A worthy use for all those leftover bits of yarn!

[Micah68]

http://www.rectangle6x9.org/

This organization takes 6x9 rectangles, knitted or crocheted, and turns them into afghans for wounded American soldiers. To date, they have given over 3,000 afghans.

My daughters and I have committed to making one rectangle each, at least, per day from now until Christmas.

[tzaddik1]

Thank you so much for this info. I have tons of skeins of crochet, as well as odd and end balls from my late mother. This is truly a worthy project, and I'm going to get started. As you said, one rectangle a night is an easy goal.

[Deb Mc.]

Wow, that's wonderful! Thank you for sharing! Bump that up to the top of the to-do list. :-)

[Midnight Blue]

This is an awesome project, thank you for posting it! I'm adding it to my projects.

Do you make the rectangles and then send them in or do we sew them and send in the blanket. I have never sewn squares together which is why I am asking.

[Micah68]

This is an awesome project, thank you for posting it! I'm adding it to my projects.

Do you make the rectangles and then send them in or do we sew them and send in the blanket. I have never sewn squares together which is why I am asking.

No, you just make the rectangles and send them in. They have "parties" where volunteers sew them into afghans...the point being that many hands have helped make each one. Each afghan gets a card attached to it with the names of the people who made the rectangles and those who helped sew it together so they can see that many people are praying for them and care for them.

PS...if anyone wants to sew rectangles but needs help with postage money, please let me know.

[Mstini]

What a wonderful thing to do! I have emailed info. on this to everyone on my email list - guys too!

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e14/Starrphyre/applause-menshands-1.gif

[Micah68]

What a wonderful thing to do! I have emailed info. on this to everyone on my email list - guys too!

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e14/Starrphyre/applause-menshands-1.gif


Thanks, MsTini - I am spreading the word among everyone I know, too.

My girls (ages 9, 10, 11, and 12) have discovered they can do it while they watch tv if they stick with single crochet. We watched a movie last night and during the movie the 5 of us got 12 rectangles done!

To make it easy for them I did what the website suggested and used old cereal boxes to make templates to check size. That was a big help for them.

[momof23goats]

I am going to do this too .

[momof23goats]

I just sent this link to a ton of people, this is some thing we can do. spread the word, and start getting your yarn out.

[Animal Lover]

I just sent this link to a ton of people, this is some thing we can do. spread the word, and start getting your yarn out.

Me too. Great idea. We love our kids. AL

[Midnight Blue]

No, you just make the rectangles and send them in. They have "parties" where volunteers sew them into afghans...the point being that many hands have helped make each one. Each afghan gets a card attached to it with the names of the people who made the rectangles and those who helped sew it together so they can see that many people are praying for them and care for them.

PS...if anyone wants to sew rectangles but needs help with postage money, please let me know.

Great, thanks for clearing that up! My yarn is out all day everyday.

[momma_soapmaker]

Awesome! I have tons of odds and ends leftover from crocheting projects. I'll be sure to pass this along to my crocheting buddies!

[Micah68]

Welcome to the board, Momma Soapmaker!

[Animal Lover]

Thank you Micah, My DD, her two Sisters in Law and her MIL are all going to do this. What a great cause. DD had been looking for something that she can do. She is still very ill and Dr. will not allow her to work, so she feels this will be wonderful to help her forget her own troubles. I make Hearts4Heroes and I love the cause it goes too. Another idea for anyone who wants to contribute to our troops and their family's past, present and future. AL

[anothermom]

While I don't know how to knit or crochet, I am going to give this to everyone who I know that does, and even to some who don't so it can be passed on.

[ejagno]

Now this is a wonderful way of giving thanks on this Thanksgiving to those who have sacrificed their lives for us. I appreciate you sharing this and will do my part as well.

[DunDunDuuun]

While I don't know how to knit or crochet, I am going to give this to everyone who I know that does, and even to some who don't so it can be passed on.


In case you'd like to learn, this is how I've been learning:


http://www.nexstitch.com/v_single_crochet_dec.html

http://www.youtube.com/user/tjw1963#p


Thank you to the OP for posting this information. My yarn obsession now has a purpose. :mrgreen:

[Saul Mine]

http://i35.tinypic.com/2i2bq4j.jpg

[Micah68]

Someone had way too much time on their hands!

[jazzy]

what a wonderful idea, i sent the link to people i know, and i sure want to try and see if my crocheting is up to standard. such a lovely idea......

[tzaddik1]

Like many others on this thread, I was so excited to join this project of crocheting rectangles that would be attached to make an afghan for military men and women in hospitals. So I set about to crochet 2 or 3 each evening when I got home from work.

Last night I realized I had completed about 30 of them and thought I would send them to the organization who is doing this. I went online to find out their address and contacted them. I got this email in reply:

Thank you for your interest in becoming a volunteer for The Handmade Afghans to Thank Our Armed Forces Project (HAP).

Since founding this project in 2004, HAP has grown to include over 1,800 volunteers. The project started and remains a grassroots operation. All facets of HAP are accomplished through a network of volunteers and through donations. In order for HAP to continue in this manner, the number of volunteers must be limited in order to remain manageable. That limit has been reached and maintained for some time now. Unfortunately, that means that I must turn away good people that I'm sure would be wonderful volunteers for HAP. I hope that you will use your talents, energy and enthusiasm for another project or charity that helps our troops.

Thanks again and good luck in your endeavors.

