Knit to Support the Troops

My Knitting for Others group is currently making helmet liners and neck gators for military personnel overseas who are in cold climates. The easier of the two projects is the neck gator. Both are made using circular needles; but the helmet liner also requires double-pointed needles.

If you can knit or crochet, please consider donating helmet liners or scarves for the soldiers abroad. The items must be 100% wool yarn, as acrylic yarn is flammable and would endanger the wearer should injury occur—plus they don’t have the same insulating properties as wool. It’s important that they fit properly to avoid obstructing the wearer’s vision.

Here are some things you should know when donated helmet liners and neck gators:

—The yarn must be 100% wool and of a dark color like black, dark brown, dark gray, drab green (army green). Black is preferred but other dark colors are acceptable.

— Do not add embellishments, fringe or fancy stitches. The key is simplicity made with a basic pattern.

— Although helmet liners and neck gators can be crocheted, the troops prefer the knitted ones because they fit more snuggly and have more “give”.

To get the free patterns and more instructions on how to donate the knitted items, visit these websites:

http://www.citizensam.org/html/patterns/knitting_instructions_helmetliner.html

http://www.citizensam.org/html/patterns/neckgators.html