I’m a winter knitter. I have no problem creating toasty scarves and booties when the weather is chilly – but for some reason, when my butt is roasting on a lovely 85 degree March day here in Mississippi, I have a little more difficulty motivating myself to grab my needles and go. Luckily, I am no longer a bad-weather knitter since finding Knitting for Charity, a wonderful organization that provides hand knit, crocheted, and sewn toys and bags for children in hospitals. They offer a variety of patterns, including photos, for beginner through advanced crafters right on their site. Since the toys are reasonably small, you can even use up your yarn stash; if it’s anything like mine, it’s probably just sitting in the closet collecting dust. And a little Cool Mom Picks tip: Get your kids involved by having them draw a picture or write a note with the toy, and pass the joy of charitable giving onto them. –Kristen