Warming up Winter

My favorite things to crochet, back before I became a crazy busy designer, were items for charitable giving. Everything from hats and scarves for the homeless shelter to preemie caps for Save the Children.  There were also a few child’s blankets in there for Project Linus.

Recently I learnt about a small organization in Massachusetts that helps get hats, scarves and mittens to various charitable groups in their region and they teach crochet and knitting.  They are called “Warmer Winters”, because New England winters can get bitterly cold.

Currently they are a bit low on donations to send out. They especially need Adult sized scarves and hats.  They can always use all sizes of mittens (adults, children & babies) as well as Hats and Scarves.

Donated items can be crocheted or knit, just need to be made in easy-care materials. No animal fibers to avoid any allergy issues.  If you don’t have time to crochet or knit an item but want to donate yarn for their teaching programs they prefer bulky and worsted weight acrylic yarns.

You can mail donations to:

Warmer Winters

22 Hill Top Drive

Leominster, MA  01453

If you need an Adult hat pattern you can adapt my Little Bitty Noggin Cap pattern.  Use worsted weight yarn with an H (5mm) hook and work additional increase rounds until the diameter measures approximately 7″, then work even rounds until the measurement from the crown is 12 inches, work 1 or 2 more inches of alternating hdc post st ribbing and you have a hat that will fit most adult heads. This is my basic “go-to” hat pattern and it makes a nice stretchy hat.

Simple Double Crochet Scarf

This simple scarf uses worsted weight yarn with a size I-9 (5.5mm) hook. My gauge is 3.5 dc sts = 1″ & 2 dc rows = 1.25″. Finished scarf is 8″ wide and can be worked to desired length. The turning chains are left as a decorative edging and not worked into.

Foundation: Start with a chain of 29, sc in back bump of 2nd ch from hook and in each chain to beginning of chain [28 sc]. If you are comfortable with the foundation single crochet (fsc) make 28 for your starting row instead.

Row 1: Ch 3, turn, work a dc in the first st and each st across [28 dc, 1 ch3].

Row 2 and following rows: Repeat Row 1.

For a 4′ long scarf work 76 rows, for a 5′ long scarf work 95 rows, for a 6′ long scarf work 114 rows. My sample in the photo was 84 dc rows.

Finishing Row: Ch 1, sc in each st across leaving ch-3 un-worked. Fasten off, weave in ends.

If sending items to Warmer Winters isn’t in the budget for you, but you want to help out, look for organizations in your locale that need items. Remember to contact them before sending stuff to see what they are needing and any restrictions.