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If you haven’t heard, we’ve started our 4th annual Prayer Shawls for Charity Drive with AllFreeKnitting and AllFreeCrochet! All shawls donated between October 1st and November 15th 2018 will be donated to patients at the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago!
Our Mission
By crocheting or knitting a prayer shawl for someone in need, you will be helping provide a bit of comfort to those who need it most. The shawls provide patients with warmth and a comforting embrace during difficult times. It lets them know that someone cares and it gives them hope of recovery and peace.
What Are the Requirements?
We really couldn’t have made it easier! Knit or crochet a shawl, big enough to comfort someone, and weave a few warm and healing thoughts into it as you work. Then, box it up and send it to us. The only thing you MUST DO is put a slip of paper/card/giant sign/something INSIDE the box so we know who sent it. Information on the outside of the box does not count!
While we don’t have any requirements for the size, color, or shape of the shawls, we do have a few other requirements for things we’d like to see in these shawls.
- Make sure that the shawl is big enough to wrap around someone who may be sitting in a wheelchair or lying in a hospital bed.
- Please avoid wool and other exotic yarns as these may cause allergic reactions. We recommend cotton or acrylic yarns.
- Attach a short note with a warm thought or prayer! Many patients like to know who made the shawl for them, so be sure to add your first name and where you’re from.
- Please include your name, address, phone number, and email address with your donation for contest entry.
Note: Your donation must be postmarked by November 15th for contest entry. - Contest open to US/Canada residents age 18+ only. Void in Puerto Rico, the Province of Quebec and where prohibited.
Share Your Progress!
We’d love to see how your shawls are coming along. Post your progress on social media with the hashtag #YarnItForward!
Last year, we received 340 shawls, and we think we can beat that this year!
Where Do I Send My Shawl?
Send Your Completed Shawls to:
Prime Publishing, LLC
Attn: Prayer Shawls for Charity
3400 Dundee Road, Ste 220
Northbrook, IL 60062
Giveaway
Crochet your shawl and send it in, and you’ll be entered to win this exclusive yarn bundle from Red Heart Yarns!
No shawl to make but still want to enter to win the exclusive yarn bundle?
Answer the question at the bottom of this page in the comments section below. Please note that the giveaway begins November 15th – comments will only be considered beginning then.
- There is a maximum of one entry per person. Commenting on this page will enter you for a chance to win the prize. Duplicate comments will be deleted and will not be tallied.
- The winner will be contacted by the e-mail address provided in their account. Please do NOT leave your e-mail address in the comments – you already provided it when you created your account.
- You have until November 15th, 2018 at 11:59 pm CST to leave your comment on this post. Comments submitted after the deadline will not be counted.
Learn More
Still have questions about participating in this shawl drive? Do you want some great free knitting and crochet patterns? Visit our pages on AllFreeKnitting and AllFreeCrochet to get the scoop!
What is your favorite comforting quote or thought?
AllFreeKnitting
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Fav quote is from Bible, Psalm 118, verse 24 “This is the day which the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it”.
I have made prayer shawls before and God bless the person who came up with the idea.I am doing a baby shawl and won’t make the prayer shawl in time. Continue the good work and next time give me more time.
I am a slow crocheter and getting these done in time when I receive the notice on October 24th makes it impossible to participate.
Hi Cathy, sorry to hear this is not enough notice, we will keep that in mind for the future. However, we do run a charity Prayer Shawl Drive this time every year, so if you would like, you could start working on a shawl for next year now.
A question: Can it be a very slightly used one? My dad was gifted with 2 shawls when he was sick and never used them. We did have one at the end of his bed for a time. I might be able to recall which one is which. thanks.
Hi Donna, thanks for your interest! As long the shawls are still in like-new condition and were not exposed to a communicable disease, we can still accept them. Thank you!
Finally a chance to knit for someone. I think my family might be getting tired of my knitted gifts.
What a beautiful idea! <3
Can’t, there’s an ad over the link
I would like to try to do this. Thank you.
My favorite is the prayer of Habakkuk. Habakkuk 3:17-19 Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fileds produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength, he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.
Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4.
My mother had a old plaque with this saying, hanging in our home all the time I was growing up. It reminds me of her and her love of her Lord. In turn, it warms me inside and gives me comfort.
She passed long ago. But her memory is in my heart and being, strongly. She taught me how to crochet and I cherish those lessons..
“Keep your face always toward the sunshine, and shadows will fall behind you.”
— Walt Whitman
would love to be entered ty for the opportunity .
While I was in hospital for cancer surgery, I was gifted with a lovely shawl, which I cherished. I did make a shawl in a large size for a plus size woman, thinking that many shawl patterns are on the small size. I donated it on one of my return trips to Fox Chase Hospital in Philly.
I would have loved to make a shawl, but there is just not enough time! Could they be donated any time of year. Most of us are working feverishly on Christmas gifts…
I do hope that you beat last years donations!
Where do we send them???
Hi Kate, you can send completed shawls to the following address:
Prime Publishing, LLC
Attn: Prayer Shawls for Charity
3400 Dundee Road, Ste 220
Northbrook, IL 60062
I would live to make a prayer shawl but I’m not that good @crocheting. Qhere would I get an easy patterns for beginners? Thank u Sherry
Hi Sherry! Here is a beginner-level prayer shawl pattern: https://www.allfreecrochet.com/Shawls/How-to-Crochet-an-Oversized-Shawl. And you can find more crochet prayer shawl patterns on this page: https://www.allfreecrochet.com/Crochet-for-Charity/Prayer-Shawls-Rush-Charity-AFC. We hope this helps! – Editors of Stitch & Unwind
No matter the question the answer is LOVE
I have been crocheting for over 40 years. I love all of the wonderful patterns I have come across over the years. I have been busy since July working on projects for Christmas, so at this time I won’t have a prayer shawl to send. However, after the holidays I will start crocheting shawls to have ready to send this time next year.
Oh man, this just popped up on my computer today. I will try and get one completed.
Entrring contest, this would not be enough notice for me either but thanks
I was looking for a charity to donate my crochet items. I am very happy to be able to submit some shawls I had already made. I totally support a charity like this. When you make handmade items it is a labor of love to share with others.
I live in Tobago in the Caribbean am I allowed to take part?
Hi Joan, you may donate a prayer shawl if you would like. Unfortunately, due to your location, you would not be eligible for the giveaway because of government regulations.
This just popped up while I was looking at emails. won’t have time this year, but will be glad to send one next year. Thank you for the pattern address as I have never crocheted a shawl before.
I just received this notice today 11-14.
Not enough time to crochet a shawl in time. Will do one for next year. My favorite quote is (better to give than to receive).
Please enter me in contest.
Thank you.
Hi Angela, instructions for entering the giveaway can be found on this page: https://www.allfreecrochet.com/Crochet-for-Charity/Prayer-Shawls-Rush-Charity-AFC. We hope this helps!
I missed this year’s deadline because I saw it too late. But I will be making one for next year!
I know I missed deadline but plan to mail shawl next CDC week. Are shawls accepted after deadline?
Please advise.
Are shawls accepted after deadline? I planned to mail mine Monday. Please advise.
Hi Janet,
Thanks for your interest, and apologies for the delayed response! We can accept any shawls that arrive to our Chicago-area office by November 29th. We hope this helps!
– Editors of Stitch & Unwind
I donated to the shawl charity, but haven’t heard the number you received. Was it better then last year?
Blessings
Kathy Berg, Wisconsin
We collected 503 shawls this year! We’re so excited that we beat last year’s number of 340.