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Knitting For Charity

Knitters are very generous people. We know that many of you already knit for charity and that there is a need for more promotion on knitting for charity. We have received many enquiries asking which charities need knitters and we hope to let you know, but we do need your help.

(Click on images to view full size)


Loving Hands: Help For Africa

Jessica Reed has contacted us via Facebood to ask for help in supporting a Knitting For Charity project set up by Marion Major

"My friends and I are really trying to pass this message along. Its a very tragic situation so I was hoping that you would be able to help us spread the word to as many people as possible. We are knitting jumpers to a very easy pattern which will be sent to Africa for babies affected by aids. Marion was shocked to discover that newborn babies are often discharged from hospital wrapped in newspaper!!! It costs around 60p to knit one of these jumpers.

The pattern is very simple to follow, knit in either stocking stitch or two plain two purl and comes out as a T shape.
The jumper can be knitted in any colour EXCEPT White - because white is the colour they bury them in. Sad, very very sad.

Please post to: Vale of Leven Academy, Main Street, Alexandria, West Dunbartonshire Scotland G83 0BH (FAO Marion Major)"

Click here for pattern

Click here for Loving Hands website

Click here to contact Jess


Oxfam: Knitted Blankets Needed

Three Bags Full in Yeovil, Somerset, get a lot of wool donations from their customers in the name of charity. They try to match this up with our charity knitters who come to their groups in the week. Three Bags Full quickly realised they were going to need more knitters!! So they have created some Oxfam Festival Blanket Kits. Oxfam sell 6 x 4 ft blankets at their Festival shops and can charge more money for them if they are more attractive so...Three Bags Full have started boxing up colour and texture combinations into shoe boxes with brief instructions on them and they are available to take away for free. The finished blankets can then be taken to your nearest Oxfam shop where they arrange for them to be sold.

Andrea's message:"Like to knit for charity but have used up your stash? Come and get a free Oxfam Festival Blanket Kit from Three Bags Full in Yeovil - a box filled with donated yarns already matched into fun or complimentary colours to get you started on a 6 x 4ft blanket that Oxfam can then sell in their Festival Shops. Simply knit your blanket and drop it into your nearest Oxfam Shop when you're finished!"

Click here to contact Andrea at Three Bags Full

Click here for more information about knitting for Oxfam


Francis House Children's Hospice

Francis House Children’s Hospice offers the families of very sick children a respite from their role as carers and gives the children a loving home from home. Each year knitted chicks are made to help raise funds. If you would like to help with the 'chicken run' for 2013, please see below:

 

Charity Chicken Knitters

"Over 550 chicks of the ‘woolly’ kind have flown the coop from Francis House Children’s Hospice based in Didsbury, South Manchester, after months of work by a dedicated team of 8 chicken knitting ladies. The knitted chickens complete with crème egg, were then successfully sold for £1 in primary schools in the north west of England during the week before the Easter break.  The figure raised this year was the best ever, with the proceeds of £650 going straight to the children’s hospice. 

The idea came about 12 years ago after Jackie Hadfield from Radcliffe, a volunteer on the care team at Francis House, saw the pattern being knitted by a woman for her church bazaar. Jackie’s husband Graham, then a head teacher, was also raising awareness about the work Francis House through school assemblies, so they decided to take the chicks into the schools to see if they would help raise funds."

Click here if you can help to knit chicks or if you wish to donate wool (please request pattern)

Click here for Francis House website


Knit-A-Thon for Europe

Special Event for WWKIP: Let's Get Knitted 'Knit A Thon' Saturday 9th June The Welcome Centre, 47 Parkside, Coventry CV1 2 HG

"This fundraiser is to support ongoing and new transformational projects of Next Level International across Europe. Our blankets will be provided to the less fortunate across Europe. Their winters are so long and cold! Let’s share our talent with them."

Click here for details of how you can take part


Knit For Newlife: Help Support Disabled Children

The UK’s leading children’s disability charity is calling for knitters to ‘Knit for Newlife’.

