8th Day of Sock Yarn

On the eighth day of sock yarn, Simply Sock Yarn gave to me... two skeins of Qing Fiber Super Soft Sock!

To have a chance at two skeins of this supple cashmere sock blend with new colors coming thru Customs as soon as today, simply answer the following question in the comments below:

Tell me about an organization or group that you like to donate to or spend time making things for. We all have different ways we show care and love to people, and perhaps what you do for others will inspire me and readers to take on another way to help those around us.

I donate time and money to the Community Harvest Foodbank of NE Indiana. My kids spend time at local food banks and I've been there with them as well. My mind just can't tolerate the idea that there are hungry children and I try to put in as much time and money as I can. It's never enough though. I don't ever feel like I've done enough.

This year my family and I also adopted a boy my sons' age to act as Secret Santa, and while I'm glad I did it and I will continue to do it, I feel sad. I think about all that I should be doing more of to help others and it never quite feels like enough. It just makes me feel small and selfish for having so much and giving so little. So I just keep adding my little bit of help to the problem and I hope that others add their little bit of help and eventually together we all make a big impact somewhere. I think that's something that knitters as a community relate to. Perhaps it's something about the thousands of tiny stitches it takes to make a garment.... we just keep tinking along until we see results, knowing that the cumulative effect over time will get us where we want. So maybe someday if we just keep giving and giving of ourselves we do impact someone or some people in a lasting way.

I want to share with you something particularly touching from Vicki who has been a supporter of the shop for many years. I have her permission to share this, and I've been waiting for a time when the most amount of people read the blog because it really is beautiful. When our lives seem hectic and our world seems divided, stories like this make me feel better about the humans that surround me. That strength and grace that can come from her hurt and pain is a lesson that Vicki can teach all of us.

Today should be my granddaughter, Éowyn's 7th birthday. She died 2018 from dipg, which is a form of brain cancer. She received excellent care at Children's Mercy Hospital.
We started a toy drive last year to honor her memory and collect toys and craft supplies for the hospital. I decided that I would knit bunnies to donate and I used Opal, Miss Babs, and Knitterly Things yarn along with Susan's pattern, Mini Sock Yarn Bunny.
Attached you will find pictures of the bunnies and the tag that I attached to each of them. I thought you might like to see what your yarn has created!
Vicki

Comments

[Nicole Acuna]

I love knitting for our local homeless shelter for families and my local hospital’s NICU. I try to do everything I can to give back to the community :)

[Yvonne Evans]

The last couple of years at xmas I donate hats and scarves to the Elks my mom is a member of. They take those items and give it to needie families. I like knowing some little kid wears my hats etc.

[Ann]

We contribute to the local Freestore/Foodbank as well as SPCA all year round. We are blessed & have a responsibility to share.

[Mindy ZW]

I knit prayer shawls for my church. Donate to other groups throughout the year. I also quilt and donate to charities thru my quilt guild.

[Terri Kelly]

I have knitted preemie hats and preemie cardigans and donate to UCONN Neonatal Center.
I also love to knit socks and give them to my family, friends and special people that are talented like my honey beekeeper, my local farm that supplies creamline milk and artisan chocolates, some shop keepers that supply me with ice cream and homemade bread etc. just as a thank you for the special things they create.

[Judy]

I donate to Brother's Brother Foundation. They serve people throughout the United States and other countries.

[Mary Schreiner]

I have a son, daughter and son-in-law in the Navy and I love making watchman caps and sending them out to their ship mates over the holidays.

[Mel]

Right now I'm focused on a couple local issues: homelessness and air quality. My government has shut down the biggest homeless shelter in the state so many are without beds this winter, and on top of that the police have been more aggressive about breaking up camps and stealing unhoused people's property, so we need a constant stream of donations of coats and blankets and other personal items. Also I live in a mountain valley so every winter we get bad inversions, and the government is basically ignoring the health risks. So I'm doing a lot of political action about that and also raising money for air filtering masks for at-risk populations. I'm a big believer in not only donating or doing charitable work but also political action that addresses the root of the problem.

