Donations Needed for September Stand Down (Crochet)

Published: August 28, 2023  ~   0

Happy Monday, dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! August is already coming to a close and we need your help to meet the needs of our nation’s underprivileged military veterans and their dependents! We’re going to need more hats, scarves, and gaiters for the Stand Down in September. If you’re a crocheter and you need some inspiration on what pattern to use to craft your donation, here are some suggestions to get you crocheting:

If you’re interested in crafting a simple, elegant, and dependable crochet hat, Lion Brand’s Easy Crochet Hat is a perfect pattern for your next project.

Lion Brand Adult’s Easy Crochet Hat & Upcoming Stand Downs

Red Heart’s Wavy Ridge Super Scarf is easier to crochet than it initially appears, weaving up quickly and looking good in any yarn colors. If you need a scarf pattern that is sure to please our veterans and their dependents, the Wavy Ridge Super Scarf is a time-tested hit at all of the previous Stand Downs that we’ve served for years!

The Wavy Ridge Super Scarf

Gaiters are a great way to craft a warm garment that warms like a scarf, but uses much less material and weaves up faster than most other options. T.H.R.I.V.E. Association’s own Worsted Weight Crochet Gaiter is a great gaiter pattern that is both solid and quick to complete. It folds in half as a double-layered neck warmer, or can be unfolded to cover the mouth and lower face for additional coverage and protection from the elements.
The Worsted Weight Crochet Gaiter

Big Stand Downs on the Horizon

Published: August 21, 2023  ~   0

Happy Monday, T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! We would like to thank all of our crafters, donors, and staff for all of your unwavering support and hard work. We were able to support the Alaska Stand Down again this year because of all of you. We would also like to send a huge shout out to our awesome partners at the Alaska VA Healthcare System. Thank you for all that you do for our nation’s brave veterans and their dependents.

We still have several of our largest Stand Downs right around the corner and in quick succession! We need hundreds of items for these Stand Downs to meet the need. There is a Stand Down next month and we need more hats, scarves, gaiters, etc. to meet the needs of our underprivileged veterans and their dependents!

If you’d 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 potential 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.

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).

Donations Needed for September Stand Down!

Published: August 14, 2023  ~   0

Happy Monday, dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! This month’s Stand Down package to Alaska has left us needing your help! We’re going to need more hats, scarves, and gaiters to meet the demand for the next Stand Down in September. With just one month until then, time is of the essence and our underprivileged veterans and their dependents really need your support! If you need some inspiration on what pattern to use to craft your donation, here are some suggestions to get you knitting:

For a solid, veteran-approved hat, the Red Heart Ribbed Knit Beanie is a popular pattern:

Red Heart Ribbed Knit Beanie

If you’re interested in knitting a scarf, a Garter stitch scarf is a no-nonsense, dependable garment that is sure to be a hit. Many knitters tend to overlook the Garter stitch scarf as a pattern, most likely because it is every knitter’s very first project. But don’t discount just how quick, simple, and effective straight knitting can be! Just make sure to cast on as many stitches as it takes for your scarf to be at least 6 inches wide and ensure that your scarf ends up measuring at least 60 inches in length.

If you’d like to knit a gaiter, the Essential 1 x 1 Gaiter is a go-to pattern that is both functional and fashionable for our veterans and/or their dependents:

The Essential 1 x 1 Gaiter (Knit)

Last Call!

Published: August 7, 2023  ~   0

Happy Monday, dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! This is a last call for donations for the Alaska Stand Downs. If you would like to contribute, please make sure to arrange for a pick up within the next day or two, as T.H.R.I.V.E. is shipping out our lovingly hand crafted gifts to Alaska this week! It takes a lot of hard work to prepare these gifts for the veterans and their dependents, so time is of the essence!

If you live in the DFW area, please contact our office to make arrangements for donation pickup or drop off. If your donation can’t make it in time for the Alaska Stand Downs, don’t worry; we’ve got plenty of other Stand Downs coming up and your lovingly handcrafted donations will go to those!