Hat & Scarf Drive Cometh - Start Your Needles!

This October, Pacific Fabrics will be collecting handmade hats and scarves for local homeless folks at all six
of our stores. We began this last year – there is a wonderful organization, Warm for Winter, which is run by a woman who experienced the pain of homelessness herself and now works to end homelessness. The hats and scarves are distributed through many local shelters, and help those who make them to remember the people who live in our area and don’t have a place to call their own. Last year, Warm for Winter set a goal for our stores of 1000 pieces – thanks to our amazing and generous customers and employees, we turned in 2600!

Handmade hats and scarves are a wonderful gift and let people who feel forgotten know they are not – one of my dear friends, who works professionally with the homeless population in Seattle, saw two men wearing new hats and scarves, and said that they told her with pride, “Someone made these for us! They knitted them just for us!” She said it really touched her heart to see people so discouraged by life’s misfortunes feeling cared for.


Hats and scarves can be knitted, crocheted, or sewn from fleece. All styles are welcome, but it is men’s styles that are particularly needed – they are the majority of the homeless population.
I made up an easy knitted scarf pattern – it’s pretty basic, but I added a little detail – pockets at the end of the scarf, that they can keep their hands warm in. I plan to include a little note and a granola bar in each of mine, so they get a little extra encouragement!

Anna-Beth’s Stick to your Ribs Pocket Scarf

You’ll need:
1 skein Lion Brand Homespun yarn (you can use something else, of course, but you may need more than one skein. Homespun is inexpensive, pretty, and has a lot of yarn in a skein)
Size 8 knitting needles
Yarn needle

Cast on 26 stitches.
Row 1: K1, P1, repeat till end of row.
Rows 2 till whenever you are within a yard or two of the end of the skein – repeat row 1. (See, you are just in rib stitch forever – hence the cutesy title!)
Bind off, and use that last bit of yarn and your yarn needle to sew up the last 5” on either end along the sides, leaving the top open for putting cold hands into.

Done! Easy! Cozy! I made my first one in two movies and a tv show – perfect mindless knitting for chatting with friends, riding the bus, sitting on an exercise bike, whatever leaves your hands free. Plus, you are doing something kind for someone who will appreciate it.

- Anna-Beth

Comments

[Anna-Beth]

Margeurite, Carol, and other Crocheters - I'm sorry, but my crochet skills are not up to designing a crochet scarf pattern! There are a plethora available online - try
http://crochet.about.com/library/weekly/aa031305.htm to get you started!

Bev - Fleece is conveniently 60" wide, which is also a nice length for a scarf - so if you wanted to, you could just cut selvage to selvage strips, finish the edges somehow , and call it good. If you want to add pockets, I would suggest getting a two yard length, cutting 10-12" wide strips along the length of the fabric, and sewing up the ends into little pockets.

Thanks for your questions, and for being interested in helping our homeless neighbors.

- Anna-Beth

[Bev]

How long would be long enough if I made some for men out of fleece?

[Marguerite Jones]

I was in the outlet store on 4th Ave. in Seattle. There were no patterns available for this winter project. I was told to go on -line and apattern would be available for the hat& scarf for those that crochet like myself. I could not find. Please e-maill the pattern instructions to me for the winter project.
Thanks

[Sharon]

They look great!!!!

Can we get this pattern for crochet.

Thank you,

[Carol McBride]

I think this is a great idea. Need a pattern for crochet, though
Thanks
Carol

[Nancy]

Really long scarves are great...wrap around the head and ears like a hat, a couple of times around the neck for extra warmth and adding pockets is a great idea which I will happily "borrow"...I think I'll line them with fleece...even warmer and easier to keep stashed granola bars!

[TracyL]

Great scarf pattern! and what a georgeous model! I can't wait to start mine tomorrow for a great cause. Go girl. Sending good vibes out to the world and getting them back in mysterious ways.

[janice]

Great Job Anna-Beth! I remember one scarf you made last year with pockets> extra long, I am sure many homeless would love a beautiful scarf like that; especially those without housing or any type of shelter at all. Hats and so appreciated as well. Thankyou again for your Pacific Fabric collection sites and massive help with the Warm for Winter :1000 handmade hats and scarves campaign!

[Katrina]

Hooray for pocket scarves! Love them. I think Erte had some amongst his designs. Great idea!