Homemade...with care

Project Linus afghans and blankets are always homemade, with knitting needles, crochet hooks, knitting machine, or sewing machine. Some of our Blanketeers buy materials specifically to make their blankets and quilts, while others raid their stash. Whether you buy materials or pull material from your on-hand store of yarns and fabric, it is important to read and understand the following information to ensure your blanket will indeed brighten the life of a child in need.

The afghans and blankets need to be made to withstand a fair amount of wear. Young children may latch on to your blanket as their security blanket, perhaps even taking it to school with them, stowed in their backpack. Other blankets will be cuddled with during sleep. But sturdy doesn't preclude creative and fun! The making of a blanket should be as enjoyable for you to make as it will be for a child to receive.

Clean and Safe

Blanket Sizes & Colors

Fiber
   Afghans
   Fleece Blankets
   Quilts

Include your name!

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Clean and Safe
The materials you use to make your afghan or blanket must be clean and free of odors, and remain that way through the making and finishing. Project Linus chapter coordinators are instructed to NOT accept blankets that are not free from contaminants. Special care should be taken to insure that blankets are free of smoky smells or any chemicals which could cause problems for a child. Hospitals will not accept these blankets, and they will most likely be discarded. Recent studies show that laundering these blankets does not remove contamination, and in some cases can even make it worse

Again, if unusually strong smells due to chemicals used in detergents, fabric softeners and dryer sheets, mold and mildew or smoking products are apparent, most hospitals will discard the blanket rather than jeopardize the health of a patient.

Always check blankets carefully for pins and stitch markers; better you should find them than the child!

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Blanket Sizes & Colors
Project Linus blankets go to kids ranging in age from newborn to 19 years, so we need blankets for babies as well as teens. The following sizes are approximate. You certainly don't have to stick to them exactly--just try not to make them too small or oddly shaped.

Kids love color! You needn't limit yourself to baby colors, especially when making afghans and blankets for older kids. Keep in mind that boys need--and receive--afghans and quilts, too, so colors and patterns that aren't girly will be greatly welcomed.

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FIBER
Project Linus afghans and blankets are for kids. Kids things tend to get dirty faster than adult things. Kids things need to be easily washable as well as durable, so please keep that in mind when choosing the fiber content of your afghan and quilt materials.

Think soft. While wool has excellent thermal properties, many wools are scratchy. There are some lovely superwash wools that are machine washable. Some of them feel a bit scratchy to the touch when being worked with but the scratchy sizing washes off during the first washing. Some acrylics can be pretty scratchy, too. Knitters and crocheters can always make a swatch, then wash and dry it to see how it feels: if it's scratchy, don't use the yarn for a Project Linus blanket.

Some other Don'ts...

Don't make blankets out of tapestry, upholstery fabric, burlap, felt, vinyl, or any other stiff or scratchy fabrics, or laces. Also, please do not donate these materials, as we cannot use them.

Don't attach buttons or similar decorative items to a blanket meant for small children. As lovely as these types of embellishments may be, they are a choking hazard if the child removes them or they comes off and are swallowed.

Don't use paint to decorate a blanket. The thick stuff peels off - we don't want a child eating it. Other kinds of paint rubs off.

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Afghans

Use small knitting needles and crochet hooks to make preemie/baby afghans. Little fingers and toes, and medical instruments, can get caught in big stitches.

If you prefer using larger size crochet hooks or knitting needles, please consider making bigger afghans in larger child and teen sizes. Big kids need blankets, too!

Please securely weave in all yarn ends on crocheted and knitted afghans, do not just tie and cut them off.

When changing yarns or adding a new skein of yarn, leave the ends at least 5 inches long so that they can be securely woven in when you are done. Ends that are 2-3 inches long have a habit of working their way out of the weave and popping up out of the afghan.

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Fleece Blankets

We prefer single layer fleece blankets.

Do not cut the fringe any longer than 3" - 4". Longer fringe tangles in medical instruments and tubes. Also, the longer you make the fringe, the less blanket area there is for snuggling!

You don't have to knot the fringe - a neat plain fringe looks very nice without knotting. Knots are nice, though, so if you do knot the individual fringes, don't knot them too tightly: tight knots distorts the fabic into a sort of "bowl" shape.

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Quilts

Please make quilts from cotton or cotton/poly. Quilts need to be washable and durable since they will be washed many, many times.

Low loft batting is preferred. Secure the batting into outer seams and tie or quilt it every 4". Batting will disintegrate if quilted too far apart

Cut yarn and crochet thread ties to no longer than 1" -1½" in length.

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Include Your Name!

Please: when you turn in your blankets to the collection points, make sure to include a piece of paper or card with your name and contact information on it. Your PL Chapter coordinator would very much like to acknowledge your donation...and caring.

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