Whether it is a favourite pattern or something new, Newlife Foundation for Disabled Children is asking for help in supporting thousands of children across the UK who rely on the charity to get the essential specialist equipment they need. Knitted and crocheted items will be sold at craft sales to boost funds. Every knitter will be supplied with special tags that show their first name and town or county, so those purchasing will know whose care and talent has gone into creating the items.

The ‘Knit For Newlife fund’ will buy essential items of equipment for specific children and the charity will report back to knitters with details of who has been helped and how.

Click here to find out more and how you can help


Waen Chapel Outreach Project, St Asaph, Denbighshire North Wales

We are a group of all ages who crochet and knit items which are sold in aid of our Local Hospice and for the support group and day care provided for older people which currently provides friendship and support for 14 older people who live alone providng them with weekly hot meal and day care all run by volunteers with no paid staff. This care is open to anyone in need regardless of faith or belief. We would particularly welcome any donations of any craft materials e.g. wool knitting needles etc and we would also be very grateful for any completed knitted or crocheted items which we can sell at our annual craft fair which last year raised £5,500 in aid of our local hospice. Any donations are very gratefully recieved and acknowledged

Click here for website and contact details

Or write to: Waen Chapel Outreach Project, Waen Chapel, Waen, St Asaph , Denbighshire LL17 0DY


Arthur Rank Hospice Cambridge: Bee Keeper Quilt Challenge

The Sheep Shop in Cambridge has set a challenge to all knitters in Cambridgeshire to pick up their needles to raise money for Arthur Rank Hospice. Arthur Rank Hospice offers free life-enhancing care to patients and their families in Cambridgeshire living with the effects of life-limiting illness, they support over 1000 patients each year and to continue this work they need to raise £1.3m every year. We can help them.
The aim is to make a kingsize quilt out of “hexipuffs", and we need about 1,400 to make a kingsize quilt.

Click here for more details of how you can take part


Age UK Waltham Forest: Keep Warm, Keep Well Knitters Network

Age UK Waltham Forest are seek knitters to help with supporting older adults in Waltham Forest who are at risk of ill health or death during the cold weather by knitting simple hats, scarves, gloves or squares for blankets. Items received will be distributed to adults we have identified as being at risk as part of a variety of 'warmth packs'.

Please send completed items to:
Emma Tozer,
Age UK Waltham Forest,
Peterhouse Community Centre,
122 Forest Rise,
Upper Walthamstow,
London E17 3PW

Click here to request further information


Bullying UK

Percy The Pigeon

Anita Hunt has been in contact to tell us about an anti-bullying charity raising money and awareness through knitting:

"I wanted to let you know about my fundraising campaign for the charity Bullying UK. I have an Alan Dart designed 'Percy the Pigeon' knitting pattern. The idea is to encourage a child to tell someone if they are being bullied, as well as raise funds for the charity. My aim is to raise as much money as I can through downloads of the fantastic knitting pattern, for my fundraising campaign for Bullying UK"

Click here for more information


Riding For The Disabled Weyhill, Andover, Hampshire

Help to cover this wall and raise money for Riding For The Disabled

Fibre craft shop Beaker Button is situated in a the lovely Fairground Craft and Design Centre, which until the 1950’s was the sight of one of the largest sheep fairs in the country.  The whole site is enclosed by a 2 metre high white chalk and plaster wall, running for 136 metres along the Weyhill road, and we thought it would be fun to have a competition to cover the wall with yarn.  The rules are simple. Each piece should measure 50 cm x 50 cm and be made from yarn.  You can knit, crochet or weave, and you can embellish with whatever you like, as long as your base is yarn.  Each entry costs £2.00, with the proceeds going to our local Riding for the Disabled group, who the Fairground are supporting this year.  The winners will be chosen by us and a representative from the RDA.

The competition runs from April 1st to July 31st. The finished piece will be displayed for photographs in August and then turned into throws, to auctioned at our Michaelmas Fair in September. 

