Valentines … From the Heart (end date 2/29/12)

As we begin the year 2012, we celebrate the fact that every garment created for the children served by Wool-Aid is knit or crocheted with love and care in every stitch. This Valentine campaign should be able to warm many a cold child.

• FOCUS: Knitting from the heart, with a focus on smaller items (socks, hats, mittens)
• SIZE: Most needed sizes (measured lying flat) for these items are as follows: socks, 6.5” to 9.5” foot; hats, 16” to 20” in circumference; mittens, 5.5” to 8.5” wrist to fingertip (not counting the cuff)
• Use 80%+ wool or animal fiber content. Wool is warm, and it stays warm even when it gets wet. Superwash wool is not required.
• Create a warm, dense woolen fabric. Clothing is often worn indoors as well as outside, because homes are often very cold. Patterns used typically call for worsted weight, aran, or bulky yarn. You may need to use a smaller needle size than is usually recommended in order to produce a dense enough fabric.
• The most needed sizes fit children 8 to 16 years old, because the need is greater for older children.
• All hats and mittens must protect against the harsh temperatures and extreme weather conditions, so they should be thick and dense, not lacy. A bit of extra length on the cuffs of mittens and hats can make a big difference. Please tie mittens together at the cuff.
• Socks should be knit in yarn that is worsted weight or heavier, unless specified otherwise. (You can strand worsted weight yarn with sock yarn for some lovely effects, and the sock yarn also adds durability. If socks are knit from bulky yarn, they should be knit on smaller needles to create a dense fabric.) Socks should have standard heels. As a rule of thumb, the leg of the sock (cuff to bottom of foot) should be as long as the foot of the sock (heel to toe), up to about 10 inches. Please tie socks together at the cuff.

Notes: Smaller items such as hats, mittens, and socks are always in high demand by all of our recipient organizations. Even when we send larger items like sweaters, smaller items can be tucked in around the edges! Hats, mittens, and socks can be sent to Wool-Aid at any time during the year, but this “Valentines … From the Heart” campaign puts a special focus on them as we begin 2012.