The Ten Hats Project

I don't normally read through the book of Acts.

It's a fantastic book, but it's not one of my "go-to" books of the Bible when I'm looking for something new to study.

So, when IF: Equip, an online Bible Study that I had been following, introduced the book to study over the next several months, I grew excited about the idea. Going deeper into the journey of the early church is always a fascinating topic.

But, what I got out of the book of Acts was far less than I was expecting.

For a long time, I've loved the idea of creativity + social justice. The topics fascinated me and I had been searching for a way to combine the two. I had tried a few businesses with this approach, but none of them really worked.

It was when I stumbled on Acts 9 that things started to click. Acts 9 was the melding of my passions and was a far different lesson than I was anticipating. It was here that I read about Tabitha, a Middle Eastern seamstress who would make clothing for the poor widows in her community. She used handmade to give other women dignity and hope. A light bulb clicked for me. My calling, at least for this season, is to combine handmade with social justice, just like Tabitha.

And so, Tabitha, my little business, was born.

But, I know myself and I know that I like to explore different avenues of handmade. I like to learn about new crafts and techniques. And, like many other women, my craft room is exploding with fun supplies.

Uploading anything that I make, however, onto my Etsy site does not a profitable business make. So, as an extension of my business, on my blog, I'll be journaling the ways that I do this. How I use handmade to help others.

And, so, the first project will be The 10 Hats Project. Ten crocheted hats in five weeks for Eastern European orphans. 

The plight of Eastern European orphans is dire. In addition to Tabitha, I'm also the Director of Media for a nonprofit that helps orphans in Russia, Moldova and South Ossetia. These children are neglected and alone. They need help in material, spiritual and emotional ways.

Although crocheted hats won't bring them back their parents or fully tackle their loneliness, it can bring them physical warmth. And, when donated through the nonprofit that I work for, can bring them emotional and spiritual health too.

So, while my husband and I settle down for a few episodes of Friends (hooray Netflix!), I'll also be whipping out my crochet hooks and some colorful yarn. 10 hats. 5 weeks.

Let's go.

ALSO! If you want to be part of this, then join me! The more, the merrier. I'll be using this tutorial to make the hats. Make a comment below or email me if you'll be joining in on the challenge. I'd love to get a tally of how many hats we can send!