Click here to contact Beaker Button for competition rules and address to send your knitted squares to.


Stepping Stones Nigeria

 
Bee Puppet
Inky Mouse Puppet
Snake Puppet

Stepping Stones Nigeria is a Child Rights Charity working with and for children currently living in the Niger Delta. We have 4 programme areas: Advocacy and campaigns, Street Children, Education and Literacy. The Literacy team, have in the past 2 years launched the Read and Write Now Initiative (RAWN), aiming to dramatically improve literacy rates amongst disadvantaged children in the Niger Delta. Working with educational partners out in Nigeria, we are training and inspiring over 3, 400 teachers, from 1146 schools in one year to teach reading and writing to 85, 900 children using the fun and successful method of synthetic phonics.

Despite effective implementation of the ongoing training of teachers in such methods, the lack of class room teaching resources make hand knitted puppets an invaluable tool for teachers to best engage young children in learning how to read and write. There are 3 puppets which corresponds to characters, in the synthetic children reading books, inky (the mouse), Snake and Bee. These puppets, although a long way from some of the teaching materials we have become accustomed too, these puppets have proven such a ‘hit’ with the children, who needless to say having very little toys and possessions of their own, immediately adore them.

Click here to request patterns for puppets

Click here for website


The Freedom From Fistula Foundation

In Sierra Leone, The Freedom From Fistula Foundation manages ‘The Aberdeen Women’s Centre’. This centre currently provides free surgeries to women injured in childbirth, runs a children’s clinic, and now has a maternity clinic. The goal of the new maternity clinic is to provide mothers in Sierra Leone with quality care during childbirth which will have the double benefit of reducing the number of childbirth injuries, as well as helping to reach the worldwide Millennium Development Goal #5 which aims to reduce maternal mortality across the developing world.
The Aberdeen Women’s Centre now has the capacity to: deliver 1,500 babies each year in the maternity clinic; treat up to 500 women each year in the fistula clinic; and treat more than 6,000 children each year in the outpatient clinic.

The Freedom From Fistula Foundation has pledged to give each new baby a cardigan, jumper or blanket as a gift before they leave the hospital. We are extremely grateful for all donations towards this pledge (cardigans, matinee jackets, jumpers, and blankets) in all colours and sizes!

Completed garments can be sent to:
Freedom from Fistula Foundation
Robertson House
1 Whitefriars Crescent
Perth PH2 0PA

Click here if you would like to help and for all further information


Siblings Together

We are Siblings Together, uniting brothers & sisters in care and adoption. We hold summer camps and drop in centres and befriending programmes for siblings all of whom are in care & adoption. We would love some colourful knitted blankets for the evenings around the campfire and to keep the children warm in their tents. We would also love knitted throws to sit on which are soft and colourful, our children like to dress up so we like silly hats and waistcoats and colourful leggings and scarfs! ...

Click here to contact Delma if you can help knit some items for this charity


Erin Hounds Sighthound Rescue: Cheshire/North West Charity

Erin Hounds Sighthound Rescue is a small, albeit growing charity based in Cheshire with dog fosterers and supporters in parts of Merseyside and Sheffield. It works to save, rehabilitate and rehome greyhounds and lurchers from Ireland, which would otherwise face death or a very grim future (e.g. retired racers aged just 4, failed and injured racers, 15 months plus, mistreated and abandoned lurchers etc etc..). We rehome all over the UK but primarily in this area. We have homed over 100 dogs and we have a growing facebook presence and an website with a new and well used online shop www.erinhounds.co.uk. We can sell these at the many fundraising events we do also (where the dogs need plenty of layers as they stand for hours patiently doing their bit).

The cold weather is here! These lovely dogs are very skinny and seriously feel the cold. Owners buy coats and many put their dogs in snoods too, which can also act as hurricane ‘hoods’ (over the ears) in driving wind and e.g. snow. Keeping the body temperature up is vital overnight too .I can provide a pattern for a knitted coat (quite simple) and there is a knitting for hounds ‘firm’ online lady who will offer advice if required. Re snoods – I can provide more photos and a description re knitting a snood (simple). Both require double yarn and any contributions would be very much appreciated. They don’t have to be multi coloured or fancy unless a knitter fancies doing this.

