Happy Friday, dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! In 1894, Labor Day became a national holiday and was meant to pay tribute to the American workforce. During this extended three day Labor Day weekend, please give thought and thanks to those who help and serve us. From the front line doctors and nurses, to the food delivery couriers, and every one in between, we are thankful to all of those individuals who have continued to help us through these trying and uncertain times. We would also like to thank our amazing staff and phenomenal volunteers whose hard work and dedication to our Nation’s veterans and their dependents make everything possible!
Red Heart Buffalo Plaid Crochet Hat
Happy Friday, T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! Today we have a wonderful crochet hat pattern, compliments of Yarnspirations. It is called the Red Heart Buffalo Plaid Crochet Hat.
As the Covid-19 Delta variant continues to ravage our great nation, we and all of our community partners are monitoring the situation closely and having to change our schedules and plans accordingly. But as the situation progresses, some of the things that have not changed are the needs of the veterans and their dependents whom we serve. With that in mind, the Red Heart Buffalo Plaid Crochet Hat is a wonderful plaid patterned hat that is sure to be a hit.
Follow the links below for both the free hat pattern and also a very helpful corresponding tutorial video on Yarnspirations’ own YouTube channel:
Watch the tutorial video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMclyg0oZlQ&ab_channel=Yarnspirations
In our example, we slightly modified the pattern by adding an additional 6 stitches (as suggested in the tutorial video), chose not to include a pom, and chose some colors that we had on hand for a different plaid effect. We would strongly suggest to add the 6 additional stitches to the garment (maybe even 12!) for added comfort and fit. Otherwise, it was a fun and surprisingly simple hat to crochet!
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 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).
Call for Face Masks
Happy Friday, dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! As we are all keeping abreast of the current news, we are seeing spikes of Covid-19 infections and hospitalizations across our nation- the delta variant being a huge concern at this point. With that being said, the VA’s that we work with for Stand Downs are requesting face masks for our homeless and underprivileged veterans.
Please understand that this is not a political matter. A mask is one of the essential components for stopping this pandemic. Our staff will continue to mask at our office and in the field. Additionally, we will continue to monitor the situation closely.
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 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).
Lion Brand Adult’s Easy Crochet Hat & Upcoming Stand Downs
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:
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
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.
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).
We Need Scarves!
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).
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).
Baby Cocoon & Matching Cap
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
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!
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!
- « Previous Page
- 1
- ...
- 17
- 18
- 19
- 20
- 21
- ...
- 27
- Next Page »