Many people use their time and hobbies to try and make the world a better place. One way people have found to use their hobbies to help others is by knitting for charity. Individual knitters and knitting groups around the world have started initiatives to use their skills to help local, regional and national charities.
Knitting projects for charity may be practical, such as baby hats to donate to the maternity ward of a local hospital. Other groups create knitted items for abused children, displaced families or the homeless. Some knitted items for charity are less practical, but work to make a point. A group of knitters created hundreds of knitted wombs in an artistic project to support women's rights. Knitters all over Europe come together once a year to create small hats for a beverage company in an attempt to shed light on a different issue each year.
Not all knitters knit primarily for the purpose of charity. Some people who wouldn't normally entertain the idea find that it's a great way to use up scraps of yarn, or yarn in a color they have grown to dislike. Knitting for charity is also an excellent way to try out new techniques or patterns. Someone who has never knit a sock before may be more inclined to try if they don't have to look at the finished product. Other knitters may find that squares for charity afghans are the perfect place to try out new, interesting stitch patterns without having to commit to the pattern for a large project.
One of the easiest ways to begin knitting for charity is to choose a cause near and dear to your heart. If you're moved by humanitarian causes, seek out a program that donates blankets to war veterans or the victims of war-torn countries. If you survived childhood cancer, knit hats for an organization supporting children undergoing chemotherapy. Another way to get involved in knitting for charity is to figure out what you like to knit, and then find an organization that accepts that item as a donation.
If you are interested in knitting for charity, seek out a local community charity and ask how you and other knitters can help. Alternatively, you can contact one of the many knitting charities in existence throughout the world. These groups keep an ongoing list of their needs and are always happy to have another person helping knit for charity.