Happy Monday, dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! Today we would love to share an awesome free crochet mitten pattern compliments of Yarnspirations! The Crochet 3 in 1 Hand Warmer is a very versatile pattern, as it has three different variations that you can choose to craft: full, fingerless, and convertible mittens. One of the best parts is that it is easier than it appears, thanks to the included video tutorials!
The veterans and their dependents always love receiving our mittens at the Stand Downs and this pattern weaves up rather quickly, so it is a great project to tackle! The convertible variation is a really useful feature for our vets and their dependents to have dexterity with their fingers! The 3 part video tutorial clears up any difficulties that you’re sure to have, so you won’t get in over your head. Just make sure to remember to keep your split single crochets loose so that you won’t find yourself having trouble getting your hook into them on the next rounds. To get your free copy of the pattern, please follow the link below and click “Download Free Pattern”:
Happy Friday, dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! We have one of the bigger Stand Downs that we partner with coming up very soon; so please keep sending in your donations. This particular Stand Down is in a location that does get cold so your donations mean just that much more. Your lovingly hand crafted goods are deeply treasured and appreciated by those that receive them and even a lovingly handcrafted hat, scarf, etc. helps make a huge difference in the life of the veteran wearing it. Please also keep in mind that even though Spring and Summer are approaching, we still have lots of Stand Downs coming up, so we still need your support so that we can continue to serve those who so admirably served our great nation.
Recently, we received a request for a crochet blanket pattern from one of our dear friends and longtime donors, as we have been asking for these items. We do sometimes get requests throughout the year from V.A.s that we partner with for blankets- mostly wheelchair/lap blankets. There are many great and easy free patterns available compliments of our friends at Yarnspirations and Lion Brand. Today, we would like to share a wonderful free pattern, Red Heart Traditional Granny Throw, compliments of our friends at Yarnspirations. This is one of our favorite styles of blankets! It is really very simple, yet surprisingly popular among both crafters and our veteran community.
Pro Tip: Make sure to keep your tension consistent to ensure that all of your squares are the same size. Also, this make the joining process easier.
Pro Tip: You can substitute the requested colors in the pattern to colors of your choice if you would like. Please just make sure that the yarns that you choose for your substitutions are the same weight as those called for in the pattern.
If you would like to donate a hat, scarf, blanket, 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).
Happy Friday, dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! Firstly, we would like to thank you for all for your generous donations thus far! Your lovingly hand crafted goods are deeply treasured and appreciated by those that receive them. We still have lots of Stand Downs coming up, so please keep sending in your hand crafted gifts so that we can continue to serve those who so admirably served our great nation.
In the past, we’ve gotten some questions from donors regarding slippers/socks. We do get several requests throughout the year from V.A.s that we partner with for these wonderful items. They are most notably meant for veterans who suffer from nerve damage. Our Chief Officer can personally attest to the painful nature of this condition. There are many great and easy free patterns available compliments of our friends at Yarnspirations and Lion Brand. Today, we would like to share a wonderful free pattern, Bernat’s Slipper Boots, compliments of our friends at Yarnspirations. This pattern weaves up surprisingly quickly and as the pattern suggests, is quite easy. This is a great pattern if it is your first time making crochet slippers.
Pro Tip: Make sure to keep your tension consistent for a comfortable texture and visually pleasing look!
If you would like to donate a hat, scarf, blanket, 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).
Happy Friday, dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! Some of our recent blog posts touched on demystifying yarn labels and explaining the Craft Yarn Council’s Standard Yarn Weight system. However, we’ve had many questions from several volunteers about yarn substitution and we’d like to answer some of those questions!
Yarn substitution is when you want to substitute a different yarn than the one recommended by the pattern that you are using. There could be many reasons why you might want to: you may want to avoid a certain type of yarn because of allergies or preference of fibers, you may want to use out yarns that are already available in your stash, or you may want to use a more economical option than the yarn suggested, etc. Either way, there are certain considerations that you must keep in mind when substituting different yarn(s).
One of the first things to check, is whether the yarn company (e.g. Red Heart, Lion Brand) providing your pattern has a dedicated page on their website concerning suggested yarn substitutions. This may save you the time of trying to find a suitable yarn that will work with your chosen pattern.
The next consideration when choosing a proper yarn substitute is choosing a yarn that falls within the same weight (thickness) category in the Craft Yarn Council’s Standard Yarn Weight system. For example, if the yarn suggested in your pattern calls for a Worsted Medium (4) weight yarn, a good rule of thumb would be to use another Worsted Medium (4) weight yarn to substitute and not a different weight class of yarn, such as a DK Light (3) weight yarn or a Bulky (5) weight yarn. Any big differences might lead to a garment looking, fitting, and/or draping drastically differently than you might otherwise want. Note: the classifications in the Standard Yarn Weight system contain variance in thickness within each individual number. A common example of this would be choosing a pattern that calls for a certain Medium (4) weight yarn. A Medium (4) weight yarn could range from a true Worsted weight yarn all the way to a thicker Aran weight yarn. This could result in, for example, one brand’s Medium (4) weight yarn to be thicker or thinner than their own or another brand’s Medium (4) weight yarn.
Another important thing to consider when substituting is the length/weight, such as yards/grams, of the yarn. So if your pattern calls for a yarn that is 180 yards long and weighs 100 grams, you should endeavor to use a yarn that is similar enough to that ratio in both length/weight. In our experience, changing this too much does have a big effect on the finished garment.
The next things to consider when substituting are the fiber content and texture of the yarn. A 100% Acrylic smooth and shiny yarn will most likely look, feel, stretch, and drape differently than a 50/50% rough and fuzzy Alpaca Wool/Cotton blended yarn. Make sure to keep this in mind when substituting and, if you want to keep it simple, use similar enough substitutes to avoid unwanted impacts to the completed pattern.
Finally, it is always a good idea to make a swatch with your substitute before you dive into the pattern in order to test out if your substitute is going to work the way you and the pattern intend. You may find that you need to move up or down a needle or hook size, or you might even find that your yarn substitute isn’t suitable at all!
Whatever the case, whenever you choose to substitute a different yarn than what the pattern calls for, taking these considerations into account and testing them out in a swatch before you begin will help to ensure that your finished garment will much more closely resemble what the pattern details and you’ll assuredly be glad you took the time to plan/test it out!
Happy Friday dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association Family! This week we thought that we’d offer some words of wisdom to our crafting family; gauge is important. Having the right gauge for the project that you are going to be crafting can genuinely be the difference between having a nice, properly fitting garment that looks professional, and one that doesn’t look at all like the garment from the pattern that you chose.
Before starting a project, work a gauge swatch. We know that gauge swatches can seem tedious and redundant, especially when you are raring to go on an exciting new garment. However, knowing that you have the right gauge for the project that you are going to be working on can offer great peace of mind and can make all the difference in the world! Knitting or crocheting a swatch can also save you a lot of time and heartache in the long run.
If you find from measuring the stitches from your gauge swatch that you are a tighter knitter/crocheter than your chosen pattern calls for, consider moving up a needle/hook size. Conversely, if you find that you are a loose knitter/crocheter, move down a needle/hook size.
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:
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).
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).
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).
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!
