Here at Jimmy Beans we've been thinking a lot about ways to give back to the community. We love to knit
gifts for our friends and families, but we often forget how many people there are out there with no one to
knit gifts for them. It only seems right that the love and knitted gifts should be shared - that's why we're
starting our Knit for Charity program.
Once or twice a year, we'll be sponsoring knitting for a different charity. Here's how it works: You choose your
project (we'll put up guidelines for which items the program accepts, patterns, and which yarns will
work), order the yarn, and knit it up. Then, send the completed project back to us and we'll put 25% of the price of
the yarn into your account as a credit. We'll pack up all the donations for the quarter and send them off to the
charity - and keep you updated on the contribution, of course!
We're happy to announce that the 2008 1st and 2nd quarter charity for the program is Lilybugs,
a charity knitting and quilting group that knits hats and socks and sews blankets for the babies and children at the Pediatric Heart Center at UCSF in San Francisco, California.
We'll start accepting contributions as soon as you (and we) are done knitting them! We're excited about the opportunity
to do some knitting for a good cause, and we hope you'll join us.
Contributions will be accepted through the end of June 2008.
If you have a charity to suggest for the future, or a pattern for newborn or preemie clothing that you'd like
to share, just email us at ... We'd love to hear from you!
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From the Lilybugs website:
Lilybugs was formed in memory of Lily Belle Green. Lily was born in November, 2004 with congenital heart disease. Lily had one closed heart surgery and two open heart surgeries in order to save her life. She was hospitalized numerous times and suffered many complications and setbacks during her first sixteen months. All of Lily's hospitalizations were at UCSF Children's Hospital, primarily in the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit.
Most of the patients in the pediatric cardiac unit are newborns or children in the first year of their lives. Going from the excitement of the maternity ward into the terror of the cardiac unit is huge shock, and a troubling experience for the family. Lily Belle's parents have expressed to us how much a colorful, hand made item can help make the traumatic experience of seeing your child hooked to monitors and lines more gentle and soft edged. Unfortunately sometimes these items will become treasured memories for families whose children are not so lucky to survive congenital heart disease.
Below you will find some basic information to get you started.
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- All items should be made from soft yarn that is cotton, synthetic, or a blend. Please avoid using wool as some people are allergic to wool.
- It is very important to avoid using any yarn that is fuzzy or has a "hairy" texture.
- Sizes are approximate and the finished product may be larger or smaller than the pattern. It's ok, so are the babies! The hospital will find the right size for the right baby.
- Also check your yarn to be sure that it does not shed. The Pediatric Heart Center is a surgical environment and loose fibers can interfere with the medical equipment.
- All hats will be washed and dried prior to delivery.They must go into a hot dryer for 15 minutes before we can take them into the hospital.
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Hats should be made to fit babies and toddlers 0-24 months, although hats of any size will be accepted! Rough guidelines for hat sizing are as follows (measure across the folded hat and double): |
Newborn |
12 inch circumference |
0-3 months |
13 inch circumference |
3-6 months |
14 inch circumference |
6-12 months |
15-16 inch circumference |
12-24 months |
16+ inch circumference |
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Socks and Booties should be made to fit babies and toddlers 0-24 months, although socks of any size will be accepted! It is important that the sock has a stretchy cuff, so that it will stay on the foot but not be too tight around the baby's calf. Booties that have a cord that ties around the ankle also work really well. |
We have several free baby patterns on our free pattern page. The free patterns are along the right side of the window; check out the diagonal blanket,
the Big Baby Booties, Cotton Chenille Crochet Baby Blanket, Jimmy Bootie and Sweater Sets, Fruit and Veggie Rattles, and Anna's Angel Hat.
Or, check out our selection of baby patterns.
(Please note however that we won't be giving credit back for patterns purchased, only the yarn purchased).
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If you've designed a pattern (must be original, etc.) using yarn that we sell that you'd like to share with other
charity knitters, just drop us an email and we can add it to our list (or, you could always submit it to our pattern contest first!). If you have a pattern and need help converting to a smaller size, we can help. |
Popular yarns include:
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Send your finished item to: Jimmy Beans Wool Attn: Lilybugs 891 Trademark Drive Reno, NV 89521 |
In order to receive the credit for your yarn purchase, you must set up an account when you buy the yarn (if you don't already have an account).
You can start an account when you place an online or phone order. If you want to start an account online, just make sure to choose the "Create Account" option after you click "Checkout."
We don't share your information with anyone; the account just
allows you to track your purchases and receive coupons and credits - like the one you'll be receiving when you finish your
Lilybugs item. |
When you send your completed item, please include your account information (your name and the email address under which you started the account), and
the order number from the receipt for the yarn (or a copy of the receipt). You must include the labels from the yarn with your completed item in
order to receive your 25% credit. Please include your phone number as well so we can contact you if we need more
information to find your account. |
When we receive your project, we'll put your 25% credit in your account. We'll send your project on to Lilybugs, whence it will go to a needy baby. |
Spread the word! Do you have a knitting related website or blog? You can use the following image and sample link to create a link to this page: |
(Right click and save it, then post it up to your site.) |
Sample link: <a href="https://www.JimmyBeansWool.com/KnittingForCharity.asp">Jimmy Beans Wool Knitting for Charity</a> |
If you have problems or questions about creating a link to this page, email us at support@JimmyBeansWool.com! |