Deborah Starobin-Armstrong
Founder - The Handmade Afghans to Thank Our Armed Forces Project

Online sites that list charities:
http://www.dailycrocheter.com/charity.php (http://www.dailycrocheter.com/charity.php)
http://www.dailyknitter.com/charity.php (http://www.dailyknitter.com/charity.php)
http://www.lionbrand.com/ (http://www.lionbrand.com/)

Just wanted to let you know before you crochet a bunch of rectangles and have nothing you can do with them. Mine were made from odds and ends of yarn, so I can't even connect them all for a complete afghan. I haven't found any other charitable organization that needs 6x9 rectangles.:cry:

[Riana]

Just wanted to let you know before you crochet a bunch of rectangles and have nothing you can do with them. Mine were made from odds and ends of yarn, so I can't even connect them all for a complete afghan. I haven't found any other charitable organization that needs 6x9 rectangles.:cry:

That's too bad that you can't give your rectangles to that particular group. And who says you can't connect them into an afghan - they were going to, so I bet you could, too. Yes, it'd be a patchwork-like afghan, but still warm and useful, I wager.

With winter coming on, maybe a shelter could use an afghan or two? Maybe a shelter for battered women or something? Worth looking into, if you can't find another troop-supporting charity to donate to.

[DunDunDuuun]

Then why in the WORLD doesn't she have that information posted somewhere clearly visible????????

GAH!!!!!! This really burns me up.

Maybe there's another organization who's doing this?


Or.... maybe you should start another one? :mrgreen::mrgreen::mrgreen:

[Summerthyme]

It is a shame they don't have that information posted someplace prominently... along with suggestions for where ELSE people who want to help out in this way could donate.

I second the suggestion of linking those pieces you've made into an afghan and then donating it to a local shelter- either something like a place for abused women, homeless or to the Salvation Army- they'll get it to someone who needs it.

Pick a single color of yarn (black or a dark navy would likely work well... white or cream would be ok) and use it for your connecting stitches. It really doesn't matter what it looks like, if it's warm, you know?

Summerthyme

[tzaddik1]

I went back to the 6x9 website and read it very carefully because I was going to send her an email suggesting she post the fact that they are no longer accepting volunteers. Finally, I found a statement saying that very thing, but it isn't prominent.

Anyway, she did have a couple of other suggestions. I went to them and found a few other possibilities, but also those websites suggested donating crocheted items to someone locally, so that is what I have decided to do. I have probably 15 rectangles that I can add to and make a good-looking afghan. Then I will just crochet some more to add to the other odds and ends.

My mom left about 200 skeins of yarn when she passed away 3 years ago, so it's not like I have to go out and buy some more. I was just trying to get all the balls of yarn (that were left over after one of her projects) crocheted into something useful. I was just shocked after I had spent all those hours and thought my time was wasted.

For those of you who may be interested, go to either of these websites. They have a lot of suggestions for crocheting or knitting things for others.

www.dailycrocheter.com/charity.php (http://www.dailycrocheter.com/charity.php)

www.dailyknitter.com/charity.php (http://www.dailyknitter.com/charity.php)

[Animal Lover]

In case you'd like to learn, this is how I've been learning:


http://www.nexstitch.com/v_single_crochet_dec.html

http://www.youtube.com/user/tjw1963#p


Thank you to the OP for posting this information. My yarn obsession now

has a purpose. :mrgreen:

What a cool site. I just sent it to my DD. thanks so much for sharing it. AL

[Animal Lover]

I would think ALL nursing homes and Veteran's homes would appreciate your afghans made out of your squares. Truely wonderful, handmade with love. The loving energy in them alone would be healing for those who are generally pretty bedridden. Most of the elderly (like myself) don't get a lot of visitors so you might want to check with any that are local to your home and ask. Also is there any info for children's hospital's donations of afghans? I would think there is a need there too. How about orphanages??? Can you imagine how nice it would be to have your very own handmade afghan or blanket if you were living in a group home?? I think these kids would be over the moon for them. Don't give up finding that special place to put your love/art to work. AL

[DunDunDuuun]

What a cool site. I just sent it to my DD. thanks so much for sharing it. AL

You're welcome. I'm glad someone could use it!

[Herbmountain]

I was excited too but am currently working on an afghan for ny niece who just got married. Afghans are so fun to make. Endless possibility's. I know every town has a woman's shelter and they are always looking for blankets and such for their women and families who are staying in their facilities. I would check there too.

[Almost Ready]

It's really sad we can't give to the soldiers.

There are other groups that accept donations of small hats for preemies, or larger for folks suffering the poison of chemo.

Darn. Was ready to make up a bunch of rectangles after that next baby set. :(

[Micah68]

I was pretty mad when I read that! My daughters and I have crocheted over 300 rectangles!

Anyway, it has taken me so long to respond because I was looking for other uses. I contacted the local LDS church, of which I am not a member, and spoke to the ladies aid person. She thought it was a great project and gladly took all of our rectangles. She is going to have her aid group put them into afghans and she said they would be used at disasters through their disaster relief program.

Then I was venting to our piano teacher, who does volunteer work at a local nursing home (reading to them, writing letters for them, etc) and she said the patients there would have been thrilled to get visits from the girls delivering afghans. Many of them do not have family or at least not family that visits them and she said they love children. SO......we are now crocheting throws and lap blankets for the patients there. It is a small facility with only 40 patients and ony ten per wing, so once we get 10 done we will take them up and pass them out and the do another 10, etc.

The homeless shelter was not interested. They said handmade items are too hard to wash and sterilize. The battered womens shelter was also not interested, partly for that reason and partly because they said homemade blankets are too bulky for the women to take with them.