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Guidelines:
Our guidelines are quite simple, and are intended to insure that the recipients will receive a scarf they can wear without fear of an allergy reaction.  Please honor pattern copyrights.

1. Use any yarn, and needle size you wish, in any color, any fiber, any pattern and length. (Note, we always have a need for more men's scarves)
2. Please launder the scarves before sending them. If you have pets, smokers, or other known allergens in your home please store the scarf in a sealable plastic bag until shipped.  If you have smokers in your home we recommend soaking your scarf in a mild white vinegar solution to remove the smoke smell.  We ask that you avoid the use of strongly perfumed laundry products as many cancer patients experience allergies during treatment which they did not have prior to the onset of cancer.
3. Please either include a label from the yarn(s) used or a note with the fiber content of the yarns and laundry instructions. (These are included with each scarf - again because of allergies).
4. Feel free to send along a card or note. These are always left with the individual scarf they came with. You may include as much or little information as you choose. If you've made your scarf in honor of a friend or loved one who has had cancer, it's ok to share that, it lets these folks know they are not alone, and gives them hope to hear stories of survival.

A word from our founder:

We've all heard the phrase "one person can make a difference". Until late one night as I suffered yet another night of insomnia it was just another phrase. This night the cancer my daughter and sister were fighting was heavy on my heart. Both live great distances from me, and this left me with a feeling of helplessness. I tend to be a problem solver, but there was nothing I could do to help them, either physically or emotionally. Sure, I could offer moral support, but that didn't seem to be enough to lift the heavy burden from my heart. I had prayed and turned the problem over to God, but letting go of the worry was more good intention than it was fact. As I lay there in the dark of the night the idea to make scarves and donate them to a local cancer center came to me. It was a God given idea, I own no credit for it, or for whatever success Scarves From The Heart has known. Through it, however, I have learned that one person really can make a difference. You too can make a difference, just by listening to your heart and doing what feels right. It really is as simple as listening to that still small voice when it speaks to you.

If you'd like to make a difference in your community, I'll be happy to share with you the steps it took to get Scarves From The Heart started.

Shelly Heikkinen