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We are looking for knitters who would like to help us make hats for a group of Buddhist nuns near Lhasa, Tibet. You are invited to participate! Our goal is to complete 250 hats by March 3, 2008 to be hand-carried to Tibet by a group of Buddhist practitioners. Any hats completed after this date will be gladly accepted and delivered during a future trip or donated to other Buddhist nuns and monks.
Our Mission
Knitting Hats for Nuns is affiliated with
String of Gems
A foundation dedicated to the financial welfare of
Buddhist Nuns in and around Lhasa, Tibet
Here is some background information from Cathy, proprietor of Inner Journey in Los Gatos, CA:
String of Gems was founded in 2001 around a dinner table at the Shambhala Hotel in Lhasa, Tibet. After 2 previous trips
to Tibet, we wanted to give something back to the people and country we were forming a definite attachment to. The more time
we spent with the Tibetan people, the more we saw how important their religious identity and culture was to them. These are
a kind and gentle people who walk their Buddhist beliefs everyday. Of all the things we could do to help the people of Tibet,
one need above all became very apparent once we were introduced to a group of Buddhist nuns. They needed help getting their
day to day needs met. They seemed to have been abandoned by everyone!
There are numerous nunneries and thousands of nuns in residence who are barely surviving. These humble nuns have next
to nothing except their beliefs and are in need of so many things from basics like shoes, blankets, food, and tools to overwhelming
items such as roads to their nunneries, yaks to haul firewood and supplies, and repairs for the nunnery buildings themselves.
In Tibet women are still second class citizens and nuns in particular are under a constant threat of personal and religious
persecution. We are currently offering financial assistance to 4 nunneries in the Lhasa area. There are approximately 250
nuns currently occupying these nunneries. Our support is needed to purchase everything from rice and ghee to sutra books and
Stupas.
String of Gems is a grass roots group of individuals dedicated to the ongoing financial needs of these extraordinary women.
The average annual salary for a working Tibetan is only $400-500. The donated money makes a big difference in the lives of
these wonderful women. All the moneys collected go directly to String of Gems. There is no bureaucracy to be supported.
When I asked Cathy about knitting hats for the nuns, she said:
Yes, we will be able to take whatever you knit on the trip! Whatever anyone knits, we'll take on the trip ... so very
gratefully! The venerables are so blown away by the generosity of everyone! It is a beautiful thing to take them things to
keep them warm and make their lives easier.
Project Details
Thank you for considering participating in this project! I know the nuns will appreciate your efforts. Here are the specifics.
The yarn I have been using is Swish Superwash from KnitPicks.com. See link below. Color - Fired Brick - Item #23885 -
$3.29 per ball. 2 balls will make one hat with some yarn left over. This is a soft merino wool. It can take up to 14 days
to receive the yarn, but usually it takes about a week. KnitPicks also has some wonderful 16" circular needles, as well
as double points. I am using size #11, which gives me a gauge of about 2.75 to 3 stitches/inch and 4 rows/inch in stockinette.
I really like their wooden needles and they also offer them in metal.
The pattern knits up quickly with 2 strands of worsted weight yarn, and would also work with bulky or chunky yarn. Preferred
color is maroon to match the nuns' robes. Soft wool/alpaca blends would work as well as the merino I have been using.
The original pattern is from Sarah at RedThread. See link below to download free pattern. I am not adding a pom-pom! See
the photo on lower left of pattern page. Measured flat, the hat is 9.5 to 10 inches at the brim (19-20 inch circumference)
and 8 inches from edge of brim to top of hat.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Could I crochet the hats?
Of course you could crochet the hats! I didn't research a pattern for a crochet version, so please look at the picture
of the knitted one on the pattern linked to the website to get an idea of the general shape and size. It is knit with a double
strand of worsted yarn for extra warmth.
Do the hats have to be made with wool yarn?
Because of the very cold climate, the insulating properties of wool are essential. A soft wool (like merino) blended with
another animal fiber like alpaca or kid mohair would work well, too. Synthetic yarns like acrylics or acrylic blends are just
not warm enough. We are also not using yarn with silk in it because the worms are usually killed during processing.
Do the hats have to be maroon?
The nuns have taken vows, some of which are concerned with how they represent themselves in the world. We want to support
them as much as we possibly can: therefore, it is important to give them plain maroon or burgundy hats. The yarn does not
have to be from KnitPicks, of course, but their Fired Brick is a good color reference
When you send the hats, if you could include some extra yarn for mending, that would be very helpful. A note letting us
know your first name, city and country and fiber content of the hat would be great!
Because the pattern is simple, knitting these hats is very meditative! Kindly contact me if you have any questions. Thank
you for sharing your skill and your generous spirit.
Many blessings,
Willow Million
Click here to order yarn from KnitPicks.
Click here to download pattern from RedThread. Thank you Sarah!
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Questions or comments? Please get in touch with us at: Please send completed hats to: Hats for Nuns
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