Happy Memorial Day, dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! Today we honor those brave men and women who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in service to this great nation.
Stress Balls Galore!
Happy Monday dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! We have our ever popular stress footballs in stock. Please make sure to check out our webshop at https://thrivevets.square.site to get yours. All proceeds go to support out awesome cause!
Always Swatch Before You Start
Happy Monday, dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! Okay, so our title for this week’s blog post is a bit cheeky, but it’s still great advice. Seriously! We cannot overemphasize the importance of swatching. Knowing your personal tension with your chosen needles, hooks, etc. is crucial for any project.
Most of us have a rough idea about our individual crafting tension (i.e. whether we’re tight knitters/crocheters or loose knitters/crocheters). This is a great start, but it doesn’t always paint the full picture. When you look at a pattern for a garment that you would like to make, the designer has a specific denoted tension that is required to achieve the optimal fit and look of that finished garment. This is actually really important to take note of, and in order for the garment to fit correctly and look like it does on the model, it is good practice to adhere to the designer’s requested tension.
Now, even if you are using the suggested yarn, needles/hooks size, and have a good idea of your overall tension, it is still crucial to knit/crochet a swatch using your chosen needles/hooks. This is because even if the tools that you are using are the same size as those suggested in the pattern, not all needles/hooks (at least in our experience) are actually the same size. There is generally some slight variation between the various manufacturers and the materials used may potentially play a part in that. The photos in this post are an example of the variance between two swatches that were made using two different brands’ U.S. size 8 needles. Despite being knit with the same needle size, yarn, stitches/rounds, tension, and knitter the two swatches are noticeably different in completed size! These U.S. size 8’s are just that different from each other! This is admittedly a bit confusing, and sometimes frustrating. But, it’s workable if you go in eyes wide-open. Remember, even some seemingly slight variation (even if it is just a millimeter) between the needles/hooks of the same size can have a big impact overall. So, it is always good to make a swatch before tackling a project to get the best results!
A Call for Scarves
Happy Monday, dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! As the weather gets warmer and warmer, it’s easy to forget that garments like scarves are still needed to provide to our wonderful veterans and their dependents. With this in mind, we are in need of scarves. If you need inspiration, please feel free to browse our previous blog posts, as there are lots of great patterns to try!
If you’d like to donate a scarf to our cause, please remember to make sure that it is at least 60 inches (152.4 cm) in length so that the wearer can wrap it around themselves comfortably. Also, remember that the dear veterans and their dependents prefer dark colors, e.g. blue, black, green, grey, and all-time favorite, camouflage. If you would like to knit a scarf in a brighter color, red is always a popular bright color. We cannot emphasize this important point enough: please do not use sparkly or overly decorative yarns. While they have their place, they are simply inappropriate for the veterans and their dependents (including children because of choking hazards).
If you’re not a crafter, but would like to help, there are still many ways to support our cause! Please consider donating materials and/or making a monetary donation to help us cover the costs of materials, shipping, and overhead. Please remember you can support our cause by shopping on AmazonSmile. See the “Shop for Our Cause” blog post for additional information.
If you need yarn, or other supplies, please contact us through email at thriveassociation@thrivevets.org or by phone at (469) 427-9654. Please be aware that any communications are recorded. If you have donations and cannot make it to one of our in-person knitting groups, we are still continuing our policy of curbside pickup. Please contact us to schedule a pickup if you are in the DFW area. If you reside outside the DFW area and would like to make an in-kind donation, please contact us to make arrangements. Remember, even one lovingly handcrafted hat or scarf can make a huge difference in the life of an underprivileged veteran or their dependent(s).
We Care
Happy Monday, dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! In last week’s blog we emphasized the importance of self-care and offered our services of a non-judgmental ear to those experiencing a mental health crisis. We wanted to stress that this invitation isn’t exclusive to the wonderful veterans whom we serve, the invitation also extends to the family members of our veterans and also to our phenomenal volunteers and donors. We know these are tough times, but we will get through them together!
If you would like to donate a hat, scarf, face mask or other handcrafted garment to our cause, please remember that the dear veterans and their dependents prefer dark colors, e.g. blue, black, green, grey, and all-time favorite, camouflage. If you would like to knit, crochet, or sew a garment in a brighter color, red or deep purple are always popular bright colors. We cannot emphasize this important point enough: please do not use sparkly or overly decorative yarns and fabrics. While they have their place, they are simply inappropriate for the veterans and their dependents (including children because of choking hazards).
If you are not a crafter, but would like to help, there are still many ways to support our cause! Please consider donating materials and/or making a monetary donation to help us cover the costs of materials, shipping, and overhead. Please remember you can support our cause by shopping on AmazonSmile. See the “Shop for Our Cause” blog post for additional information.
If you need yarn, or other supplies, please contact us through email at thriveassociation@thrivevets.org or by phone at (469) 427-9654. Please be aware that any communications are recorded. If you have donations and cannot make it to one of our in-person knitting groups, we are still continuing our policy of curbside pickup. Please contact us to schedule a pickup if you are in the DFW area. If you reside outside the DFW area and would like to make an in-kind donation, please contact us to make arrangements. Remember, even one lovingly handcrafted hat or scarf can make a huge difference in the life of an underprivileged veteran or their dependent(s).