[Sarah]

What a beautiful tribute to Eowyn. I knit a baby sweater and stuffed gnome for a fundraiser for GiveHear, a nonprofit hearing office in Fort Wayne that works to ensure that no person is prevented from communication/hearing healthcare due to financial barriers. The donation was able to raise some money in a silent auction to support GiveHear's work. I work with these patients and it is so humbling to be apart of the service to these individuals!

[Litterairy]

I knit knitted knockers for our local breast cancer center. I've also made fun knockers for their annual contest. This year I made a coconut bra out of knitted knockers. My group also makes lots of baby hats for NICU babies and chemo patients.

[SallyG]

Through our church we donate to our local Food Bank. Once a month, our church hands out grocery bags for us to take and bring back full the next Sunday. Our goal is that no family in our county ever goes hungry. We also donate money to several sponsored church projects throughout the year as our church works through mission groups here at home, Norman,OK, Haiti and Guatemala.

[Karen]

I enjoy making Knitted Knockers for women to wear after breast cancer surgery.

[Heather J]

I have never knitted for an organization. I have donated food stuffs to the local food bank drive. This is a great story and the comments are so encouraging. There has to be something local I can knit for.

[Shirley Plummer]

I knit hats for the Oncology clinic. I’ve been through chemo so it makes me feel good to maybe brighten someone’s day.

[Joyce]

What a beautiful story. I’ve done different things throughout the years. I’ve made Awesome Breastforms for mastectomy and explant patients; I’ve made hats; blankets; donated handmade items to silent auctions. This year, I crocheted a unicorn stuffy for one of the children in a family we adopted at work.

[Dana]

We love to volunteer at Mitzvah Circle Foundation in Philadephia, which provides material goods (including clothes, school supplies, kitchenware) to families in need.

[sharon o'donnell]

One year my son and I volunteered at a food bank. Last year my husband and I volunteered at a food pantry. We join a running group through the local hospital system (hosted by a cardiologist) and every year there are volunteer opportunities.

[Naomi J in OK]

My quilting group makes quilts for our local hospital and women's shelter. I hope to find out about places that would like knitted items as my yarn stash is now big enough that it needs to be used :)

[Cathy]

I donate to a weekend food fund for kids in my school district. It saddens me to know that in our country, many kids do not have adequate food, esp on weekends!

[Cindy]

I've donated squares to charity blanket projects in the past, but haven't done this in a while. This thread is inspiring me to do something like this again!

[Merrill]

I knit and donate Knitted Knockers for breast cancer patients. Also knitted hats for Christmas at Sea,part of Seamen's Church Institute.

[Jane]

I volunteer for a health-related charity organisation and this month I helped 3 young friends to raise over $700 for a charity that supports homeless young people.

[Geraldine Scott]

We donate to an organization called "The Banquet" here in our town. It provides three meals a day for families that need to choose between feeding their family or paying their bills, because they can't afford to do both. Different groups from the area volunteer to go in and help prep, serve, and clean up. It is truly a blessing for both sides....

[MarthaO]

I knit hats for kids living in shelters and occasionally knit stump socks for veterans who are amputees.

[Kate]

Vicki's story is so bittersweet - what a lovely thing to do in her granddaughter's honor. My husband's office adopts a local family in need each Christmas so we donate to that in some way- this year with a gift card so that the husband could get the tools and gear he needed to take care of things around their house. We are also monthly donators to multiple causes that provide drinking water, protect the environment and public lands and also that help support environmentally forward thinking entrepreneurial causes. I don't normally knit for causes but have definitely donated knit items that didn't work for the intended recipient to our thrift store that supports our local animal shelter.

[Dana Snyder]

I support a child from Indonesia through compassion. I was an exchange student there when I was just out of high school so I have a soft spot for Indonesia and the people who love there. I donate things locally too for students who may not have food on the weekends. They send a bag of food home with these students so they have something to eat at home. I don’t knit much for charity but I have donated hats for a Relay for Life fundraisers.

[Joanne]

I am also a quilter. I sew NICU quilts for Woman's Hospital in Baton Rouge. I started when Hurricane Katrina hit and a news article asked for blanket donations. The unit was overwhelmed with preemies. It is a chance for me to give back.

