Get Creative for a Good Cause

Innocent Smoothie Hats by Stitchlily on Flickr. Used under Creative Commons.

Our UK readers have probably noticed the little bobble hats that bottles of Innocent Smoothies wear each autumn. You might even have knitted some of them yourself. Well, it has got to that time of year again: the now annual Big Knit 2010 has cast on.

Every year for the past seven years, people across the land have knitted their socks off in aid of the annual Big Knit campaign. Innocent have received an amazing 1.6 million little hats and raised over £800,000 for Age UK (formerly Age Concern and Help the Aged) - all to help make winter warmer for older people.

For 2010 each be-hatted smoothie sold in Sainsbury’s stores will raise 25p and their target is £200,000, which is quite a pile of hats. This is why they need your help -simply pick up your needles or DPNs and knit us a little hat. It is a great way to use up those little bits of yarn in your stash.

The basic pattern is only 28 stitches and 18 rows – that’s not even a tension square. Could you whip one up while you watch your favourite soap? How many could you do in a month? The deadline for hats isn’t until 5^th October so please try and fit a few

Innocent will be putting up lots of fun patterns and announcing a competition or two very soon but for now just go to their site to get started.

My friend Katie and I had lots of fun making these last year: here she is looking suitably innocent with one of hers!

Ingrid x

PS Forgive me for the line spacing in the latter half of the post; I can't seem to clear it.

Knit a Poppy Campaign - Many Thanks

The Knit a Poppy Campaign is drawing to a close at midnight tonight GMT.
As editor Susan says, 'Donations have surpassed our wildest dreams standing at present at £2632.00. It's quite astonishing, thank you all so much...' adding that there is still time however if you would still like to get your poppy pattern by making your £2 donation here.

I'd like to echo Susan's thanks to everyone who downloaded the pattern and donated to the very worthy Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal in doing so.

There have been some interesting adaptations of the original pattern with great results.
Here are just a few of the poppies you have all made.

by Gavin Crawford


by Skein Queen's 12 year old son


by Skiff Vintage


by Ingrid and Grace Murnane

by Chrissy Fletcher

Ingrid
editorial assistant

Poppy Gallery: 1

Remembrance Poppy by Milliebead on Flickr

Here is the first of our featured poppy brooches, made by Millie (mildunk on Ravelry), for knitonthenet's Knit a Poppy Campaign. Isn't it gorgeous?

You can download the pattern and help to support the British Legion's Poppy Appeal by visiting the knitonthenet site.

Please do send a photo of your finished brooch to ingrid(at)knitonthenet.com or post it in the Ravelry group. We'd love to see yours.

Ingrid
editorial assistant

Poppies, poppies, poppies.

Exciting news! knitonthenet's Knit a Poppy Campaign is featured in This Week in Ravelry #61.

This coincides with the official launch today of the British Legion's 2009 Poppy Appeal which supports present and former members of the British armed forces and their families, emotionally, socially and financially.

We hope to get lots more people downloading Just call me Ruby's pattern and donating some money to support the British Legion's Poppy Appeal.

If you are one of them, please do add your brooch as a Ravelry project, share it with the knitonthenet group and post a photograph of your finished poppy in the knitonthenet forum.

For those not on Ravelry, you can also email me at ingrid[at]knitonthenet[dot]com and I will be posting photographs of the poppies in the blog and on our facebook fan page.

We are keeping a total of how much has been raised on the site: at the time of writing it stands at £224. Please do let us know if you raise further monies for the appeal with your poppies.

To start the gallery of poppies, here is my first effort. Let's see yours!

Poppy Brooch by InnyM on Flickr

Ingrid
editorial assistant

Knit a Poppy for Remembrance Day

knitonthenet is proud to announce the return of our Knit a Poppy campaign in support of The Poppy Appeal.

The Royal British Legion provides financial, social and emotional support to millions who have served and are currently serving in the Armed Forces, and their dependants. Currently, nearly 10.5 million people are eligible for their support and they receive thousands of calls for help every year.
Please visit knitonthenet to download our elegant poppy brooch pattern (designed by Just call me Ruby) by making a donation of £2.00 to The Poppy Appeal.

We shall be keeping you updated of the Knit a Poppy Campaign via the blog and website, and would love to see photographs of your finished brooches, and also hear how much money you have raised. Please do remember to attribute your finished poppy to the knitonthenet appeal and Just call me Ruby as designer!

Best wishes
Ingrid, editorial assistant
the knitonthenet team