Knit Slippers

Published: February 11, 2022 ~ 0

Happy Friday, dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! We’d like to thank you for all for your generous donations thus far! Please remember that there are still many 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.

We showcased a crochet slipper pattern a few weeks ago, but we haven’t forgotten about our knitters who also want to join in! As we said before, we get requests throughout the year from V.A.s for slippers/socks. 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, “Slippers for Him”, compliments of our friends at Yarnspirations. This is a great pattern for first-time slipper crafters, as it keeps the complexity to a minimum and also weaves up before you know it!

You can get your free copy of the pattern here: https://www.yarnspirations.com/on/demandware.static/-/Sites-master-catalog-spinrite/default/dw3403a8c2/PDF/RHK0427-021149M.pdf

Pro Tip: Making a swatch before tackling any knitting project is always important in order to figure out your gauge, and these slippers are no different! ”Slippers for Him” fit snugly to the wearer’s feet, so you will need to ensure that you have the proper gauge to make sure that they are sized correctly.

Pro Tip: If you are unfamiliar with SSK (Slip, Slip, Knit) and M1 (Make 1), or haven’t used them in a while and need a refresher, these Youtube videos will help you get up to speed:

SSK (Slip, Slip, Knit) Video Tutorial: https://youtube.com/watch?v=m-tqv1wrhM4

M1 (Make 1) Video Tutorial: https://youtube.com/watch?v=E31Il_LeKs4

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).

Red Heart Buffalo Plaid Crochet Hat

Published: August 27, 2021 ~ 0

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:

Download the pattern: https://www.yarnspirations.com/red-heart-buffalo-plaid-crochet-hat-for-him/RHC0416-027025M.html?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=2020_01_HeatWaveBuffaloPlaidHat&utm_content=RedHeartBuffaloPlaidCrochetHatForHim

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).

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.

Continuing the Celebration with a Free Hat Pattern!

Published: February 24, 2017 ~ 0

This week, as promised, we present to you a fantastic granny square hat pattern, compliments of Yarnspirations. It is unique, colorful, and at first glance perhaps intimidating, but we promise that it is wonderfully easy to complete. The Bernat Granny Stripes Hat is worked in multiple colors, so it is an excellent opportunity to practice your color work!

The pattern can be found here.

Additionally, there is a free corresponding video tutorial on the pattern’s page to aid you. The video even goes into how to alter the pattern if the hat is too big, or how to account for looser crocheting. We encourage our crafters to download the pattern and crochet along with the video!

As a side note to our crafters, if you find a pattern that you like, please feel free to make as many as you want. There is no requirement to make each donated item different. Who knows, we may have many veterans who want or need the same item.

* Footnote: although this week’s pattern calls for five colors, we decided to make a hat that would match with last week’s cowl which was two colors. These patterns are flexible, so be creative!