CHARITY KNITTING

Stash nibbling for a good cause 💟

I was delighted to hear from Jo at Age UK this week. She advised that the Big Knit was back on and would I help out.

She didn’t need to ask twice. Trendy little Innocent Smoothie bottles will be sporting little woolly hats again at the beginning of 2022 and Age UK get 25p for every one sold😉

Check out http://www.thebigknit.co.uk

*Here’s one I made earlier, well on the last campaign!!!*

So once my Christmas knitting is done this is how I will be occupying my needles and what a great way to use up those yarn ends 😊

Woolly wishes

Jane ♡♡♡

STASH-BUSTING #29

Hat attack 👒🎩👒

So I have spent a lovely afternoon making pom poms to finish off some beanies that I had in my WIP basket.

I have been making these beanies with a view to doing some Christmas ctaft stalls, not sure that these will happen, but I have finished them and popped them into storage.

I have posted 12 little hats to the warm baby project today. I had made 13 but don’t like to send that number as unlucky.

Continuing with the incubator blanket.

Woolly wishes,

Jane ♡♡♡

SELF-HELP #29

Lock down telly 😷😷😷

I am still working through the current crisis and feel so lucky that I still have structure to my days. My partner must be running out of box sets…

However I did discover something called the wonderful world of crafting in which crafters who would like to make a living from their work set up a stall at a big craft fair. They are given advice and get to meet professional crafters. Sadly there were only 4 episodes 🙁 I have only done a couple of stalls at church fairs but thoroughly enjoyed them. I have been making a few hats and scarves for possible sale next Christmas but with the current situation I wonder if there will be any Christmas fairs or if people will have any spare money to spend. These really are uncertain times.

So with the current uncertainty I have been concentrating on little hats for the baby unit. They are going to the warm baby project. I have started on an incubator blanket for a bit of variety as I have the attention span of a gnat!

On a brighter note the depleted stocks of baby wool at the Co-op have been replenished. So not just the dodgy colours to choose from.

Woolly wishes,

Jane ♡♡♡

STASH-BUSTING #28

Finished on Friday 😉

I have finished my baby blanket, just a couple of ends to sew in and a bit of blocking.

And a client has asked for some bits and pieces for Birmingham Children’s and Birmingham Women’s hospitals. Apparently they need hats, sizes tiny preemie to newborn, mitts and booties, as well as incubator blankets (20 x 22 inch). I suppose with all the knit and natter groups closed down supplies have slowed down.

The mauve hats are tiny preemie and the blue and white hat is 0-3 month. The other hats are my adaptions of the patterns to adjust the size. Any way I will carry on. More hats to follow 🤔

Have a lovely weekend.

Woolly wishes

Jane ♡♡♡

SELF-HELP #19

Carols and mince pies 👼👼👼

It was St Barnabas carols and mince pie night this evening (having just seen the time it was yesterday!!). The annual fundraiser to get a few quid to keep Percy, the organ going. Yes the church organ is called Percy???

So I stuffed a stocking with Christmas goodies to offer as a raffle prize.

*Should have taken a pic of it unstuffed! !!*

Quite well off for raffle prizes this year. Lots of carols, singing (even when you are as bad as myself) is supposed to be good for you and I certainly enjoy a carol concert.

The church looked really pretty with little angels hung all around.

*Angels made by local school children were hung all around the church.*

A lovely evening with mulled wine and mince pies served to keep the cold out.

Christmas really is just around the corner!!!

🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

SHOE BOX APPEAL

Christmas gifting 👼

I have made a little hat and some mittens to pop into a shoe box with some other bits and pieces for church to send off for this year’s appeal. The hat and mitts are made using aran weight wool so hopefully nice and cozy.

There is still time to do a shoe box. The following link will tell you all about it and lists what you can put in your shoe box.

http://www.samaritans-purse.org.uk

Happy Knitting ♡♡♡

SELF-HELP #14

Knit and natter ♡♡♡

I have had a lovely, if cold, morning at my local knitting group. I took half a dozen preemy cardies in various states of completion and left 5 completed. Plenty of tea and a piece of cake what could be better.

A number of the girls were missing due to the cold. No heating in the church and the roof is dead dodgy.

Obviously I do bits for the premature baby unit – I am always going on about my preemy cardies – but the girls knit for refugee charities, the Shoe Box appeal, blankets for Africa and bits and pieces for local causes.

So a fab Monday, knitting and chatting.

STASH-BUSTING #9

Knit one, purl one…

I have completed a baby Guernsey so I am feeling quite virtuous – always good to finish something, just needs a bit of a press, then need to work out what I am going to do with it ♡

The rest of my time has been spent making little hats for the big knit. They are such a good way of using up bits of yarn and so quick to do ♡♡♡

I get that buzz of having finished something every time I finish one and I can make four or five in a day. How good is that?

CHARITY KNITTING 😊

The big KNIT

I have started making little bobble hats for Innocent Smoothie bottles for their big Knit campaign http://www.thebigknit.co.uk

For every little hat Age UK gets 25p

They do provide a pattern or you can make up your own. A great way to use up those ends of yarn in your stash that there just isn’t enough to do anything else with.

The rugged manly look

The softer girlie look

Yes it is the same pattern for both. I have adapted a cabled egg cosy pattern for mine. Time to get knitting so that I have a few more to drop off to my local Age UK collection point. The website will tell you where yours is.

Knitting with purpose ♡♡♡

Self-help #9

Knitting and Mrs Tiggywinkle…

The 50 miles in August is not going particularly well – 12 1/2 miles to date and a few of those have been walking to the pub or the wine shop??? Now sums was not my best subject at school but even I can work out that about a mile a day in a 31 day month is not going to result in 50 miles 🤔

I have pulled out a few more nettle roots on the other side of the garden fence. I am starting to recognise some of the people who stop for a little chat , I think I said there was a public footpath that runs past the garden fence. Anyway, apparently I am not as snooty as some of the neighbours because I will spare the time for a little chat. Two thoughts: my slothful nature, any excuse for a break, plus I love people; the neighbours employ gardening contractors so they don’t have time to chat, it is their livelihood 😆

I spent a morning this week volunteering at a hedgehog rescue centre. Prickly but cute 🐗 It was a fab experience but my goodness don’t they produce a lot of poo 💩 The hedgehogs were cared for and when fit and healthy they will be let out in the wild. So many that had been attacked by family pets 😣

This morning I called in to see the Monday Girls. I have not been to Knit and Natter for a couple of years so it was nice seeing everyone again. I am sure Wyn is still working on the same scarf she was working on when I was last there. Mind you she does enjoy a chat over a cuppa and then a fag outside bless her♡

I didn’t go empty handed I took the little cardies and a baby blanket so that the group can pass them on to the premature baby unit.

So exhausted from work but very happy with my endeavours out of work.