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

Published: August 13, 2021 ~ 0

Happy Friday, T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! As we get closer to upcoming Stand Downs and their deadlines, it is important to finish and donate any and all garments that you have in progress so that we can prepare them for dissemination via the VA’s that are hosting them. Hats and scarves in darker colors such as green, blue, black, grey, and (vet favorite) camouflage, make for excellent donations and are in great need.

With that in mind, we would like to share a simple yet effective crochet hat pattern that would be wonderful to donate to our cause- Lion Brand’s own Adult’s Easy Crochet Hat. It weaves up very quickly and, because of its one round repeat, is a perfect pattern to use when you don’t want to think too hard about what you’re crafting and just want to be in Crochet “Zen-Mode.” The knit-like vertical ribs (done by only working single crochets into the back loop) provide a nice and comfortable stretch for the wearer. Make sure to have a tapestry needle handy in order to seam the ends of the garment together and also to cinch up the top!

Please follow the link below and click on “Download Free Pattern” near the bottom right for the instructions on how to craft this uncomplicated crochet hat:

Adult's Easy Crochet Hat

If you would like to donate a hat, scarf, 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 is always a popular bright color. 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).

Stand Downs

Published: August 6, 2021 ~ 0

Happy Friday, T.H.R.I.V.E. Association Family! We are preparing for several Stand Downs that are right around the corner. With that being said, we need hats, scarves, mittens, etc. so please keep crafting. Over the upcoming weeks we will be posting some of our favorite free crochet hat patterns for our wonderful crocheters.

The Magic Knot

Published: July 30, 2021 ~ 0

We Need Scarves!

Published: July 23, 2021 ~ 0

Happy Friday T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! We have many Stand Downs right around the corner and we are in need of scarves! If you need inspiration, please feel free to browse our previous blog posts. There are lots of great patterns!

If you would 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).

Baby Cocoon & Matching Cap

Published: July 16, 2021 ~ 0

Happy Friday, T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! Sometimes we see expectant mothers at Stand Downs and/or some of the veterans that we serve already have infants in their care. We here at T.H.R.I.V.E. Association provide not just for the veteran that needs our warm hand crafted goods, but also for their dependents. That being said, we have been getting a lot of requests from our wonderful crafters for a pattern for a baby bunting pattern.

Today’s pattern comes compliments of Yarnspirations. It is the “Red Heart Comfy Cocoon and Cap”. To get your free copy of the pattern please follow the link below and click the “Download Free Pattern” button on the right side of the screen.

https://www.yarnspirations.com/red-heart-comfy-cocoon-cap/RHK0238-018236M.html

This is a very simple, easy-to-follow pattern that works up very quickly. Truthfully, when we knitted this garment, it just flew by! As an added bonus, because the majority of this pattern is a one row repeat, it is perfect for “relaxation knitting.”

Pro Tips:

As we discussed in last week’s blog post, the long tail cast on is an amazing cast on in any knitter’s arsenal. However, as we really need this garment to have a lot of stretch at the cast on edge for the baby to be able to move comfortably, we found that using a combination of the long tail cast on and the reverse long tail cast on provides the best results. This combination cast on is very stretchy and almost, if not fully, invisible. Additionally, using both the long tail and the reverse long tail cast on gives a very professional look to the overall garment.
Always swatch! We cannot emphasize the importance of this step enough. Gauge is very important- especially here. If you are a tight knitter, consider moving up a needle size. If you are a loose knitter, move down a needle size.

Questions & Answers Continued, Cast Ons

Published: July 9, 2021 ~ 0

Happy Friday dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! We have had multiple questions from many of our wonderful volunteers regarding which cast ons to use for their projects. Specifically, we have been asked which cast on is best for our favorite Camouflage Brioche Scarf that we showcased in Part 2 of our Question and Answers post. That post can be found here: https://thrivevets.org/index.php/2021/04/30/questions-and-answers-part-2-the-camouflage-brioche-scarf/

Although you can use a long tail cast on for any rib project, it breaks the pattern and most rib patterns tend to have a bit of stretch to them. The long tail cast on is not a particularly stretchy cast on. Although the brioche stitch is a false rib, the long tail cast on, in our humble estimation does not stretch with the brioche stitch and also causes a bit of puckering at the edge.

