Crocheters love to give. Taking the time to make a handmade gift for our family or friends is a wonderful expression of love and giving. Countless crocheters are moved to take it a step further and give to someone they do not know. This could be a donation of hats to hospitals for premature babies. Or hats and blankets to chemotherapy treatment centers.
Another way to give is to organizations that serve the homeless. Every year our church collects hats, scarves, gloves, mitts and ear warmers to give to the homeless. We look for projects that are easy and fun to make and that also work with acrylic yarns so that they are durable and wear well.
January is also the month in which the United States celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. day. Many choose to dedicate part of this day to service in their communities. For the past two years, my kids and I have participated in a Sew for Love project on MLK day. Sew for Love hosts multiple events throughout the year to make a variety of items for different charitable and community organizations.
At our event, we were focused on making pocket love animals for police and fire fighters to use to help comfort people when they are responding to emergencies. I love this project because it allows me to work on crafts with my kids (who do not crochet) and a larger group of people. It’s amazing how many gifts we are able to sew in one day. Like many crafters, I enjoy exploring different kinds of crafts, and this is such a fun and rewarding way to explore sewing while working to help the community.
Collection of Crochet Patterns for Giving to Charity
For all these reasons I was inspired to put together a collection of free crochet patterns that would be appropriate for giving to charity. Most of these are very beginner-friendly too. For an experienced crocheter, these would be easy to pick up and could become your go-to project for charitable giving. Or, maybe you have a friend who does other crafts and wants to try out crochet just like I love exploring sewing through the Sew for Love project. One of these patterns might by just the perfect pattern for them to try out crocheting while making a gift that they can share through charity.
Spiral Style Hat and Spiral Baby Hat
These two hat patterns both use bulky yarn for quick and easy projects. Working the stitches in the back loop only avoids the gaps that can sometimes happen when working with a bulkier yarn. These also make great patterns for giving away because the hats are nice and warm. A suggested acrylic yarn for this pattern is Red Heart Soft Essentials or any bulky weight acrylic. The top two photos above show the two sides of the reversible Spiral Style Hat in a charcoal gray that make a wonderfully warm gift that will also wear well over time. The bottom photo shows the Spiral Baby Hat in addition to the Spiral Style Hat for adults.
Sedge Stitch – Susan Wrist Warmers
I love the Susan Wrist Warmers as a gift pattern for charity. Because the wrist warmers use the sedge stitch, they are durable and warm. The sedge stitch is also one of those wonderful crochet stitches that is easy to master while producing beautiful results. These wrist warmers have a lovely and snuggly texture. Check out the pattern on sunflowercottagecrochet.com. You can also download it for free on Ravelry, and there is even a video tutorial for how to make the wrist warmers on Sun Flower Cottage Crochet’s YouTube channel!
Iris Stitch Soap Cozy
The Iris Stitch Soap Cozy is a free pattern designed for the Soap SACK movement. SACK or Serving a Community with Kindness encourages both knitters and crocheters to make cozies filled with packaged soap and donate them to local food pantries. This charity was started by Stacy Weiner when she recognized the need for providing items for personal hygiene as she was volunteering at her own local food pantry. The soap cozies allow recipients to keep their soap stored in a beautiful container that is also washable and reusable. This gorgeous design uses the Iris Stitch for a beautiful Soap SACK.
Dad’s Plaid Flat Cap | Melanoma Awareness Free Pattern
Hooked by Kati designed the Dad’s Plaid Flat Cap as part of the Cancer Challenge put on by Sweet Potato 3. Kati designed the cap in honor of her father and his fight against Melanoma. The black color represents the fight against skin cancer. The hat also brings awareness to men’s struggle with hair loss while fighting cancer. I’m so happy to include a pattern for men in this collection.
Beehive Beanie
The Beehive Beanie is a free crochet pattern by Pam Grice at madewithatwist.com. This is a versatile unisex design that would work well for many different charities. The adult small pattern uses only 75 yards of super bulky yarn. This pattern works up quickly and easily. This warm hat has a beautiful and stylish textured beehive design that makes it a joy to make, give, and receive.
Keep It Simple Earwarmer
Finally, I wanted to round out this round up post with two beautiful headband patterns. This first pattern is a lovely ribbed headband by simplyhookedbyjanet.com. This earwarmer pattern is super beginner-friendly. It uses bulky weight yarn. It also comes in sizes from toddler to adult large making it both a versatile and quick earwarmer to make. Wouldn’t it be easy to create a bunch of these earwarmers in a variety of colors to donate?
Delightful Velvet Headband
The final headband pattern is the gorgeous Delightful Velvet Headband pattern. This pattern includes both the written instructions and photos of the steps. And, it is such a thoughtful design specifically crafted for velvet yarn. It works up quickly and beautifully. This could be the perfect pattern for a charity looking for gifts for someone who would love to receive a stunning handmade item.