It’s that time of year when a certain smoothie brand (owned by Coca Cola) likes to indulge in a bit of PR fluff and invite people to knit tiny hats for plastic bottles that neither want or need a hat.

I’ve written about this before and why I generally prefer to knit hats for humans who need actual warmth, as opposed to plastic bottles that don’t - indeed the other year we had a Hats for Humans KAL which was great fun.

This year, time is a bit more limited but if the recent adverts for said knitted hats have got you thinking along the charity lines please do think about knitting for the fabulous Big Issue North who are asking for knitted items - hats, scarves etc - to distribute to people they are working with this winter. All items are gratefully received although they prefer natural/neutral colours if possible.

And if you are looking for a good basic beanie pattern you might like to know that I’ve recently added a free download to my ‘free patterns’ section here. It’s a basic hat knit in mistake rib and uses sock yarn held double - it knits up quickly and is ideal for using up some of those single skeins of sock yarn in your stash.

If you are looking for more suggestions on charity knitting you can find a comprehensive (and frequently updated) list over at The Knitting Goddess blog page.

This month the focus of my Everyday Knitter Facebook group is on charity knitting and this has lead to some great conversations around this subject. Many knitters love to knit for charity and do so prolifically. Others would love to help out more but although they have the supplies and the ability they lack the time to knit all the things they want to and still help out their favourite charities.

Whenever you are knitting for a charity it is often wise to check out how they intend the finished items to be used/distributed/sold before committing your precious time into a project. There seems to be a unversal assumption amongst certain media companies and PR folk that knitters are elderly ladies with an infinite amount of time on their hands and who don't value their time and skills perhaps as much as they ought to - but that's a topic for another day.

If you don't have time to knit something for a charity appeal but would still like to help - never fear:

1. Tell people about it. Spread the word to those around you who might be able to help. Either online or in person - every person who talks about or who mentions a particular charity helps to raise awareness.

2. Have a clear out and donate some craft suppliers. Charities are often thrilled to receive donations of wool and needles. Often they are able to pass these on to other knitters to make use of and create items for sale or donation. It's often worth checking first before you do to make sure that you are supplying what you need.

3. Look around, some charities accept donations all year round - Knit for Peace is a great example. You can cast on for a hat and donate it whenever it is ready, whether that's in a month or a years time.

When it comes to knitting for charity, really no act is too small or too insignificant. We can all do a little bit to help - whatever that is and in whatever form it takes.

Hats for humans - again

Charity Knitting - how to help when you have no time