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Category: Great Sites & Causes

Candy Cane Mini Christmas Stockings

Cindy1 Comment

Just finishing up this year’s mini Christmas stocking drive for Warmth for Warriors. Here are a few of the final ones I crocheted. I call these my candy cane stockings. I used this pattern for the 6 inch stockings but did work in both loops. I crocheted 2 rounds in each color and just carried the yarn colors inside the stocking to hide my color changes. Works out well and you can’t notice the color changes too much.

We had a very successful year of making mini Christmas stockings for the troops through Warmth for Warriors. In case you aren’t familiar with the organization, you can read more about them here. Last year over 3100 stockings were handcrafted and filled with little goodies for our troops. They were shipped to military troops as a small token of our appreciation to bring a bit of holiday cheer to them for Christmas. We haven’t gotten the final tally for the stockings made this year but I do know it was another great year.

Now we are busy handcrafting

Christmas in July Stockings Part 2

Cindy1 Comment

I just had to follow-up on my Christmas in July stocking making. I crocheted 17 mini stockings in July for the Warmth for Warriors. We are having a stocking-along event for them over at Ravelry at the Good Things Together group. We are having so much fun and accomplishing so many stockings that we have decided to extend the event until August 8.

So it’s not too late to join in on the fun of crafting mini stockings for the troops. Plus there is even a prize that you have a chance to win should you participate. You just simply need at least one stocking to be entered for the prize drawing of a free pattern. Click here

Christmas in July Stocking Making

Cindy1 Comment

It’s time again for another Christmas in July stocking drive for Warmth for Warriors. We are once again making mini Christmas stockings for the troops and sending them in to be filled with little items for Christmas gifts for our soldiers through Warmth for Warriors (W4W).

Each year the miniature stockings are filled at W4W Headquarters with soaps, toiletries, and candies for our troops for Christmas. The little stockings filled with treats are a wonderful way to say thank you to our troops and give them a little Christmas cheer during the holidays. We also need donations of the little hotel sized soaps, shampoos, chapsticks and other small items for stuffing the stockings.

Good Things Together over at Ravelry is hosting the special Christmas in July event. More details including how you can participate and win a prize can be found here.

You can crochet, knit, sew, weave, or loom any Christmas stocking for our troops. We try and aim for the Christmas stockings to be about 6 inches in length. But a little bigger or smaller is fine too. Here is a link to some free patterns should you need some project ideas for making stockings. Be aware that our deadline this year for arrival at W4W headquarters is

Ridged Hat Pattern

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These last few weeks, I have been busy crocheting more hats for the Warmth for Warriors annual hat drive. These hats were crocheted using the free Red Heart Ridged Hat Pattern. I first saw this hat on a Red Heart yarn wrapper and really liked the look of the crocheted cables on the hat.

I have crocheted this pattern using a I hook and also a J hook. Both times the hat is too short without having to add some additional rows to get the desired length I need for a men’s hat size.
I have found that if I add 3 extra rows in the middle I am at about 7.25” long in length. Then I crochet rows 14-17 (4 rows) for the trim rows. Length is about 8.5” long and fits nicely.

Here is one more hat I crocheted using the pattern and added some camo type yarn for stripes.

Crocheting During Stay-At-Home Order

Cindy2 Comments

As many of us are under stay-at-home orders, I have taken this time to enjoy all the extra time I have to crochet. I have lots of yarn, plastic bags to recycle, and so many projects to work on. There are all those charity crafting projects to work on. There are hats and mini Christmas stockings to crochet for Warmth for Warriors. Then there are gift items I can get done for upcoming birthdays and of course in-advance Christmas gift making. Anyway for those of us who love to knit and crochet, this is a grand time.

Oh don’t get me wrong, I do miss my work and my friends. I wish I could use this time to get-together with loved ones and friends but this is not the time. We need to stay home and keep our social distancing with the Coronavirus raging in so many areas. We don’t want to needlessly chance the spread to those more vulnerable.

So check out all my free patterns for crafting ideas should you be looking for a new pattern to try. Come join me in making hats and mini Christmas stockings for the troops through Warmth for Warriors. And of course, grab those stashed plastic bags and recycle them into some plarn to crochet a tote bag, purse, or other useful item. But overall stay safe and healthy.