Knitting and crochet projects for charity
#ScarfUp – the Crafts Council is teaming up with CW+, the official charity of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust to help people #ScarfUp and keep the chill out. There are nine knitting patterns for you to choose from, designed by renowned artists including Annie Morris, Denzel Forrester, and Supermundane. All scarves donated to CW+ will be used by patients in their hospitals suffering from respiratory illnesses like asthma, COPD, and those recovering from Covid-19.
The Big Knit – knit or crotchet mini wool hats for Innocent smoothie bottles to raise money for Age UK.
Octopus for a Preemie – become one of a team of UK volunteers who crochet and knit little octopuses and jellyfish to comfort babies who have entered the world a little earlier than expected.
The Naval Children’s Charity – you can help the organisation by knitting rabbits or penguins to send out with its free children’s books. There’s also a family set of dolls for children whose parents work in the Armed Forces, designed to help them adjust to periods of separation.
Made4aid – anyone can donate handmade art and craft items or supplies to be sold online, with all proceeds going to the relief work of Médecins sans Frontières (Doctors without Borders).
Bonnie Babies – make and send premature clothing, blankets and burial outfits to hospitals, bereavement units, hospices, orphanages and special baby care units in the UK, and also to parents who need support.
The Donkey Sanctuary – knit and crochet woollen donkeys (or sew felt ones) to be sold by the Devon-based charity to raise funds and help boost donkey welfare standards around the world.
Loving Hands – knit, crochet and sew items for various charities, groups and individuals, from premature baby clothes to knee rugs and shoulder wraps for the elderly, or fiddle mats and muffs for dementia sufferers.
Knitted Knockers – connect with breast cancer survivors by knitting and crocheting breast protheses for women that have undergone a mastectomy or a lumpectomy (applications for those wishing to knit for the charity are currently suspended due to its recipients being classed as at risk from Covid-19).
Feel Better Friends – crochet dolls ‘stuffed with love and well wishes’ to be donated to children battling cancer and other illnesses.
Project Linus UK – volunteer to make quilts and blankets for sick, disabled or disadvantaged children. Donations of suitable patchwork fabrics and threads or help with fundraising to purchase fabrics and wadding are also welcome.
Newlife – pick up your needles to create a range of items to be sold at craft sales, from homewares to clothing, accessories and toys. Proceeds will be used to boost the Knit for Newlife fund, which helps the charity purchase essential specialist equipment for specific children.
Woolly Hugs – join an online community in providing knitted and crocheted blankets for a variety of causes, such as children affected by Chernobyl or breastfeeding units in the UK. Woolly Hugs also regularly runs craft sales to raise funds for itself, as well as donating a third of its profits to a chosen charity at Christmas.