Knitting For Marines

Please join us for a “knit-in” on the first and third Saturday of the month from 1-4 pm in the National Museum of the Marine Corps’ Leatherneck Gallery in support of Knitting For Marines. Knitters of all ages are welcome and patterns will be provided. All helmet liners will be sent to Marines stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Please bring your own yarn and needles:

• US size 6 and 8 circular needles (16”) and a set of US size 8 double pointed needles (or size to get 4.5 st/inch with larger needles).
• 100% wool (superwash is fine) and in either tan, brown, black or charcoal (our Marines strongly prefer tan). Only 100% soft wool yarn will be accepted, because our Armed Forces are not allowed to wear synthetic fibers outside the wire. Wool is inherently non-flammable and won’t melt against the skin in the event of an accident and is warm even when wet.

The Knitting For Marines project is an on-going effort to make and distribute helmet liners to Marines. Thanks to the overwhelming support that the project received, the Museum will continue to accept helmet liners so that as many Marines as possible can receive one. For those of you who are unable to attend the knit-ins at the museum, the knitting pattern is available for download as a PDF file. Adobe Reader is required to view PDF files. If you do not have Adobe Reader, you may download it here for free. Please be sure to check your gauge carefully… if the liners do not fit properly, they will not be sent to our troops.

If you need assistance with getting the correct type of yarn, we will have some yarn available at the museum thanks to a generous donation from Knit Happens of Alexandria, VA.

If you have questions, please contact Aviation Curator Benjamin Kristy at Benjamin.kristy@usmc.mil.

Patterns are made available by Operation Helmetliner and may not be used for commercial purposes.

Sponsors and Supporters of Operation Helmetliners include:

If you are not able to attend any of the Saturday sessions at the National Museum of the Marine Corps, but still want to knit helmet liners for Marines, you may send your finished liners to:

Knitting for Marines
C/O Citizen Sam
P.O. Box 10565
Peoria, IL 61612

Please come out and knit for the troops!

Wounded Warrior Regiment

The National Museum of the Marine Corps is collecting unassembled plastic models of aircraft, tanks, ships, cars, and figures in support of the Wounded Warrior Regiment. The mission of the Wounded Warrior Regiment is to provide and facilitate assistance to wounded, ill and injured Marines, sailors and their families throughout the phases of their recovery. The Museum is working with the Wounded Warrior Regiment to deliver models to their detachments around the country, as well as Bethesda and Walter Reed. To date, we have donated nearly 1700 models to Marines and other service members.

The National Museum of the Marine Corps is accepting the following items to send to the Wounded Warrior Regiment:

• Unassembled plastic model kits: aircraft, tanks, ships, cars/trucks, figures (any scale)
• Modeling supplies: Xacto knives/blades, sandpaper, glues, decal sets, etc.
• Model paints: acrylic paints only!

Individuals wishing to donate models and modeling supplies may bring their donations to the National Museum of the Marine Corps during normal business hours (Monday – Sunday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM). The donated items may be left with a Museum docent at the front desk.

For more information regarding the National Museum of the Marine Corps’ model drive in support of the Wounded Warrior Regiment, please contact: