Warm Up America! Classroom Project

The Warm Up America! logo is property of The Warm Up America! Foundation

Warm Up America (WUA) is a charity program that receives knit and crochet block donations that are assembled into afghans and blankets. The finished blankets are donated to a variety of organizations that include woman's shelters, homeless shelters, hospice and nursing homes and other social service agencies in need. The WUA Foundation joined with Scholastic Books and The Craft Yarn Council to teach teens how to knit and crochet so they could participate in the Warm Up American program. Teachers received lesson plans and information to make the “Learn to Knit” program a success for all participants.

While the one-year “Learn to Knit” program is over, Warm Up America continues to provide the lesson plans and information poster online at CraftYarnCouncil.com/Teacher-Resources.php. This information serves as a teacher resource for those that want to start or continue the program in their schools or teen organization. Knitting an crochet makes a fun after school program and is appropriate for all grade levels.

The Craft Yarn Council and Warm Up America have free knitting and crochet charity patterns available at CraftYarnCouncil.com/?q=node/68. The simple patterns are easy for even beginners to complete quickly. Each participant in the program completes a 7 inch by 9 inch block, whether it is knit or crochet. The blocks are sewn together to complete a patchwork afghan that is donated to a charity in need on blankets or afghans. These basic knitting and crochet patterns are simple to complete and offer a rewarding experience for teens that want to learn a new craft.