SUPPORTED CHARITIES

Community Service Projects

Pat Degenhart is our Community Service VP.

The members of The Knitters' Guild of St Louis make a variety of beautiful and creative knitted items that are distributed to people in our community through a number of organizations that recognize who can most benefit from the warm items. Many generous people donate yarn and needles for our projects.

Members are provided access to a pamphlet of Guild Patterns when they join our guild. We have links on our website to free charity knitting patterns here.  If you have any questions, please contact Pat Degenhart, our Community Service VP at the email listed in your member directory or via info@stlouisknittersguild.com  (please be sure to put "guild", "yarn" or "knitting" in your subject line).  If you don't get a response in a few days, email again or call her at the number in your member directory.

2007 HATS FOR KIDS CHALLENGE!

Joan R. & Betty K. challenged each Guild member to make 1 hat per month.  Hats were then packaged and distributed in November to local charities selected by Guild members.  Everyone meeting the Guild challenge of 12 hats during 2007 received a certificate.  The Guild member contributing the most hats and the prettiest hat received a prize. Guild members went all out and knit 1,594 hats for kids (and chemo hats)!  Excellent Job!  Lets keep up our charity knitting in 2008!

BRO (Board of Religious Organizations) BRO.com
This organization helps every age and can use each knitted item-especially layettes for babies, sweaters, mittens, hats, etc. for children, and anything warm for seniors-such as laprobes, slippers, bed jackets, shawls, etc.

Click below to see some of the teddy bears we dressed in 2007 to donate to BRO. 

Great job!

Baby Hats
Washable baby, sport, or double knit yarns are knitted into hundreds of easy to make, tiny hats for preemies that many of our area hospitals are eager to receive. There are never enough caps to meet the need. Note on baby cap sizes: a preemie cap should fit over an orange and a regular baby cap would be grapefruit sized.  Please use machine-washable acrylic yarn for preemie hats (do not use wool for preemies as wool around oxygen can spark).

Caps for Kids
Cute, colorful knitted caps from a variety of patterns are delivered each fall to various agencies to help warm hundreds of children each year.

Chemo Caps
Soft yarn is knitted into comfortable hats for both women and children. We Care Caps are a summer chemo cap: baseball caps creatively decorated with knitted embellishments which are welcome in our hot Missouri and Illinois summers.

Example of a We Care Cap embellished with a poinsettia.

Cap variation with a pink knitted bow.

Greater St. Louis Knitters' Guild members model finished caps
at our January 2004 meeting.

	Another popular chemo cap is "Candy's Happy Hat".  In Feb. 2005, guild members responded to a challenge to make at least 1 happy hat before the next meeting by making 165 chemo hats! The hats are lightweight, fun to knit & wear plus quick to make! The pattern is here!

Project Linus
The goal of Project Linus is to provide a "blanket of security" to children facing substantial distress in their lives. Washable yarn is knitted, crocheted, quilted, woven or sewn into blankets which are then distributed throughout the local community for children undergoing difficult situations, especially aiming toward pediatric cancer patients. Children come in all sizes, so we welcome all sizes of blankets. Suggested sizes:  Preemie blanket: 15" x 18" to 24" x 24". Newborn blankets" 25" x 30", Toddler blankets: 35" x 40" to 45". Child's blankets: 40" x 60".  Click on Afghan Links for various links to free patterns for blankets & afghans!  More info at  St Louis Project Linus or Project Linus National Headquarters

Please be sure if you do use satin ribbon in your blanket to tack it firmly all the way around as it can come loose & be a choking hazard!

Pet Squares
The Humane Society needs these machine-washable soft pads for the cages for rescued animals. Any knitter can make a square to fit the cage -another very easy project. Squares should be approximately 12" or more.  They should be knit firmly, preferably in thick or doubled yarn, no fringe. Please be sure not to use wool as the animals tend to chew on them.  If you're interested in the Knit'N'Purl for Pets program, see our Knit-In Schedule.

Ginny Zschau, is hidden behind the results of her Pet Squares Challenge - 59 pet squares in one month!  Great job!  Click on the photo to enlarge photo.

Ranken-Jordan
A pediatric rehabilitation center in St. Louis near Lindbergh and Ladue. Most of the patients are foster children and many have been abused or neglected. They range in age from newborn to age 16. Ashley Schwartzman, the Volunteer Director, says that the "kids" can use anything! They have an outside playground, so mittens and hats are needed. Many are in wheelchairs and could use lap robes. Afghans are greatly appreciated also. As with most kids, items that are machine washable are desired.

Holiday projects have included:

• A Tree of Warmth which was covered with mittens for children
• Knitting sweaters for bears & dresses for Dolls which the Salvation Army gives to children of prisoners.
• Knitted adorable stuffed animals that brighten the holidays for children.

At a recent Knit-Along, we knit prayer/comfort shawls.  Here is a pattern you may use:  Three in One Shawl.  More info on prayer shawls are at Prayer Shawl Ministry and FriendshipShawl.org

To find out more about the Guild and its activities, please browse our site by clicking on the menu button on the left. This expands the options. If you have any questions, please contact us at info@stlouisknittersguild.com.