Focus In: Knit the Rainbow: Warmth in Every Stitch

Knit the Rainbow (KtR) was founded in 2020 with a simple yet powerful goal: to provide handmade knit and crocheted garments to unhoused and housing-insecure LGBTQ+ youth. For too many queer young people—especially those who are Black, Brown, or transgender—homelessness and poverty are daily realities. Studies show that LGBTQ+ youth are disproportionately affected by housing insecurity, comprising an estimated forty percent of the unhoused youth population in the United States, with many reporting that they were forced to leave home due to family rejection. KtR steps in to offer warmth, dignity, and a tangible reminder that these youths are not alone.

The organization connects fiber artists nationwide—hobbyists, guilds, and local yarn shops (LYS)—who donate scarves, hats, mittens, socks, and sweaters. These winter garments do more than keep a young person warm; they carry a message of care and solidarity from someone who believes in them, something our queer youth need.

How It Works
It starts with KtR’s volunteers, who send in donations. Then, through partnerships with shelters, community centers, LYSs, and LGBTQ+ organizations, the volunteers distribute tens of thousands of donated garments to local communities in New York, New Jersey, Detroit, and Chicago.

KtR’s Impact
Since its inception in 2020, KtR has distributed over 35,000 garments in four states, donated by thousands of volunteers across forty-five states and three countries. Currently, they are partnered with twenty-five organizations to bring warmth to unsheltered queer youth. Each year, KtR participates in community events like NYC Pride, Vogue Knitting Live, and H+H Americasʼ trade show. They also host an annual gala, the Purl Awards, where they recognize activists and influencers who use their platform to make the world safer for LGBTQ+ youth.

KtR’s mission and impact piqued the interest of several media outlets, such as The Kelly Clarkson Show, NBC News, and Spectrum News NY1, helping them reach fiber artists nationwide.

KtR’s Programs
Like its garments, KtR is woven from community threads. Volunteers, donors, and youth advocates play a role in its mission. The organization hosts Stitch n’ Sips, workshops and social media campaigns to spread awareness about LGBTQ+ youth homelessness and highlight craftivism—the use of fiber arts as a tool for social change.\

Through the Knit the Future program, KtR is dedicated to creating space to uplift diverse voices within the fiber arts community. It is essential to share their stories and engage in discussions about diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice. By combining artistry with advocacy, the organization provides warmth and works to make the fiber community more tightly knit.

How to Get Involved
Anyone can be part of this movement. Whether you’re an experienced knitter, a beginner looking to learn, or someone who prefers to support through donations, KtR provides multiple ways to help. Volunteers can sign up to knit or crochet garments, join virtual workshops, or participate in seasonal drives.

To learn more, visit knittherainbow.org, sign up as a volunteer or for our newsletter, follow @KnitTheRainbow on Instagram and Facebook, or join a local knitting circle to create pieces that will warm both bodies and hearts.