Big 10 Knit-a-Long: Announcing the Charity!

I'm so excited! I just got off the phone with the Carolina Youth Development Center here in Charleston, and y'all, when I say this is the perfect fit for our Big 10 Knit-a-Long for Charity, I am not even kidding! (You can tell how excited I am about it because I sound all Texan...)

In case you're just now hearing about the Big 10 Knit-a-Long, here's what's what:

Last month I kicked off a year long celebration of my 10 year knitting anniversary--a charity knitting project that knitters (and crocheters) anywhere can participate in. Using the format set up by Warm Up America, we will be making afghan blocks that will then be sewn together to make blankets. Each block will need to be 7" x 9" and we need 49 blocks per blanket, which we will create during our sewing up party at the end of the year. (For sign up form and FAQs, read this post. For the first 2 free patterns, read this one. If at any time you need to catch up with all the Knit-a-Long action, just type in "knit-a-long" on the search bar at the bottom of this page.)

Until this afternoon, we had everything necessary to make this a great project: patterns, knitters, and tons of enthusiasm. What we needed was a charity and I'm delighted to tell you that now we've got that, too!

The Carolina Youth Development Center is celebrating an anniversary this year as well, but theirs is A LOT more impressive than mine! They were founded in 1790 as the Charleston Orphan House and have been helping kids for 225 years (!!!).  As I have studied the history of this area, I have heard about the Orphan House and some of the great work they have done over the years, providing housing and more for children in need. And now we can partner with them! I did say I was excited, right??

You're going to be hearing more about this awesome organization over the coming months, but for now let me leave you with this...they have a wish list on their website, with current and ongoing needs for the kids who come through the houses they run. At any given time they can have 20-30 children between the ages of 2 and 18, and they always like to give them blankets, pillows, hygiene items (bar soap, toothpaste, body wash) and basics like underwear, socks and a current big need--plain white t-shirts in any sizes. Even if you're not a knitter, you can help! If you would like to donate things to the Center, I will take wish-list items by there as often as necessary. Contact me through this website or the Facebook page and we'll arrange to get your donations from you.

And of course, you can knit! The next pattern(s) will be available soon. In the meantime, the link above has the first two patterns. If you crochet or want to just knit your own patterns, make sure they measure 7" x 9" and are knit from easy-care acrylic. I have just recently tried KnitPicks Brava worsted weight 100% acrylic and I adore it, but you can use any acrylic you have handy.  Holler if you have any questions, and honestly, isn't it great to be a knitter?