Knitting for Charity
One of the wonderful ways to give back to your
community is with your craft. The list below are places
in the Seattle area where you can volunteer your time
to teach knitting or donate your knitted projects and
supplies. There is also information on international
organizations you can donate your projects and supplies
to.
TBT Fiber Arts Group
TBT Fiber Arts Group encourages anyone in the
community who is interested in making fiber art
items for local Seattle charities to join. We are
a fun, friendly and laid-back group of women who
get together approximately four times a month to
work on our projects. In addition we participate
in local events such as Stitch n' Pitch and the
LYS Tour. Our primary goal is to create items for
local charities though you are welcome to bring
whatever project you are working on. This group
is supportive of all types of fiber arts and we
will do our best to help teach you if you are new
to a particular craft.
We are currently making the following items for
Overlake and Chidlren's Hospital and Tent City 4.
We will wash, bag & deliver items you make at
no charge. Please contact us for more
information if you are interested in joining
or donating items to these charities.
Knit for Life
Knit for Life™ is a network of volunteers who
use the healing experience of knitting to enhance
the lives of cancer patients and their caregivers
during treatment and recovery. It provides a
program of instruction for beginning and
experienced knitters in a nontraditional
therapeutic environment.
Through knitting, patients escape isolation as
they share their experiences and concerns. They
receive both mental and physical support, and
they learn about the cancer process in ways that
help support thoughtful decision-making and
self-advocacy.
For more information, contact Tanya Parieaux at
206-938-9081 or e-mail her or visit their
website.
Helping Hands
This is an after school mentoring program
teaching young children knit and crochet skills
at Olympic View Elementary School in Seattle.
Program also accepts donations of money and/or
yarn. You can volunteer on a semester by semester
basis.
For more information, call 503/325-4749 or email
via their website. You can also write
to Helping Hands, P.O. Box 813, Astoria,
Oregon 97103.
Northwest Wings of Love
Northwest Wings of Love knits, crochets, sews,
etc. for Pacific Northwest charities. People who
knit, sew and crochet visit our site for ideas
where to volunteer in the Pacific Northwest
(Oregon, Washington, Idaho, British Columbia,
Alaska and Yukon). We need your information to
help them out!
For more information, contact Nan Hawthorne at
(425) 398-3741 or visit their website.
FamilyWorks
This knitting group knits items for homeless children. All levels of knitters welcome. They meet every Tuesday from 11a-12p at the Wallingford Community Center on 1501 N. 45th in Seattle. For more information, call Nazneen D'souza at 675-0501.
Phinney Friends
Friends meets weekly on Thursday mornings from
10-11:30 to crochet and knit lap robes and shawls
for nursing home patients. Anyone is welcome to
knit or crochet with them and/or donate acrylic
yarns. For more information, call 206/782-6232.
Building A of the Phinney Neighborhood Center
6532 Phinney Ave. N, Seattle 98103
Overlake Cancer Research Center
This group in Bellevue sponsors a group knitting project for persons interested in knitting chemo caps for cancer patients. All knitters are most welcome to participate. Volunteers are free to come for an hour or two if they wish — it is not necessary to stay for the entire time. The chemo cap pattern is provided, as well as the yarn but donations are always welcome. Bring a pair of circular needles. Help with the pattern is available. The group meets every Wednesday and Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Cancer Resource Center, 1135 - 116th NE., Suite 240, Bellevue. If you have questions call the Overlake Cancer Resource Center at 425-688-5986 and ask about the chemo caps knitting circle.
Warming Families
Warming Families can help you put your knitting, crocheting and quilting skill to good use by giving handmade afghans, shawls, crib quilts, other warming items to kids, adults and seniors in local shelters and senior programs. They also accept donations of your leftover and overrun yarn, fabric and tools. Warming Families is an all volunteer not-for-profit organization with dozens of local chapters. For more information, visit their website and to locate other Warming Families Coordinators in the Puget Sound area or email Dianne Krueger on how to get started.
Noel House or Rose of Lima House
Noel House programs are a
network of emergency shelters for single women
in Seattle. They are the largest women-only
shelter provider in Seattle, giving shelter
and referrals to over 200 women each night.
Rose of Lima House offers
up to two years of transitional housing to 13
single women at a time, with intensive case
management and life skills training to help
women get back on their feet and find
permanent housing, permanently.