[Diane]

I participate in Alternatve Gift Fair where you can donate profits from sales to your charity. I sell a few knitted items and donate to my synagogue.
Nothing like Vicki....that is amazing.

[Charissa]

Our local knitting group has crafted little red caps/bonnets for National Wear Red Day. These were given out to many infants born in hospitals across the U.S. in February — designated as American Heart Month. Infants received the cute accessories as part of the "Little Hats, Big Hearts" project, which draws attention to heart disease. Participating in this project has encouraged me to seek out other opportunities to support our community with knitted or crocheted items.

[Susan]

It’s heartbreaking to hear about children who have suffered, the tribute to this lady’s granddaughter is both heartwarming and inspiring. Her story will encourage me to knit more for charity, every year I knit a few toques and mittens for our local hospital “Mitten Tree”. The mostly hand made mittens, toques and scarves decorate a Christmas tree in the hospital atrium, then the items are donated to families in need.

[Nicole S]

I sometimes knit baby socks for my local NICU (they don’t use them at the hospital but I’m told they like to send people home with something handmade). I make financial contributions to some organizations as well, but not always the same ones - most recently it was to Ducks Unlimited, who are working to protect wetlands in our area.

[Kim Holbrook]

I donate to Community Harvest and The Rescue Mission. I have knitted chemo caps in the past and need to start knitting those again.

[Karen]

My husband and I have been serving dinner at our local soup kitchen the first Monday of the month for more than 10 years. We also sub as needed, especially on holidays like New Year’s Eve and the 4th of July. We also support the food pantry and Christmas program at the soup kitchen.

[Jessica]

We support several Compassion International Children and well as Open Door ministries.

[Kate]

I like knitting bears for the Mother Bear Project (http://motherbearproject.org/). I also support our local diaper bank.

[Starletta Schipp]

I like to make as many mittens as I can in various sizes to set out at our local food bank for anyone who may need them.

[Joyce Chase]

I sew heart pillows for breast cancer patients. I donate them to a local doctors office were I live.

[Dora]

I have never knitted as a donation. But I love donating to charities as I’m able, with my sweet spots being food: Second Harvest Food Bank; veterans: Wreathes across America, Amvets, USO; heath care: RAM clinics, Doctors Without Borders, Alzheimer’s Association; and pets: Best Friends, ASPCA. I’m particularly appreciative of the work these organizations do.

[Lorie Konopka]

I knit sockies for foot coverings after foot surgery. A few years ago I had a surgery at Christmas time. They give you boots for your foot, but your toes are bare, and cold! So I made a big tube that fit over my dressing and had a warm foot! The doctor loved it. So I made more for her to give to patients. I still do some every winter. Love seeing people with them on!

[Kaia]

I donate to a dog rescue back home. I really want a puppy but it's just not realistic living by myself working 13hr shifts, so I donate to help others

[carolyn]

I've been donating to Newborns in Need. I had some crochet blankets from my children that I donated and I'm currently crocheting blankets and knitting hats for my next donation. We support them monetarily as well.

[pat]

My knitting group this year did blankets for NICu babies. I have also knitted scarves for Operation Gratitude which sends care packages to deployed military and at the holidays they add a hand knit or crocheted scarf to each package. My sewing group supports a variety of charities including a local food bank and church charities for the homeless.

[Sadie]

I give money to St. Jude's, not a lot but whatever I can. I also like to keep my eyes open for anyone in need during my day - the lady putting things back at the walmart check out, someone who looks lost and just needs to be pointed in the right direction, or someone who needs some help with packages into a car. I think everything helps and I try to teach my kids that a little effort can make someone else's day.

[Susan Ipavec]

I knit hats, sweaters, baby knits and other items for different organizations. At a more local level, each Christmas, we like to pick an ornament or two from a giving tree and get something the recipient needs or wants. I feel its important to get my son involved too.

[Jessica]

I donate packages of menstrual pads to my kids' public K-8 school and supplies from the wish list of the no-kill cat shelter.

[Susan James]

I decided to knit (and my knitting group helps too!) hats and give them to a friend. She has two daughters that have church groups helping the homeless in the DFW area. They've handed out our hats the last 2 years.
I can't imagine being homeless and out in the cold.

