Happy Monday dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! There are multiple Stand Downs each month that we partner with across the U.S.; and although it’s pretty warm outside right now for most of us here in the lower 48, our warm handcrafted gifts are always in high demand.
If you would like to craft a gift for our cause but need inspiration, please peruse our blog at https://thrivevets.org/index.php/blog/ where you can find free patterns as well as awesome tips and tricks.
If you’d like to donate a hat, scarf, mittens, 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 have donations within Baltimore or the DMV area, please contact us to schedule a pickup. If you reside outside of the Baltimore, MD or the DMV area and would like to make an in-kind donation, you can send your donations to us at:
Care of: Victoria Walker at T.H.R.I.V.E. Association 900 E Fayette St #1583 Baltimore, MD 21233
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us. 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 Monday, dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! We hope that you all had a very happy and safe 4th of July weekend. Thank you to all of our amazing staff and volunteers who have been helping us to reach our goal of 150 hats and scarves and 20 blankets for our partner V.A. in Anchorage, Alaska. We are so grateful for your ongoing support and tireless efforts to further our mission to help end homelessness among our nation’s veterans and their dependents.
Although most of us in the “lower 48” are experiencing sweltering temperatures, it is important to note that Anchorage, Alaska does get quite cold at night; even during the Summer months. So, please keep sending in your lovingly handcrafted gifts. They are always needed, and we send them to our partner Stand Downs all year round.
If you’d like to donate a hat, scarf, mittens, 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 have donations within Baltimore or the DMV area, please contact us to schedule a pickup. If you reside outside of the Baltimore, MD or the DMV area and would like to make an in-kind donation, you can send your donations to us at:
Care of: Victoria Walker at T.H.R.I.V.E. Association 900 E Fayette St #1583 Baltimore, MD 21233
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us. Remember, even one lovingly handcrafted hat or scarf can make a huge difference in the life of an underprivileged veteran or their dependent(s).
Note: The photo above was taken at Fort McHenry- the birthplace of “The Star-Spangled Banner”! Happy 250th America!
Now that tax season is finally over, we have a new free pattern that is sure to help see our veterans and their loved ones through the upcoming cool weather seasons. These beautiful granny square cardigans are becoming increasingly popular this year – they are easier than they look and are a whole lot of fun to make. We’ve run with the idea and put a T.H.R.I.V.E. Association spin on it.
For this garment, we’re using a more traditional Victorian granny square pattern and then creating a border. Two simple side seams create a very warm sweater. It may seem a little complicated, but trust us, it’ll all make sense as you go through the process. We’ve explained everything step by step and provided diagrams below. So, let’s get started!
1.) Ch 5. Join in rnd with sl st to first chain to form ring.
2.) Round 1: Ch 3 (this will count as the first dc in the cluster). 2 dc in the in ring. Ch 3. Cluster created. *3 dc in the ring. Ch 3.* 3 times. There will be 4 clusters in total for this rnd. Join with a sl st into top of ch 3. Sl st in next 2 dc and into the ch 3 sp.
3.) Round 2: Ch 3 (again, this counts as the first dc of the round). *(2 dc. Ch 3. 3 dc) in the ch 3 sp of the previous rnd. In next ch 3 sp (3 dc, ch 3, 3 dc).* Repeat from * to * 2 more times. At the end of this rnd, there will be 8 clusters total. Join with a sl st to the top of the ch 3. Sl st in the next 2 dc and into the chain 3 sp.
4.) Round 3: Ch 3 (counts as first dc). (2 dc. Chain 3. 3 dc in the ch 3 sp of the previous rnd. *3 dc in between the 2 side clusters. (3 dc. Ch 3. 3 dc).* Repeat from * to * 2 more times. There will be 12 clusters at the end of this rnd. Join with a sl st to the top of the chain 3. Sl st in the next 2 dc and into the ch 3 sp.
5.) Ch 3 (this counts as the first dc of the cluster). (2 dc. Ch 3. 3 dc) in the ch 3 sp (corner) of the previous rnd. [(3 dc in between next cluster) twice. (3 dc. Ch 3. 3 dc.)] 2 additional times. There will e 16 clusters at the end of this rnd. Join with a sl st to the top of the chain 3. Sl st in the next 2 dc and into the ch 3 sp.
6.) Continue in the established pattern until the piece measures 39.5 in on each side.
7.) Now, we’ll add a border. Place a dc in each st. There should be 80 st on each side of the granny square. Fasten off.
Armholes:
8.) Fold the piece in a hotdog fold with rs facing. (See the diagram.) Measure 7 inches from the fold. Place a marker. Use a running stitch to seam the back loops of each of the 25 stitches starting from marker and working your way to the edge. Do not include the corners in this seam. We will come back to those later. Repeat for the other side. Fasten off.
9.) Now, the cardigan is starting to take shape! So,next we‘ll create the beautiful ribbing for the cuffs. There are 30 stitches total for each of the armholes. Starting at the seam of the armhole, join yarn and ch 3 (this one does NOT count as first dc). *1 fpdc in first dc. 1 bpdc in next dc.* Repeat from * to * around. Join with sl st to top of ch 3. Repeat this row 3 more times for 4 total. Fasten off.
Border Ribbing:
10.) With RS facing, join yarn to side seam with a sl st. Chain 3.
11.) Ch 3 (this does not count as a dc). *1 fpdc in first dc. 1 bpdc in next dc.* Repeat around. Join with sl st to top of ch 3. (160 st total.) Repeat this rnd until border ribbing measures 6”. Fasten off.
Disclaimer:
Please remember that T.H.R.I.V.E. Association patterns are copyrighted and are the property of T.H.R.I.V.E. Association. You may not sell them, nor sell finished products made using them. Their use is meant solely for the advancement and fulfillment of T.H.R.I.V.E. Association’s goals of providing for our homeless veterans and for those whom they provide.
