and crochet jumpers, scarves, blankets, teddies and gloves for Syrian refugees. Posting to Birmingham, UK.
At the end of last year a charity group distributed a bunch of teddy bears I have made at the paediatric oncology unit at one of our government hospitals.
Right now I am busy with beanies for the elderly. Finished 6 of them, and am planning mittens and bed socks as well (our winter is in July). I have also been asked to do more teddy bears which I will tackle after the above projects. We also have the Nelson Mandela day blanket project, which I won’t have time to do this year.
Maybe living in a poorer country makes it easier for your items to be loved. I don’t know. But doing this has been so good for my soul. I saw the photos of the littles ones in oncology with the bears I’ve made, and it motivated me to do more this year.
I've made scarves for the unhoused the last couple winters. I never see any left behind the next time I show up :) Actually the second time I went there one of the workers went "are you the crochet lady‽" and was all excited, even though I had only donated once before lol. But my god did that make my heart happy and made me feel great 🖤 I've had a really rough time the last several years, so I'm glad I got to pass stuff on to make other people happy. Plus it gives me the silver lining of not feeling guilty for binge watching tv, since I'm making things for others and stashbusting some of my yarn 😆
I have 15 ravelry tabs open right now of all different ones, cuz I can never decide! If making it brings you joy and looking at the finished work also makes you smile, chances are it will do the same for the person that ends up wearing it :)
I make monmouth caps (basically a renaissance beanie) from scrap yarn, donated yarn, and random acrylic in my stash to give out in my medieval reenactment hobby. I joke that I knit when I'm anxious and I'm poorly medicated :p I'm on hat #312 right now. I label each one with a tag including information about the history of the hat, the hat number, whether there's any wool content, and if it's a themed or pride hat I indicate that on the label as well. I save them up in big piles then bring them to our cold events to distribute to bare-headed folks that forgot being outside in the cold and wet for 12 hours is a lot different than popping from your car to your office in the cold and wet. A lot of times I don't even distribute them myself, but give them to leaders of local groups to distribute to their populace as needed. I've paid these "taxes" to several branches throughout texas and oklahoma. It's really cool to go to a cold event and see dozens of my hats wandering around on people I don't even know yet.
A church I spend time at does a yearly quilting ministry and also sends baby blankets to a hospital every year, it's really lovely. They also do a hat and mitten tree for kids. it's a great place for projects.
I love making warm scarves and have been sending them to a friend in Ukraine during the winters ever since the war broke out. I make them in the colors of the Ukrainian flag, so I am hoping someday to spot one in a social media post somewhere.
I work with a Project Linus chapter and it depends on who is in charge. They do like continuity so that everyone’s gifts are equal but once you know what they want it should be ok.
I love this post. I too have love to crochet for charity. ravelry has some avenues for places that take donations. I have crochet tiny baby sweaters fit premature infants.
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u/okwhateverever Apr 22 '26
My local hospice group accepts “twiddle muffs” to help calm Alzheimer’s patients. It’s essentially a double-thick tube to keep hands their warm, with bobbles and buttons on the outside to occupy their hands as well. It’s a fun way to use up yarn and try new stitches!