Click here to contact Rosey to request pattern or to donate wool

Click here for Erin Hounds website


Nacro: Crime Reducing Charity (Project now completed, for update Click here)

"To celebrate UK Handmade’s third birthday we thought it would be nice to do something to give back to the community. We haven’t been able to put the recent riots out of our minds and we, like many of our readers, felt really depressed and sad that young people had so little to lose that they were rioting. That coupled with the sense that the background issues involved are so very immense and incredibly hard to tackle, not to mention multi-generational made us feel really helpless and despairing.

This got us thinking about supporting a charity that works with children in hard hit areas - who are struggling with anything from gang peer pressure to difficult family situations - and helps them to navigate a way clear of a life of crime. Our chosen charity, NACRO (the crime reduction charity) does just that and, with early intervention and engagement in learning, aims to prevent vulnerable young people from ending up with a life of crime.
We help to steer over 24,000 children and young people away from drugs and crime, finding new and positive future opportunities.”
With the permission and support of Stephanie Dosen ~Tiny Owl Knits (see her interview on pages 9 to 15 of the Winter issue), UK Handmade have teamed up with Reading-based arts organisation jelly to raise money for this wonderful charity and bring you: The Beekeeper’s Quilt Charity Prize Competition.

image courtesy of Tiny Owl Knits
Reading-based arts organisation
images courtesy of: Marianne Cant, Debbie Orr, Joy McMillan, Shawn Nelson, Suzanne Stallard, Allison Kunze, Alison Campbell, Jocelyn Viernes, Brandy Skogsberg and Sarah Knight

We are inviting 192 knitters from around the world, who are making the Beekeeper’s Quilt for themselves, to contribute two hexipuffs each to make up an extra special Beekeeper’s Quilt. The hexipuffs should all be sent to our wonderful partner in this charity project, jelly who will host a special stitchathon (sewing day) to make up the finished quilt."

Click here to take part and contribute hexipuffs

Post your completed two hexipuffs by Tuesday 13th December to:
Hexipuff Department, jelly, 42 Market Place, Reading RG1 2DE  


Joshua's Boxes

We are a small locally run charity who have been providing memory boxes free to hospitals both locally and throughout the UK for 8 years now.We are always needing beautiful little items for our boxes and have patterns and wool to send anyone wiling to do this. The main items that we need are blankets in a varity of sizes, hats in the same size difference, and angel robes and pouches. They can be made in pastel blue, pink, lemon, green, lilac and white.

Click here for more details if you would like to help


Knit For Peace

Can you Knit? Would you like learn to learn to knit? We'll even give you your first needles and yarn for free! All levels of knitting experience welcome.

Knit for Peace believes that knitting is good for you and can be good for others. We find good homes for your knitting (or other craft work) where the warmth of a woolly hat or joy of a teddy bear makes all the difference. Whether you want to knit a scarf for a homeless person or a hand puppet for an education project in Nigeria visit knitforpeace for a wide variety of projects and suggested patterns.

Knit for Peace also encourages women and men from different, often historically hostile communities to come together informally to knit (or sew or crochet). With a shared common goal, differences in race, religion or caste are irrelevant, and individuals come together to knit peacefully.

Click here to contact Gabriel for more information if you would like to start or find a Knit for Peace group, or suggest a charitable project

Click here for website


Alzheimer Scotland

Alzheimer Scotland (Argyll and Clyde) are going to attempt to beat the current world record for the largest hand knitted blanket (non crochet). The current record stands at 557.34 squared meters and is held by The Ladies of Hatfield Christian Church (South Africa)

We would like to create a blanket measuring 710 squared meters.  This blanket will be made up of 71000 squares to represent the number of people in Scotland in 2010 that had dementia.  This record attempt will not only raise awareness but it is hoped that it can facilitate people from all over to pass on the skill of knitting to someone they know.

