Face Masks for COVID-19

I haven't had a lot of smaller crochet projects completed in the last month, because I have been helping a local group make face masks for local organizations. I was recruited in the first few days of the group being created on Facebook, and I was asked to help pick a pattern for the group to make. I had to scour through dozens of patterns to pick the dimensions and types of fabric we would need to make the masks.

We settled on a basic 6"x9" rectangle to make a 3"x8" mask with elastic.
We had so much fabric being donated, I had to help cut so much material and two rolls of elastic (200 yards each!), to help make kits with everything washed, cut, and ready to sew. We decided that this was the most efficient way to get work done.

We had some people who could not sew, but they could cut. Others helped by washing new fabric we got to pre-shrink it. We accepted all the help we could get. I was assembling 20 kits each week, but not doing a lot of sewing myself. Sewing hurts my back... which is WHY I CROCHET!!!

These are some masks that I had to fix because the ties used were falling apart.

Later, we had a need for the more fitted mask design, so I searched the internet to find a good pattern that would fit our need, and there was a great one made by Craft Passion. I had to develop a 3rd pattern to modify our original rectangle design into a mask with a pocket for a filter.

THEN we had the need for ear savers! I know lots of people have been crocheting them, but my group needed a pattern so they could make their own with scraps. So I went to work researching the best size and made my own pattern tutorial!

I hope you have enjoyed these pattern designs. Please be sure to follow all the CDC guidelines for masks. Certain materials are better than others at filtering particles, and these masks in no way guarantee the prevention of contracting or transmitting a disease.