More Crafting for Charity (& a bit of history)

The Red Cross Museum (didn’t know there was such a thing, did you?) in Washington, DC has some interesting aspects - one of which is the history of knitting involvement.  It says,

“During World War I and World War II the American Red Cross launched nationwide, volunteer driven, knitting campaigns to supply soldiers and civilians with warm clothing. The participants belonged to a unit then called the Production Corps, that also produced bandages, and sewn garments like pajamas for veteran’s hospitals and civilians. “

The site includes various designs that were created specifically for soldiers and sailors.   It also includes some period-era posters and pictures around knitting.

There’s MORE information about the Red Cross’s knitting history on the website for afghans for Afghans.
That’s today’s modern-day charity - Afghans for Afghans.  It’s a group that collects and distributes blankets, mittens, socks, hats, sweaters, vests, etc. to people in Afghanistan - residents and refugees.  There are patterns and guidelines on the website for knitted and crochet items as well as guidelines (like - no synthetics, they don’t wear well).  They also raise money for their effort, and sell things to benefit their efforts.