Frequently Asked Questions about Volunteering

I don’t crochet, but I knit. Do you have patterns for knitters? 

Knitted items are by nature lighter weight and much more stretchy than crocheted pieces. Because of this, knitworks cannot hold their shape once the weight of the “hair” yarn is attached for a wig. We have tested many knit patterns in the past, and we are not accepting submissions of new knit patterns at this time. Knitters who would like to be involved with Magic Yarn should check out the resources above titled “Craft At Home for Non-Crocheters.”

I crochet using a crochet loom (also called a knitting loom or a round loom). Can I use this to make beanies?

Round looms create fiber products with a very similar stitch to knitting. Knitted items are by nature lighter weight and much more stretchy than crocheted pieces. Because of this, knitworks, including those made on a round loom, cannot hold their shape once the weight of the “hair” yarn is attached for a wig. Round loom crafters who would like to be involved with Magic Yarn should check out the resources above titled “Craft At Home for Non-Crocheters.”

I’m an experienced crocheter and I already love making hats. Can I send you some of the hats I’ve already made?

We feel very blessed to connect with so many talented crocheters from all over the world, and we are excited that you share our passion for helping people affected by cancer! Because we are a 100% volunteer-run nonprofit, we do not have the staff or budget to expand our scope beyond our narrow mission, which is providing our specific Magic Yarn character wigs and beanies to children receiving medical care for conditions resulting in hair loss. As such, we do not receive or distribute donations of any non-Magic Yarn hat patterns. This helps us ensure that every child who asks for a beanie or wig from us receives one that looks like the character they envisioned, is made with hypoallergenic and medically sensitive materials, and matches the other wigs in Magic Yarn photographs. We are not able to accept donations of any crafted items that are not made using our Magic Yarn patterns and approved yarns, and we are not accepting submissions for new characters or patterns at this time.

If you would like to connect with another wonderful charity that distributes crafted hats to cancer patients, please consider working with one of the groups below:

• Crochet for Cancer (multiple chapters): https://crochetforcancer.org/donate/cap-donation-guidelines/
• Brave Beanies, the Jessie Rees Foundation (ship to CA): https://negu.org/beanies/
• Knots of Love (ship to WI, or multiple collection locations): https://www.knotsoflove.org/guidelines-for-knitters-and-knotters
• Heavenly Hats (ship to WI): https://heavenlyhats.org/
• Hats4Healing (ship to CT): https://www.hats4healing.org/get-involved/
• Hatsgiving (ship to NY, or multiple collection locations): http://www.hatsgiving.org/hats.html

I have an idea for a new character pattern for you. Where can I send it?

In the aftermath of covid, we have unfortunately been unable to continue our pattern testing team. As our volunteer leadership has capacity, we do periodically introduce new character beanie patterns through our Approved Magic Makers group. This is our team of “elite” crocheters who have experience making the Magic Yarn patterns and who work directly with our national leaders on a regular basis. If you would like to get involved with our Approved Magic Makers group, including submitting future pattern suggestions, you can find more information here:  https://themagicyarnproject.com/approved-magic-maker/ 

I have extra yarn that I would like to donate somewhere. Can I send it to you?

Due to health and safety regulations from the hospitals that receive our wigs, we are only able to accept donations of new yarn. This yarn must come from smoke-free, pet-hair-free environments and to not have been stored in a manner where it was exposed to dust, dirt, mold, or other allergens. In order to ensure that we’re able to match it with all the pieces donated by volunteers from across the country, it also must be one of our approved colors and brands. You can find out more about the brands and colors that we need on this page: https://themagicyarnproject.com/cutyarn/ 

If you feel that your yarn falls under these requirements, you can ship them to one of our donation locations. These are listed on our Approved Magic Makers page: https://themagicyarnproject.com/approved-magic-maker/.

If your yarn isn’t a good fit for The Magic Yarn Project, we also love sharing yarn with another nonprofit named Project Linus. The volunteers at Project Linus use all kinds of yarn to create blankets for children in need, and they always love donations! You can find out more about them on their site, ProjectLinus.org.

My group did an in-person workshop with a Magic Yarn leader before covid. Is that still an option? How can I host a workshop making wigs?

As our volunteer leader base changes over time, you may find that the local leader you worked with is no longer involved with us. You can find the most current list of our local leadership, including their contact emails, here: https://themagicyarnproject.com/meet-our-staff/

Even if you don’t have a chapter leader local to you, we would still love to have your group volunteer with us! There are many different types of service projects and other activities that benefit Magic Yarn. You can find more details in the section above titled, “How Can My Group Get Involved?”

I attended a public wig-making workshop (such as BYU Giving Week, JustServe events in California, etc) in the past. How can I attend again, or how could I set up a private workshop for my group?

A few times a year, Magic Yarn national leaders fly across the country to host special large-scale public workshops. These events are based entirely on our leader availability and on grants we receive to fund them. These workshop participation slots are first opened up to local community members near where the event takes place; then, if there are still participant slots available, we share the signup link on our public Facebook page. To hear about any available public events in the future, be sure to follow us on Facebook and subscribe to our updates: http://www.facebook.com/magicyarnwigs

In a few cities in the US and Canada, we have Chapter Leaders who are trained and supplied to host private, and sometimes small-scale public, wig-making workshops. If you would like to work with one of them to host a wig-making workshop for a group in your area, you can see their locations and contact information here: https://themagicyarnproject.com/meet-our-staff/ 

Even if you don’t have a Chapter Leader near you, your group can still volunteer for us in lots of different ways! We have many needs that go beyond the final step of assembling wigs, and lots of the activities are fun and rewarding for groups of all types. You can find more details in the section above titled, “How Can My Group Get Involved?”

I am super passionate about Magic Yarn, and I want to get involved in a leadership capacity. What are the steps for that?

Because most of the work involved with running Magic Yarn centers around producing crocheted items, we generally ask our future volunteer leaders to start as experienced crocheters. Participating in our “Approved Magic Makers” group gives you the chance to get to know Magic Yarn leaders, receive detailed feedback on your crafted items, and learn more about the behind-the-scenes workings of Magic Yarn. When we have a need for someone to step into a leadership role, or when we are ready to recruit and train more chapter and workshop leaders, we reach out to our Approved Magic Makers first. To find out more about joining our “AMMs,” click here: https://themagicyarnproject.com/approved-magic-maker/ 

If you aren’t a crocheter, but you’d still like to be a part of helping The Magic Yarn Project long-term, we do periodically have needs for volunteers to take on various technical tasks. If you have experience in customer service, web design, social media management, IT, database or domain management, grantwriting, fundraising, or another area that you feel would benefit our organization, please reach out to us at info@themagicyarnproject.com with your ideas.