By Rabinder Singh, Adult Programming Assistant
Searching for a hobby that is relaxing, fun and gives you a sense of purpose? Want to do something good for others? Look no further than knitting!
Yarn arts such as knitting and crocheting are growing in popularity, with more than 50 million people partaking in the hobby, according to the Craft Yarn Council. An article by the BBC says that this rise can partly be attributed to the pandemic, where people were forced to find ways to occupy their time and reduce stress during COVID-19–related closures. Even now, despite a decrease in restrictions, the yarn art community continues to flourish with more men and children also joining the ranks.
Wanting to engage this growing group, Fairfax County Public Library launched Knitting for Charity in the fall of 2022. This initiative encourages experienced knitters to create hats for those in need. Over the last three years, the library has donated more than 2,800 hats to Shelter House, a nonprofit organization that provides crisis intervention in the form of safe housing and support services for residents experiencing homelessness or domestic violence.
This year, FCPL is looking to go bigger than ever before! From September 15 to November 14, community members are asked to donate knitted and crocheted hats to your local Fairfax County library branch. After the drive concludes, these hats will be given to several local nonprofit organizations to help those in needs. Organizations for this year include Shelter House, FACETS, New Hope Housing and Cornerstones. With more partners, we need more of YOU to help us make an impact!
Beginning September 15, participating crafters can pick up yarn to use in making a hat at the following branches:
- Centreville Regional Library
- Chantilly Regional Library
- City of Fairfax Regional Library
- George Mason Regional Library
- Herndon Fortnightly Library
- Kings Park Library
- Kingstowne Library
- Pohick Regional Library
- Reston Regional Library
- Sherwood Regional Library
- Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library
The supply of yarn is limited and is only available as supplies last. Crafters may use their own yarn or fiber to make hats as well!
You can also prepare for the drive by brushing up on your yarn art skills with one of FCPL’s many knitting and crocheting groups. These groups meet at local library branches throughout the county and bring together participants of all skill levels. To learn more about the various groups, click here for knitting and here for crochet.
Learn more about our Knitting For Charity drive by visiting bit.ly/FCPL_KnittingForCharity.