[Hilda C.]

I donate knitted hats to my local hospital as well as to one of my friend's church. I also knitted and donated knitted knockers. My knitting group donated blue hats we had knitted to our favorite librarian to use in her program against bullying. I donate monetarily to my local food bank. Every little bit helps!

[Jenn H]

we actually dont give to many big charities since many seem to misappropriate funds. however we're big fans of what we call 'sneaky philanthropy' ... and try and mail someone something they need or leave it on their doorstep or go to the town and pay a bill for someone whos struggling... that sort of thing. last year i knit a friend sweaters for all 6 of her kids bc they were struggling with heating their old home. i couldnt buy them tanks of fuel, but i can knit!

[debbie]

We donate to Good Will and Salvation Army year round. Other times donate randomly to different charities.

[Annette]

I like to make a donation each year in each of my parent's name to their favorite charities. I donate what I would have spent on a Christmas present for them. My Mom loved her cat so I give to the local Humane Society each year in her name. My dad loved Christmas and didn't like the idea that someone would not a Christmas because they couldn't afford it. So I give to the Salvation Army Angel Tree fund in him name. I lost my brother in law a few years ago so I do the same thing for him and donate to a food bank in his name. I just spend what I would have spent on gifts for them. It kind of keeps them with me.

[Joyce Correia]

I have donated baby hats (made of wool/bamboo combinations) to Bundles for Babies to help babies and mothers with needed items.

[Nancy]

Children’s causes and groups with lower administrative costs are where we donate most. Riley’s, Ronald McDonald House, children’s Miracle Network and Salvation Army are a few that I contribute too.

[Jeri]

My daughter and I visit the local animal shelter a couple of times a month to walk dogs and play with cats! I think I may try to knit some dog sweaters to donate also, but first I will make one for our dog.

[Luann]

I donate locally to our Church's women's shelter with cash donations and household/personal hygiene supplies. Retirement is coming up for me soon,😊, so am thinking about local organizations that need volunteers.

[Faye Jones]

I've been knitting shawls/socks to donate to our local Cancer Services for their annual fundraiser to acknowledge their help with our family as my husband is a 6 year lung cancer survivor. It's the most rewarding event!

[Diana]

This year we participated in Samaritan's Purse. We were given a shoe box to fill for a child. My 9 yo daughter helped me pick up things to include in the box. It was a wonderful lesson for her to understand how others are not as fortunate as we are. That they would be overjoyed to receiving a toothbrush, socks & soap. We filled the box with needed things, fun things and lots of love!

[Lisa S]

Aside from various local and national charity organizations I periodically donate to, I also support several collections in various Ravelry groups. I knit preemie hats for a NICU and hats, scarves and gloves for in need elementary school kids. I love being able to leverage my love of knitting for my love of helping.

[Susan Giles]

I knit for the Ronald MacDonald House, blankets and caps. Planning to add socks and toys to my collection in 2020

[Nicole]

We donate hats, socks, mittens to the local shelter. Usually store bought, easy care stuff. And small knitted items to the girls at risk home and “baby’s best chance”

[Launa]

I knit hats for my mother-in-law's church. Every year they do a Christmas store for the local nursing home. Residents can choose items for them selves or to give to others. If the person wants, the ladies from the church will gift wrap it for them. People donate personal care things, socks, gloves, handkerchiefs, stuffed animals. When they first started, people could choose three items but now so much is donated that this year they were able to choose ten items.

[Georganne Oldenburg]

I try to give time every week in addition to other support to my favorite charities. It is the most valuable commodity we have. Without the help of volunteers most programs can’t be effective. Please consider making time for your favorite charity. It can provide a human connection and make all the difference to someone in need.

[Sabrina Snyder Snyder]

I have donated yarn and supplies to our local women's shelter. The shelter uses the supplies to teach women how to knit and crochet.

