Who takes knitted items ?

One of my latest dog blankets.

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2012/mar/13/knit-blanket-rescue-dog

I knit dog blankets for Battersea dogs/cats home. So far I have made over one hundred blankets. I knit them using DK and chunky yarn knitted together on 9mm knitting needles. Knitting is quick and satisfying. I knit in long strips to look like squares and that cuts down the length of time sewing them together. Happy knitting!

Mods, IMO this thread would be better in the arts and crafts section.

Re jumpers for hens, BTW, a dd acquired some ex battery hens a couple of years ago, so I was all for knitting jumpers for them, but she was advised against it by the rescue agency.

That was because they were going to have immediate access to a spacious outdoor run and she couldn’t guarantee that they would never get wet (she lives in Oxford).
A different thing if you live in a very dry climate though, or can guarantee that jumpers are never going to get wet and soggy.

Dd got her chooks in that November, and they were certainly in a very sorry state at first, but they did very well and their feathers did re grow quite quickly.

League of friends take knitted items I believe.

I work in a special needs school, with many children in wheelchairs. When the slightly milder weather comes, we wheel them into the playground or green spaces, for some fresh air. The difficulty comes when trying to put coats on children who have very limited mobility, so cant help themselves. However, if we had some knitted ponchos, that could be easily slipped over the childs head, this would make it a quicker and easier solution.
So maybe you could approach any local special needs school, and ask if they could use ponchos for the children, when they are going outdoors. A very worthwhile cause, which works really well in my school, with some very vibrant colourful patterns.

I’ve made twiddle muffs for the local hospital - not since COVID, though. I had understood that patients took them home with them, which solved any problems of laundering/disinfecting.
They are great for using up oddments. My pattern (online at Oxford University Hospitals Twiddle muffs IIRC) uses 2 strands of DK, so you can also use up any oddments of chunky, interspersed. Works fine.

Thankyou for this lovely thread. I love knitting and find it very relaxing. I am not a beginner at knitting but no good at very complex patterns. Since going back to work F/T I have less time for knitting. On the links however are some very simple ideas that can be done without needing a great deal of concentration-which I lack after a day at work!
Twiddle muffs are a brilliant idea and great fun to do as long as are aware of the safety elements. Pre Covid hospital outpatients etc always needed them . Even then they were usually one use only due to cross infection so not sure how things are now. There are probably lots of care homes etc that people could approach.

www.wales.nhs.uk/sitesplus/documents/866/Twiddle%20Muff%20leaflet%20final.pdf
Knitting twiddle muffs for dementia patients, there may be one more local to you?

Knit for Nowt distributes ‘worry eating monsters’ and ditto animals, to social workers, children’s therapists, etc. There always seems to be a huge waiting list - evidently there are far too many troubled children out there.

There are lots of free patterns on the website, for the ‘monsters’, plus various worry-eating animals, plus small hand puppets of family members, official figures, etc., which are also in demand. The latter would certainly use up a lot of oddments.

Do have a look at the website - I’m sure you’d find it well worth while.

We had a picture on here at one point, of some hens in little jackets.

THANKS al, will check these out in the morning, tyvm! I quite like the idea of a rescue hens, I used to keep chickens.

Francis House Children’s hospice take knitted Easter chicks which you send off and they then fill them with cream eggs to sell to raise money for the children, the patterns are available on their website.
Many animal shelters will take knitted blankets, coats or little cat toys. I think they prefer closer knit things rather than the looser more open crocheted blankets.

Thanks elegran.
That's the one I was thinking of.

It’s so difficult I used to send to a charity for keeping babies and toddlers warm but they don’t want them any more because the babies might catch their fingers in them !!!!

MissAdventure It is called knitted knockers. The uk website is at www.knittedknockersuk.com/

Jumpers for ex battery hens. They have huge feather loss and this helps them to survive. Man's cruelty again.

That looks great.

Would this help?

www.ukhandknitting.com/knitting-for-charity/charity-list

I can't get my linky thing to work.
There are so many good causes.

www.saga.co.uk/magazine/home-garden/craft-hobbies/crafting/sewing-and-knitting-for-charity

I used to knit for a small charity helping Syrian refugees but the last parcel I sent overseas got returned to me; it had cost quite a lot to post too.

I was going to suggest Knit for Peace but I think they have suggested donating locally if possible. The provide a list:
knitforpeace.org.uk/knit-for-peace/donate-knitting/

I think there is a charity that knits boobs for women who have had breast cancer, if you fancy something a little different.
I can't remember all the details.

I'll have a google for things that might interest you, if you want?