The long tail cast on is definitely a favorite in any knitter’s arsenal due to its amazing stability. So, what is the best cast on to use for a brioche stitch project? Due to the fact that the brioche stitch is a 1×1 rib, the best cast on to use for a project like this is the Italian cast on. The Italian cast on is a twisted cast on that is wonderfully stretchy. In addition, this cast on creates an edge that looks like it is a continuation of the pattern that the brioche stitch creates. In other words, it looks invisible.

Please stay tuned as we will be giving a brief demonstration of this cast on in the near future!

Happy July 4th Weekend!

Published: July 2, 2021 ~ 0

We would like to wish our wonderful T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family a safe and happy Independence Day Weekend! We’d also like to take a moment to remember our brave heroes, past and present, who have selflessly sacrificed so much to help make this great nation of ours the land of the free and the home of the brave. We are all truly grateful!

Wavy Ridge Super Scarf in Ombré

Published: June 25, 2021 ~ 0

Happy Friday, T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! We just wanted to swing by and show ya’ll just how magical last week’s showcased pattern, Yarnspirations’ Wavy Ridge Super Scarf, looks in an ombré yarn. This crochet pattern is truly versatile with most yarn colorways– from our veterans’ favorite camouflage to ombré blues and everything in between. As long as they are in appropriate colors and lengths, donating any of these scarves to T.H.R.I.V.E. and to our cause are sure to be a hit with our veterans and their dependents!

The Wavy Ridge Super Scarf

Published: June 18, 2021 ~ 0

Happy Friday to our wonderful T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! This week, the crochet train continues on with our look at Yarnspirations’ Wavy Ridge Super Scarf. This scarf weaves up super fast and past the first two rows, has a simple one round repeat that goes for as long as you want it to (as always, we suggest all donated scarves to be 5ft long). The wavy effect is caused by repeating increases and decreases that are a joy to behold and leave you with an effect that looks much harder than it appears. Unlike some other crochet scarf patterns, the Wavy Ridge Super Scarf moves and folds well, is dense enough to keep our underprivileged veterans and their dependents warm, and the pattern also looks good in camouflage! Here’s the links to both the free pattern and a convenient and helpful tutorial video if you want to tackle this beautiful scarf:

Pattern: https://www.yarnspirations.com/on/demandware.static/-/Sites-master-catalog-spinrite/default/dw099f7dac/PDF/RHC0125-016921M.pdf

Tutorial Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdcXWt1hbNo&ab_channel=MarlyBird

The Mosaic Stitch Crochet Scarf

Published: June 11, 2021 ~ 0

Happy Friday, T.H.R.I.V.E. Association Family! This week, we are continuing our focus on crocheted scarves with Yarnspirations’ “Mosaic Stitch Crochet Scarf.” This pattern creates a lovely geometric effect that looks more difficult to craft than it actually is. That being said, this is still a pattern that requires that you pay close attention to every round and stitch that you make. Fortunately, this free pattern also has a corresponding tutorial video that makes this a breeze to learn!

Here are the links to both the pattern and the tutorial video:

https://www.yarnspirations.com/on/demandware.static/-/Sites-master-catalog-spinrite/default/dw7d2826f9/PDF/CAC0125-030136M.pdf

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMYgVSqOhog&ab_channel=Yarnspirations

In our example, we chose to make our scarf without the fringe and used cream and blue as our color pair. There are countless other wonderful color combinations that would work with this pattern, but please keep in mind that if you intend to craft this as a donation to our cause, the scarf still needs to be in acceptably dignified colors for our veterans and/or their dependents to choose to wear. Darker shades of blues, blacks, grays, greens, and sometimes reds are most acceptable and desired by our dear underprivileged veterans and their dependents.