[Alberta]

I receive so much inspiration from hearing what so many are doing. That being said, I am kind of that "backstage/backdoor" person. I love making chemo hats, prayer shawls etc annonolmously, saying a prayer for the reciepient before donating them, including small note. A church in our town has "Trunk or Treat" on Halloween and some ladies knit hats all year long to give to children instead of sweets. I love hearing about families getting their children involved, this teaches them this is why we are here. If ever you feel down, go to a local nursing home. So many have been forgotten. Doing something for others is better than any medication the doctor could give you for depression. I have heard some say "you could go to Walmart" and buy a hat or throw or toy"....not the same.

[Julie]

I donate to a local homeless shelter or one of the schools where I volunteer. Also have donated lots of leftover yarn to the senior center.

[Sue]

I knitted for an organization that donates hand knit socks to serving members. Very gratifying.

[Kim Kieffer]

We donate to local food pantries. I like supporting these as a remembrance for when I was younger and needed them.

[Julie]

We donate to UNHCR to help refugees. We also contribute to our local NPR station and PBS. While they're not charities, we feel it's important to keep public radio and television funded, so people can receive unbiased information about what is going on in the world. I, too, feel like we have so much, yet don't contribute enough...it's one thing I'm working to change in our family. <3

[Emily]

I donate to the Equal Justice Initiative.

[Susan]

I like knitting and donating to the Woman’s Survival Center. They helped me many years ago.

[JoAnne]

I donate to Planned Parenthood and the Alzheimer's Family Support Center. Also PBS and NPR. So much truth to be told and so many people in need.

[DenaZS]

The Seaman'sChristian Institute. https://seamenschurch.org/christmas-at-sea
They have knitting patterns and those are helpful for making items that will be used.

[Donna]

I regularly donate to the local food banks and the local Salvation Army. I have in the past knit squares for charity blankets. It never seems like enough, but I do what I can.

[Rosemary]

I donate to an organization called "Plan," which makes it possible to support foster children in impoverished countries. Plan also has a Christmas campaign with gift/donation ideas such as sending a girl from a third world country to school for a year. I also donate to Apopo HeroRATS, which trains very smart rats to locate land mines in war-stricken areas of the world.

[Suzy]

I try to support local food banks, animal rescue/adoption organizations, and Planned Parenthood. Every little bit helps!

[Patty McDonld]

I've donated to Music Corp (an organization that helps disabled veterans through music), MedicAlert and the Spark of Love campaign that will help kids here in my city. Each year I pick 2 or 3 different charities and contribute as much as I can all year long. And I love to do odds and ends anonymously!

[Teri]

There are two organizations I'm focused on this year. First is The Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project in Arizona which provides free legal and social services to detained men, women, and children under threat of deportation. The second is Postcards to Voters, which is a grassroots organization to handwrite and decorate postcards to send to voters to remind them to vote. Last year I mailed postcards to addresses in Georgia for Stacy Abrams, as well as to the Pacific Northwest for a candidate running for her local town council.

[Susan Eberhardt]

We donate to our local food pantry every week at church. I've also knit and donated hats to our local homeless shelter. My plan is to use some of my yarn scraps and do that again this year, maybe getting some of my 7th and 8th grade students to help!

[Teresa Knittingdancer]

I donate to the food pantry at my church every week. All of our donations to the food pantry are from the members of my small church about 30 members. We help a lot of families each month.
For my knitting charities I like to knit items for the Indian Reservations in North and South Dakota.

[Kendra Ford]

I started a prayer shawl ministry at my church. We have made and given out over 125 prayer shawls in the last 3 years.

[Sandy]

I don’t usually knit for any charities. But have donated to the Toys for Tots organization for over 40 years. I also like to support our local food pantry.
No one in this country should ever be hungry.

[Maureen]

I give yarn to the local Senior center who knit hats for preemie babies. I also make prayer shawls for those who need an extra support for whatever reason.

[Nancy]

I belong to a knitters' group at work; we meet once a week during our lunch hour. Every holiday season, we host a silent auction of items made by us and others throughout the year. Funds raised are donated to various charitable organizations.

[Savannagal]

I donate time and money to my local conservation district. They do great work protecting and restoring land, educating the public, and providing wonderful places to enjoy the out of doors.

