5 Important Ways Knitters Can Support Ukraine

Being on the other side of the world of Ukraine, it’s hard to feel like there is anything we can do to help. Of course I know that knitting and fiber arts are extremely valuable, but it can sometimes be difficult to take the craft seriously when there is so much violence taking place. However, there is plenty we can do within the fiber community to help our fellow knitters and all who are impacted by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Below is a list of knitting-related ways that you can help Ukrainian citizens.

1. Shop Ukrainian patterns on Etsy

Buying digital products, such as knitting patterns, is a great way to directly support makers from Ukraine. While you may be tempted to buy physical products from makers as well, please do not. From what I understand, post offices are closed in Ukraine, which means that makers aren't able to ship products out. Also, there is a chance that they had to relocate and aren’t near their products or shipping materials, and sadly there’s a chance that those products have been damaged or destroyed in the conflict. And even if their products are still intact, they are still home, and the post office is open, they may not be able to mentally handle the extra work. However, purchasing digital products and patterns doesn't require any extra work on the maker’s part, and the money goes directly to them.

Etsy has a nifty filter feature in their search that allows you to request the place of origin for what you’re searching for.

How to search based on location in Etsy

To filter based on location on Etsy, first search for "knitting pattern", or something more specific if you wish.

Then, under the location selection, choose "Custom" and type in "Ukraine.

Don't forget to click "Apply" at the bottom!

Now, the patterns showing up for you should only be from Ukrainian makers.

In my search, I saw that many patterns had thumbnail pictures with icons of the Ukrainian flag to indicate that they are Ukrainian makers. If you want to go the extra mile, you can check out the seller's shop and see if they have any announcements. I noticed that some makers had announcements or banner images where they were thanking people for their support, and some said that portions of the proceeds were going to be donated to relief organizations. However, other shops didn’t have flags on their photos or updated announcements, which might indicate that they haven’t been able to access their shops in general. It doesn’t mean that they don’t need support too.

I bought a few patterns myself, including a hat pattern from NewLifeRecycledYarn, another hat pattern from BYGALINEYANNA, a couple of sock patterns from D19EcoFriendlyLife, and some printable knitting graph paper from MGPatterns. I’m looking forward to adjusting my Knitwear Capsule Wardrobe Blueprint by swapping out the hat and sock patterns I was planning to make with these new patterns.

2. Shop patterns on Ravelry

This method is extremely similar to shopping patterns on Etsy, and the idea behind it is the same, so I won’t repeat myself. However, I made this a separate list item because, from what I understand, Ravelry’s location feature functions differently than Etsy’s. Etsy largely automates the location of a person’s shop, meaning that when you use the location filter and search “Ukraine,” the results should all be Ukraine makers.

How to search based on location in Ravelry:

On Ravelry, first head over to the "Pattern" tab and type in your search.

After searching, click the "Filter your search" section.

Then select "Designer country".

After that, select "Ukraine".

In Ravelry, you can easily manually edit your location, so if you were to filter for “Ukraine,” you may get makers who are not necessarily Ukrainian. I’d like to think that any maker who has changed their location to Ukraine when they are not in fact, Ukrainian is doing so because they are raising funds to donate to Ukraine, but you never know. I suggest that if you choose to shop for patterns on Ravelry, double-check the designer's page to know where your money is going.

3. Sell knitted items and donate the proceeds

Since we were just chatting about Ravelry and donations, another way to help is to knit up some items, sell them, and donate the proceeds. While you could knit and sell anything, of course, Sarah White on knitting.craftgossip.com came up with a healthy list of Ukrainian-themed patterns that you could make with this purpose in mind. Most of the patterns are free, but the designers of the paid patterns claim that the pattern sales will be donated.

4. Raffle off finished objects

If you have some FOs lying around that you don’t wear much, or maybe a couple that you were going to sell but are willing to donate to the cause, you could always raffle them off. Deepsha from @yarnsandcoffee did this last week, and it seemed to work really well. There are also a few independent accounts on Instagram that are hosting art auctions and raffles. @artistsforukraineartauction has an auction from March 18 - March 25, and @artistsforukr has a raffle running from March 15 - April 15. Participating in one of these raffles or auctions takes some of the responsibility off of your shoulders since you don't have to run the whole thing yourself. Check out these accounts for more details and see if you can submit a finished object of yours for their cause.

5. Donate & Demonstrate Support

One of the simplest ways to support Ukraine is to donate. However, if you don’t have the funds to donate or are looking to do more, there are other ways to help with the cause. I love the message that LoveCrafts put out about how they are helping and what we can do to help too. In that article, they share that they have more than 80 employees based in Ukraine and that they are taking this situation extremely seriously. It is a great resource as well. They layout organizations you can donate to, petitions you can sign, political leaders you can write to, and protests you can attend. At the very bottom of their post, they explain that they are organizing the transport of donated knitted and crocheted items to those who need them, and they are working to publish a collection of patterns, the proceeds of which will be donated. Stay tuned on both of those action items by following @lovecraftscom on Instagram.

If you’re looking for a way to support those impacted by the conflict in Ukraine, I hope you found a method that works for you in the list above. If you found this list helpful, please share it with your knitting friends to help spread the word on how we can do our part to help.

5 Important Ways Knitters Can Support Ukraine ￼