Happy Monday, dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family. We know that taxes are due tomorrow and that this is a maddening and hectic time for everyone. Just remember that any donations that you made to T.H.R.I.V.E. Association during the 2024 tax year are fully tax deductible!
Please be kind to yourselves and take breaks during this stressful time. Crafting is a great way to give yourself some much needed calm in this figurative storm.
Happy Monday, dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! Tax Day is only a week away now. If you made a monetary donation to us in 2024, or if you are looking to maximize your deductions for 2025 (or future years for that matter), remember that all monetary donations to T.H.R.I.V.E. Association are tax deductible! You get the awesome feeling of knowing that you helped us in our mission to support our nation’s underprivileged military veterans and their dependents, while also getting a tax deduction. Pretty cool, right? Head to our webshop to make a donation today!
Happy Monday, dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! To continue on with our series of keeping cast on rows loose, we would like to share our third tried-and-true method. So far we have focused on the most basic tricks for making cast on rows looser. But what happens if either moving up a needle/hook size or holding your needles together to cast on still don’t quite give you the results that you want? That’s where this next knitting tip comes into play:
Our third way of making the cast on row looser is to use a stretchy cast on. Through our crafting groups, we’ve found that many knitters continue to exclusively use the cast on that they were initially taught when they were first learning to knit. For instance, it is likely that the long-tail cast on is the one and only cast on that beginner to moderately experienced knitters use. And, while it is a great and very stable cast on, it isn’t necessarily the stretchiest nor the most appropriate in all garments. However, there are other cast ons out there that are more ideal for different projects and patterns!
There are several very stretchy cast ons out there, so find the one that works best for you and your project. We at T.H.R.I.V.E. Association are partial to the German twisted cast on, as it really is one of the stretchiest cast ons that we’ve found. It does take some practice and some concentration to master, but it is worth the effort!
Remember, there are other stretchy cast ons in case this one doesn’t suit you. This may be time to break out your trusty knit stitch dictionary or Google search “stretchy cast ons” and just experiment with the various stretchy cast ons to find the one that works for you. There is often no one-size-fits-all in crafting, such as with cast ons. Remember, crafting handmade gifts is as much about the journey and honing our knitting skills, as it is the finished garment. Happy crafting!
Happy Monday, dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family. Continuing on with our cast on series, here’s a super simple knitting tip that can save you in a pinch:
Say that you’re on the train or at the office and you only have your yarn, your pattern, and the called for needle size for your chosen project – what can you do if you need to make your cast on more stretchy for your project? You can simply hold the two needles together and cast on as usual. This effectively increases your gauge without any added fuss. It’s so simple and very effective. In fact, several of our volunteers have had great success with this technique! Sometimes even the simplest techniques can get us the results that we’re looking for!
Happy St. Patrick’s Day, dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! Are you wearing your green today? If not, make sure to check out our webshop to get some of our popular green bracelets and t-shirts to not get pinched and also to rep your support for our mission to help our underprivileged military veterans and their dependents. And for our beloved crafters out there, don’t forget that green is an extremely popular color to use for your lovely handcrafted gifts of hats, scarves, mittens, etc. with our veteran community. The green garments are always some of the first to be chosen at Stand Down events. Everybody loves green – men, women, and children alike! ☘️
Happy Monday, dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! You can now also find us on Bluesky Social! Give us a follow @thrivevets.bsky.social where we’ll be sharing our mission to provide a hand up to our nation’s underprivileged military veterans and their dependents!
Happy Monday, dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! Please consider making a one-time or monthly monetary donation to support our mission. All monetary donations are tax deductible and directly help to cover the costs of materials, shipping, and overhead. Check out our web-shop where you can show your T.H.R.I.V.E. pride with our branded stress footballs, t-shirts, and popular wristbands! No donation is too small, as every dollar goes to help further our mission of providing our great nation’s underprivileged military veterans and their dependents with lovingly handmade garments as they continue on their road to recovery from homelessness.
Happy Monday, dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! We are starting a Pro Tip for Cast Ons series to help take your crafting to the next level!
Have you ever noticed that hats that you’ve made in the past have squeezed your head at the cast on row but fit perfectly well everywhere else? Likewise, have you made scarves or other garments where the cast on row is noticeably tighter than the rest of the garment? If you find yourself having tight cast ons, but knit/crochet true to gauge for the rest of the garment, this simple yet highly effective pro tip could be just the ticket!
For tight cast ons, try moving up a needle/crochet hook size for the cast on row. For example, if your chosen garment pattern calls for a size U.S. 8 knitting needle, try using a size U.S. 9 just for the cast on, and then change back to the requested size U.S. 8 knitting needle and continue knitting the rest of the garment. This highly effective technique is the simplest solution to tight cast ons. It keeps the cast on row looking neat and tidy while also providing some much-needed stretch to the garment.
Additional Pro Tip: You can use this same technique for the cast off row if you find that to be a tricky area, too.
On this Presidents’ Day, we wanted to reflect on some quotes from one of our country’s greatest leaders – Abraham Lincoln.
”May our children and our children’s children to a thousand generations, continue to enjoy the benefits conferred upon us by a united country, and have cause yet to rejoice under those glorious institutions bequeathed us by Washington and his compeers.”
“In times like the present, men should utter nothing for which they would not willingly be responsible through time and eternity.”
Happy Monday, dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! Valentine’s Day is this Friday! If you’re still looking for the perfect gift for that special someone in your life, you can’t do better than giving a monetary gift to help further T.H.R.I.V.E. Association’s mission. A monetary gift in your loved one’s name and/or some of our popular merch make for great, thoughtful gifts. All donations to T.H.R.I.V.E. Association are tax deductible and will aid us in our mission to offer a hand up to our underprivileged military veterans and their dependents!