Giving Back

When I started learning how to crochet a couple of years ago, I did it mostly for myself. I was rehabbing a broken elbow and concerned about losing motion in my left hand, and I was also looking for a hobby that would get me off my phone. And I discovered pretty quickly that I had a little bit of a knack for it. I’m not a master by any stretch—it takes a lot more time than I’ve put into it in order to get there—but I’m not bad, and it’s done what I wanted it to do.

The problem with a hobby like this one is that you run out of things you need or can use pretty quickly, at least when it comes to smaller projects like hats or scarves, which is what this post is about really. Those kinds of little projects are great because they’re the kind of thing you can knock out in a day or less, and you don’t necessarily need a pattern once you’ve figured out the basic construction. They give you a lot of room to experiment and freestyle. But even here in Iowa, you don’t need crocheted caps and scarves for more than 4-5 months out of the year max, and they pile up pretty quickly.

So what I started doing last winter was putting them in the Little Free Library we have on our corner, usually with an anonymous note letting people know that these hats weren’t just lost and put in there, but are available to anyone who needs them. And over the past spring and summer I kept making hats and scarves, preparing for this season. I’ve already begun putting hats in there, and they’ve all found new homes.

I’ve also thought a lot about trying to find ways to make custom pieces for people without actually turning it into a job. When I first told people I’d started crocheting, the words “side gig” came up repeatedly and made me want to run away and hide. I don’t want to run my own business, especially not one like this where I actually enjoy the craft. For me, capitalism and hobbies don’t mix.

But altruism does. That’s why I started giving away those pieces in the first place. And now I’d like to potentially extend that out some. My favorite charity to donate to is my local Food Bank. I started giving to them at the beginning of the pandemic and would give more if I could. So here’s what I’m proposing.

et me make something for you. It can be custom made or you can choose from pieces I’ll post here on occasion. Like this scarf I finished last night.

It’s roughly 6 inches wide and about 90 inches (7.5 feet) long, and made from Barcelona Big yarn from Loops & Threads, 100% acrylic, machine wash cold, tumble dry low. It’s a very soft and comfortable acrylic yarn, and I used all but a tiny amount of the ball, so just over 400 yards worth.

And it can be yours for the cost of a donation to your local Food Bank. No minimum donation required. You give what you can give, and I’ll mail you the scarf. Postage is on me.

If you’d like me to make something for you special, just contact me on Twitter (@briankspears) and we’ll work out what you’re looking for, maybe look at patterns and yarn colors, and I’ll give you a rough idea of how long it should take me. Same deal as above—the price is whatever donation you can give to your local Food Bank.

I’ll only do as many of these as I have time for—I have a paying job and a family who’ll have to take precedence, of course—but I’d love to share this work with people and push some money toward the kind of place that helps people in need.

Thanks for reading.