For more information, contact Dorothy Finlay,
Fund Developer at 206-956-9366. Or write to:
Noel House Programs/Rose of Lima House
120 Bell Street
Seattle, WA 98121
Open Hands Relief in Albania
You can make a difference in the lives of needy children in Albania through Open Hands Relief, a non-profit organization. Please e-mail Teresa Ost or call her at 206-898-7637 if you'd like to donate: hats, mittens or other items.
Afghans for Afghans
This group collects knit and crocheted
blankets, hats, socks, mittens and sweaters to
send to Afghan refugees displaced in Tajikistan.
Shipping dates are updated regularly and found on
the website as are details such
as color, materials, design suggestions and
patterns.
For more information, you can e-mail them or write to them
at:
Afghans for Afghans
c/o American Friends Service Committee
Collection Center
65 - 9th St., San Francisco, CA 94103
The Dulaan Project: Knitting to Warm Mongolia
You may use whatever yarn and colors you like.
There is a need for hats, mittens, socks, neck
gaitors, scarves and sweaters for all ages from
babies to adults - especially for children ages
2-10. Think warmth and simplicity. Links to
knitting patterns, including pattern for
double-thick fleece blankets that require no
knitting or sewing.
When packing your items, write down your name and
address, as well as the number of and types of
items in the box, on a piece of paper. Put the
paper into an envelope and tape envelope securely
to the box.. Please put this information inside
an envelope, and tape it securely to the outside
of the box.
Send your items to The Dulaan Project, F.I.R.E.,
107 N. San Francisco St., Studio 4, Flagstaff, AZ
86001. All items received by July 1 will be
shipped to Mongolia on July 15. F.I.R.E.
voluteers will personally distribute them in
Mongolia in the fall. For more information see
their website.
Stitches from the Heart
Stitches from the Heart is a non-profit
charity, collects booties, blankets and hats for
infants and sends them to hospitals in the United
States from over 2,000 members.
To join the mailing list, call, write or donate a
baby hat, booties, blanket or sweater. The group
also publishes a newsletter free of charge to new
members. For more information, e-mail them or write to:
"Stitches from the Heart"
3306 Pico
Santa Monica, CA 90405
Special Knitting Forces
Special Knitting Forces collects hand-knit items for babies and children in Afghanistan. Free patterns are provided on its website, as well as other information.
Rosehedge
Rosehedge is an HIV and AIDS housing and
health care residence. They welcome knitted
donations for residents, especially machine
washable afghans and socks and slippers sized for
men. For more information, call 206/365-6806 or
mail or deliver items to:
Rosehedge
12718 - 15th NE
Seattle, 98125
Church of Mary Magdalene
The Church of Mary Magdalene is a congregation for women, striving to be safe, accepting, caring, loving, sharing, supportive, and therapeutic. It is for women who are struggling to be free from multiple difficulties, including homelessness, poverty, and abusive treatment. It is ecumenical and non-denomination. All women, with or without Christian faith, are welcome. As part of their therapeutic program, the women enjoy doing crafts including knitting and crocheting. Many of them make and sell things at Bazaars and Craft Shows around the Seattle area, generating in a small income for themselves. They depend on the generosity of others to supply most of the materials which they use. The Church is located in the basement of the First United Methodist Church at Fifth & Columbia in Seattle (alley entrance off Columbia Street). If you have any questions, or materials that you wish to donate, please e-mail Ginger Beasley or call her at (425) 827-0275.
Angeline's Center for Homeless Women
Angeline's Center for Homeless Women provides hygiene, meals, medical care and mental health counseling, as well as activities, in a nurturing community environment open to all women. Several of the women started a knitting and crocheting circle, which has grown into an all embracing community activity. Women can be found working on their projects all through the day. The self-esteem, socialization skills and sense of belonging this has created has lead to changes in many women's lives. The original donation of yarn which made this possible is depleted. To keep this activity going, we are seeking donations of yarn, crochet hooks and knitting needles. Angeline's Center for Homeless Women is located at 2030 3rd Ave. between Virginia and Lenora in downtown Seattle (a block north of the Bon). For more information or to make a donation, call the Resource Coordinater at (206) 436-8672.
