“A Warm, Wooly Hug”
I have knitted and crocheted for a number of charities over the years, including Knit for Kids and Christmas at Sea. It’s a great way to combine my love of fiber arts with a worthy cause. Knit for Japan is one such cause. It was founded by long-time knitter, Bernd Kestler, originally from Germany and living in Japan since 1998.
In the aftermath of the Tohoku earthquake that devastated northeastern Japan in March, 2011, Bernd wanted to do his part to help those in need. As a knitter for over 30 years and a current student at the Nihon Vogue knitting school, it made perfect sense for him to create a knitting/crochet charity. As he puts it, “Giving them a ‘woolly hug’ in the shape of a hat, pair of socks or scarf is a wonderful way to help.”
What to Donate
The great thing about this charity is that you aren’t limited to the items you can donate; there are no patterns at the site so you have a lot of discretion regarding the ones you use to knit and crochet your donations. Browsing through the website reveals tons of photos of items Bernd has received from generous fiber folk over the past six months. In addition to yarn, hooks, and needles, knitters and crocheters have sent:
- Hats and headband
- Sweaters, vests, and tops
- Gloves and mittens
- Socks, slippers, and booties
- Scarves
- Crocheted flowers
- Amigurumi and other toys
- Purses
Many of the items created by talented knitters and crocheters are absolutely stunning and include sizes for adults and children.
Take some time to go through the website. It includes many photos of the donations Bernd has received (which will give you ideas of what to donate), posts on events in Japan and elsewhere to help raise awareness for the charity, and several tutorials on knitting techniques.
What Fibers to Use/Send
Based on the photos, it looks like most of the clothing items are made from natural fibers, so I would suggest sticking with wool and wool blends for these. But people have been sending acrylic yarn, and Bernd says that some Japanese like to use acrylic to make practical items like “pats” for dish washing. And at an event to teach knitting at the Todoroki Shelter, one participant commented that she had never seen many of the yarns and needles sent and found the variety very interesting.
Bottom line, donate what you can, but whatever items and yarn you send, include the yarn label or a note describing the yarn content with your yarn donation so that Bernd knows what he’s getting.
The address to which you send your donations is listed on the Knit for Japan website in the sidebar on the right.
Get Involved Today
This is a great project for a knitting or crochet group to get involved in. If you have never formed a knitting/crochet charity group before, this article provides some tips to help you get started. But you don’t have to be part of a group to give. Even local yarn stores are participating.
