Knit Operation Gratitude Scarf

The company that I work for encourages the employees to volunteer. Every month or so, a group of knitters and crocheters choose an organization to make items for. Last month, we made item for Operation Gratitude.

Operation Gratitude sends care packages to Veterans, Wounded Warriors, First Responders, and U.S. Service Members that are deployed overseas. They accept many different types of donations, including hand-made scarves and hats.

I decided to make a textured diagonal scarf. This pattern is very simple, yet looks nice. Operation Gratitude accepts any pattern, as long as it is 5"-6" wide and about 48" long. They also prefer subtle colors.

If you would like to learn more about Operation Gratitude or how you can help, be sure to check out the website operationgratitude.com. If you are interested in making a knit or crocheted item, be sure to check out their specific requirements.

If you want to see more of my other knitting and crocheting projects, check out my Ravelry project page.

DIY Kid-Sized Adirondack End Table

My brother recently moved into a new house. I wanted to make a little something for the two kids. I made this cute Adirondack set.

I built the two chair's and table using Ana White's plans. I built one of these chairs last year for a charity event. If you want to see the details for that, check out my Building a Kid-Sized Adirondack Chair for Charity post.

Here are the steps that I took to build this end table.

Needed Materials:
1 - 2" x 2" at 6 feet
2 - 1" x 3" at 6 feet
1 - 1" x 2" at 3 feet
1 1/4" Kreg pocket hole screws
1 1/2" Finishing nails
Wood glue
Paint or Stain

Needed Cuts:
4 - 2" x 2" cut at 17 1/4" (legs)
4 - 1" x 3" cut at 9 1/2" (aprons)
2 - 1" x 2" cut at 9 1/2" (side supports)
1 - 1" x 2" cut at 10 1/4" (stretcher)
5 - 1" x 3" cut at 14 1/2" (slats)

Step 1: Make the cuts. I used my miter saw for all my cuts.

Step 2: Drill pocket holes into each end of the 4 aprons, 2 side supports and the stretcher.

Step 3: Using the pocket hole screws and wood glue, attach the aprons to the legs.

Step 4: Using the pocket hole screws and wood glue, attach the side supports to the legs.

Step 5: Using the pocket hole screws and wood glue, attach the stretcher to the side supports.

Step 6: Using the finishing nails and glue, attach the slats to the top.

Step 7: Fill the pocket holes with putty and sand everything.

Step 8: Paint or apply finish of your choice. I used Rustoleum spray paint.

Step 9: Enjoy! To give you an idea of size, my nephew and niece are 1 and 4 years old.

You can find more details and the full plans to build this Adirondack end table on the Ana White website.