We would really appreciate you helping by knitting squares measuring 10cm by 10cm

Click here to request information pack for further information


Upon Butterfly Wings

UBW is a 'not for profit' organisation which provides support for parents who's babies have sadly died either in pregnancy, at birth or during the neonatal period.

With the support of our lovely helpers, UBW are able to provide local hospitals and funeral homes with suitable clothing to fit every baby ranging from a simple blanket, hat and booties, to beautiful burial clothing and for the delicate babies we are able to provide wraps, pockets and sleep sacks. If you are able to help or know someone who can, we are in continuous need of donations of knitted, crochet and sewn items. Free patterns are available

Click here if you would like more information about how you can help either The Knitted Wings and/or The Butterfly Box Project

Click here for Facebook page (login required)


Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders)

"Incredibly generous designers donate their time and knitting patterns to p/hop. These patterns are then available for you to download from our website www.p-hop.co.uk. All we ask is you make a donation to humanitatian aid organisation Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)/Doctors Without Borders based on how many hours of pleasure you'll get from knitting your p/hop pattern. There is no set price for a pattern; you can donate 50p or £50. It's entirely up to you - P/HOP = PENNIES PER HOUR OF PLEASURE!

Knitters also swap unwanted yarn in return for donations through our Ravelry group and have lots of other ways for knitters to raise money and awareness about MSF on our website. Please come and join in the fun"

Click here for more details

Click here for group on Ravelry (login required)


Square Circle: Join The Knit A Squillion Challenge

"There are an estimated 1.9 million children orphaned by AIDS in South Africa alone. These children have almost nothing. Once they lose their parents, their future prospects are dramatically diminished. You can bring knit-a-square and this largely ignored and growing tragedy of millions of children made orphaned and vulnerable, into homes of thousands of people starting with friends and family. Each one could make a difference, by just knitting one square. Each square sends a message of hope and love, together with its warmth."

Click here to find out more and learn how you can help


Lisas Stars

Lisas Stars provide hospitals throughout the UK with knitted blankets, hats and burial items for babies born too premature to survive. Many of the hospitals do not have anything small enough for these babies so many are left naked, wrapped in tissue or placed in clothes far too big for them.
 
We need knitters at every location around the UK to provide our Reps and donations of wool to provide our knitters with.

Click here for more information. Lisas Stars can also be found on Facebook (login required)


New Hope Rural Community Trust - UK

Maureen McMillan has written about the above charity which is based in Orissa, India. It was a Leprosy Charity but has now diversified. In the latest magazine she received, they requested blankets, and baby clothes - for HIV+VE babies.  These babies are being abandoned by their families because of fear and destitution.
 
Maureen has knitted quite a few matinee coats and is starting on some blankets and wondered if anyone else could help?

Please send items to: Jill Ghanouni, New Hope Community Trust, 49 Alfred Street, Southampton SO14 ONB

Click here for further information


Knitting for Oxfam

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Oxfam is very grateful to our supporters who have taken the time to knit blankets and other garments for us. Your contribution really does make a huge difference to the lives of people living in poverty around the world.

Knitted blankets should measure 6' x 4', made up of colourful strips or squares sewn securely together. Other knitted items can be sold in our high Street shops to raise much needed funds for Oxfam's humanitarian work.  Please contact your local Oxfam shop to discuss the options


Teddies for Tragedies: Yorkshire Aid Convoy

Jill Dean from Ilkley, West Yorkshire is currently collecting teddies that have been knitted to the teddies for tragedy pattern. The teddies are being taken to children in Romania and the Ukraine by the charity, the Yorkshire Aid Convoy.

She would be delighted if other knitters can help with the production of teddies which are very easy to make.

Click here for Teddys for Tragedies website for teddy pattern

Click here to contact Jill for information about where to send completed teddies

 

 

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