[Kathy Strand]

I've donated my knitted hats to the local homeless shelter this year. And, I've donated many of my knitted baby items to our local Care Net for moms of new babies or soon to be born babies.

[Kate C]

I foster cats for the local shelter. To date, we have provided temporary housing for 186 cats and kittens (up to 5 at one time). We love to see them go on the thrive in their forever home.

[Sherr]

This year I have been teaching a group of ladies to knit. We are knitting toys for Samaritan's Purse Shoeboxes.

[Melissa]

I've knitted hundreds of NICU hats in the past, but these days most of my donation knitting goes to the local shelter for battered women.

[Christine]

I donate to Resolve - it's a national organization which supports alternative family building. A very important topic for my family!

[Gini Mack]

I donate knitted hats and scarves and crocheted baby blankets to the local thrift store. I have in the past saved change in a jar and given it to someone in need and I try and do random acts of giving. I’ve donated knitted hats to the local veterans organization and I support Heartbeat which is a pregnancy support group. I donated to the local ER hats that I knitted for children. I can’t stand the thought of a child in cold weather not having a warm hat to wear.

[Adriene Cerani]

I support an grassroots organization in my company who in turn support a lot of different small projects near and far. I'd like to help raise money for an association in my company by auctioning off a few pairs of socks. I have very little time to knit, but I'm often asked to make some... it will be my 2020 resolution to do that, hopefully with yarn won from SSY!

[Diane Jespersen]

Our LYS knits purple baby hats for an annual promotion to educate on shaken baby syndrome, I work with my local food pantry on a regular schedule gathering donations and work with a battered women's shelter delivering poinsettias annually and taking them knitting supplies.

[SuEllyn]

Wow! It's great to see how knitters are such giving people. (No surprise though:))
I knit items for the Pine Ridge Reservation and donate funds to Community Harvest and the Associated Churches food pantry in Fort Wayne too.

[Faith]

I like to knit for the military. I’ve knitted hats for the Ship’s Project. It’s always nice to give back to those who are defending our freedoms. And, with two sons in the Marines, the military is always close to my heart.

[Lara]

I donate mostly through my local church. I’m a high school girls small group leader. I get to mentor and disciple a group of 12 9th graders. They are a lot of fun, have a lot of questions and are bearing a lot of burdens. It’s a joy to be able to encourage, teach and support them during this time in their lives. Our kids have participate in local and international missions trips with the goal of bringing hope and material help to those in difficult circumstances. Our church also partners with a local school and a women’s shelter to supply mentors, food and other necessities. As has been mentioned above, there is so much need and my contribution seems so small, but seeing how much all those little bits add up is amazing.

[Sandy Harwood]

I belong to a local guild that knits for homeless shelters and others in the community.

[Sarah]

I make hats for the neonatal unit, mice for the SPCA, volunteer for Riding for the Disabled and foster cats for the SPCA. I find that volunteering and giving end up making me feel great, even though that's not the intent of doing it.

[Cindy Carpenter]

Bunnies — WOW!!! Vicki blows me away with her love and generosity. Locally my employer (a prison) supports Guardian Ad Litem, the volunteers who speak at court proceeding for the children in foster care. At holidays we buy whatever the children want/need based upon recommendations from their Guardian spokesperson. Each department sponsored several children. In our departments we raise funds to meet the needs.

[Amy]

I actually make things for the teachers and staff of local schools. This year I made 75 unique items for one elementary school. Before school started all of the teachers and staff met to choose their unique item. Doing this allows me to give back but to also let teachers and staff know they are appreciated.

[Marsha]

I knit for a Ravelry group called Bundles of Joy which organizes newborn baby items and hats & mittens for school age children on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. I've also knit scarves for the Red Scarf Project. I've also donated knitted hats and mittens to local knitting guild who distributes them as needed in the community. There are so many ways to help.

[Sarah Peschell]

The organization i like to support is the Mennonite Central Committee (mcc). They do work locally in disaster relief, gleaning, working with refugees as well as globally. They provide quilts, school supplies, disaster kits, clean water, agricultural training and eco sustainability as well as do peace and reconciliation work. They do so many good things to help those who are struggling. I really admire their mussion to make the world better