Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Finding Free Yarn for Charity Crafting Projects


I can't believe that I've so badly neglected my Charity Crafting posts. This part of my life is a big part of my life. Although our little group of 8 ladies only meets for 2 hours each Friday morning, almost all of us work on charity projects throughout the week. Slowly and steadily, like the tortoise in the fable, we manage to achieve good things.

Back in January, I wrote about the way charity crafting creates a need for yarn and one way to get it cheaply. That need grows as the urge grows and grows.

We have found two ways to get free yarn for our projects.

One is through online posts. Freecycle, a Yahoo group, has chapters all over the country, in almost every major community. All you have to do is go to http://www.freecycle.org/ and put in your zip code. You will be taken to your closest Freecycle group. Then you ask to become a member (it's free). They will ask why you want to join. Usually, that is because you want to get rid of things that others might be able to use, and to find things that others offer. Their goal is to keep things out of landfills. They review your request and send you an email in a day or so.

Then you merely post a WANTED note (yarn for charity crafting projects, for example) or an OFFER note.

Another online source is Craigslist (http://www.craigslist.com/). Find your closest area and search for "arts and crafts," "yarn," or any other words and phrases that seem to fit. Search yard and garage sales, and ask the folks holding them to consider letting you pick up any yarn they do not sell. It saves them from donating to thrift shops and it accomplishes the same thing - helping others.

The other source of free is yarn is simple word-of-mouth. Make sure everyone you know is aware that you would love (LOVE) any yarn they are tossing out. This is slow going but eventually, the word gets around.

In our senior mobile home park, sometimes we hit two or three months when we get lots of yarn donations. Then we might go "dry" for several months.

Anyhow, for those of you with charity crafting in your hearts, consider these options for supplies to feed your habit!

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