Archive for August 2nd, 2010

Donating Your Extra Yarn

August 2nd, 2010 by Zontee

A few weeks ago, I was talking to my mom’s best friend, Shirley. Like many avid knitters and crocheters, she’s been collecting yarn for years, buying a few balls here and there, saving them for the day she can put them to good use. But lately, Shirley told me, she’s just feeling overwhelmed by the boxes of yarn she’s got in her closet, and she really wants to get rid of some of them that are no longer her style. But of course, she said, she feels like it would be a waste to throw her skeins and balls and hanks away.

“Donate them!” I told her.

There are so many organizations that knit & crochet for charity, make prayer and healing shawls for people in their local organizations, teach children and young adults to knit and crochet–and they can all benefit from the yarn that you no longer want.

On YarnCraft, our radio-style podcast, my co-host Liz & I have discussed this topic a few times and we suggest contacting your local schools to see if the arts programs and/or after school programs can put your yarn to good use. Local organizations or church groups who do craft drives are another good place to start.

Finally, we suggest checking the Lion Brand Charity Connection for organizations making things with yarn–we at Lion Brand hear from charity organizations all the time, and especially in this economy, your yarn can be a great boon to charities all over the world.

Click here to search the Charity Connection database.

How have you used yarn to give to others? Leave a comment and tell us about it.

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