Community Service Projects

The primary aims of the Minnesota Knitters' Guild's Service Committee are to sponsor knitting projects that benefit those in need, to collect and donate supplies to organizations that put them to good use, and to volunteer knitting lessons to requesting organizations.

If you are interested in donating materials to the Guild, you can find our donation procedure here. If you'd like to request a service, please email our Service Director, Betsy Preston.

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Our next date to drop off your knitted items for our service partners will be in November, 2021. Please include a slip of paper with your name and number of items you are dropping off so we can make sure you receive recognition charms for your service knitting donation.  Stay tuned for more details.
 
This year our partner organizations are: Hats for the Homeless, Hats and Mittens, and the Range Center and the needed items are knitted adult and children’s hats, mittens, scarves, fingerless mitts, and lap blankets.
 
PLEASE WASH ALL KNIT ITEMS PRIOR TO DONATION.
 
We’ll also be accepting yarn donations; full skeins with labels, natural fibers or blends only please. Needles are always welcome.  
 
If you can’t make the event and want to mail your items or arrange a porch drop off, please contact Betsy Preston at servicemnkg@gmail.com

 

 Current Projects:

In 2021, we will be knitting hats, mittens, fingerless mitts, and lap blankets for Hats for the Homeless, HatsAndMittens.org, and The Range Center.

HATS FOR THE HOMELESS – serving homeless people in the Twin Cities. (Adult hats)

HATSANDMITTENS.ORG – helping children in need in the 7-county metro area. (Child and adult hats)

THE RANGE CENTER – serving adults and children with disabilities in northeastern Minnesota (All items)

Hats for the Homeless has links some of their favorite hat patterns. They also suggest the following:

  1. Dark, solid colors are preferred over lights, brights or stripes.

  2. The simpler the pattern, the better.

  3. Hats with embellishments like pompoms are not snatched up as enthusiastically.

Here are some other pattern suggestions…

Hats for Adults and Children
Build Your Own DK Weight Hat
Basic Beginner Hats for the Family
Hats of Hope

The Minnesota Hat

Mittens for Children
The World’s Simplest Mittens
Arched Gusset Mittens
Maize

Fingerless Mitts
Easy Fingerless Mitts
Basic Fingerless Mitts

How to get your items to the Service Committee:

1. Drive through drop-off: November, 2021; details TBA

2. Potomac Bead Company 518 Broadway in Alexandria, MN is accepting donations. 

We’re looking for volunteers or shops to host drop-off events in greater Minnesota! If interested, contact Betsy.

Please do not mail donations to the Textile Center at this time. Contact Betsy if you have a donation you cannot bring to a drop-off event.

Service Knitting Thank You Gifts

This year we want to thank those of you who use your time and talents to help with our service knitting with some small gifts. We have curated a set of progress/stitch markers and as you donate more items through 2021 you will receive more parts of the set.

When you make a donation, we will keep track of how many items you donate. When you reach the levels below you will receive a marker. 

  • 5 items - sheep
  • 15 items - yarn
  • 25 items - scarf
  • 35 items - mittens
  • 50+ items - a custom Minnesota Knitters' Guild logo marker. (These will be awarded at the end of the year as we will have them made based on how many we need.)

 Past Projects:

In past years, we've donated knitted items for babies at the Hennepin County Medical Center's Birth Center, families on the Pine Ridge and Rosebud Reservations in South Dakota, mothers and children at Jeremiah House, family members of organ donors through LifeSource, inmates at the Shakopee Women's Prison, citizens of war-torn foreign countries, and many others. 

 

 
Check back on our website for updates on the current projects.
Better yet, join the Minnesota Knitters' Guild and learn additional ways you can help.