Knitting for Charity 2008
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.
If you know of any fundraising activities which involves knitting, please let us know so that we can keep everyone informed
Click here to tell us of any charity you are knitting for that would welcome help from other knitters
Here are some projects currently involved in raising money through Knitting for Charity
Money for Madagascar
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Hococo, the lemur |
Hococo and friends |
Hococo, the knitted lemur has been raising money to help save lives in Madagascar. Commissioned from internationally renowned knitted toy designer Alan Dart, the lemur pattern was given free to customers of a major shoe company, who were then encouraged to knit, sell or raffle the toy. Money raised is being sent direct to the Money for Madagascar charity and, with over £1,000 raised so far, ten babies and children have already received life-saving surgery. The company would like to extend the offer of a free pattern to anyone who would like to knit the lemur and help raise funds for children in Madagascar.
Click here if you can help and would like to request a free pattern
Caring Yorkshire Hands
Caring Yorkshire Hands is a registered charity helping the premature babies of Yorkshire Hospitals. They would love to hear from any kind crafters who would like to join this friendly group and help make preemie items of clothing, blankets and burial items. Anyone who can sew, crochet or knit is more than welcome to join. They also need donations of baby wool, ribbons, embellishments, small button’s , lace and cotton fabrics.
Click here to contact Wendy if you can help or would like to donate materials
Oxfam
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Millions of mums in poor countries get low-quality health care, Oxfam is asking supporters to help campaign for better healthcare during pregnancy and childbirth by knitting squares for a giant baby blanket, where each square represents a newborn baby, left needlessly without a mother because of lack of healthcare. These squares will be joined together and handed into the UK government in September.
Each square should be 9 inches in size and preferably made using double-knitting weight yarn, plain or patterned. You can use any type of yarn, provided that it is washable. Crochet Squares are also very welcome.
Please send squares with your name address and email to: Sarah Blakemore, Oxfam campaigns, 47 Park Square East, Leeds LS21 2NL by 1st August 2008.
Click here for more information
Click here for ideas of how to knit your square
The Mirasol Project
The Mirasol Project will do something to redress the balance between rich and poor nations. Peru is a nation of 29 million people with a high level of social inequality, with the poor rural Quechua-speaking communities high in the Andes being particularly disadvantaged. The situation is not helped by the fact that since 1980 Peru has experienced periods of political unrest which have particularly affected the already disadvantaged Quechua-speaking communities. A survey undertaken in 2002 rated Peru last of 41 nations in terms of educational provision and the people of the Puno region, where the ranch is situated, have one of the lowest levels of health and education in Peru. The illiteracy rate is 95 per cent. Families live just at subsistence level in mud huts that lack plumbing and electricity and have only an open fireplace for warmth. As a result of this survey, the Peruvian government has decided to prioritise the development of the rural areas of the sierra on the national agenda.
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The
Natural Dye Studio in Suffolk has launched a 'Toilet
Dolly Competition' to help raise money for The Mirasol
Project. There are two categories; Tasteless and Tasteful.
There are prizes for the best and all the dollies will
be included in a charity auction on November 1st 2008.
Entries must be received by 31st August, the address to
send them to is:
The Natural Dye Studio,
Moors Farm,
School Lane,
Hollesley,
Woodbridge,
Suffolk.
IP12 3RF
Click here for full details
Burundi Bears, update
Gren Burgess has sent us a further update to tell us how much more they have achieved with the help of funds from the sale of knitted Brundi Bears:
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Toilet block with magnificent view |
Classroom block |
Classroom block |
Click here to read about the current school being built
Click here to read more about the project
Click here to contact Gren Burgess for details of where to send your completed bears
Save The Children
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| Click on image to read full details |
A woolly hat can mean the difference between life and death for a newborn baby as they can't regulate their own body temperature. We are asking everyone to knit baby bonnets and send them in to Save the Children with an action card (part of the knit kit). We will then send the hats to those places where they are needed, and the action cards will be sent to Gordon Brown.
Save the Children has called on Paul O'Grady to learn how to knit and to get others to learn to knit as part of their biggest ever campaign to help save children's lives.
Click here for details about how you can help and how to download a special 'Knit Kit'
The Sailor's Society: New Woolly Hat Competition
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Click on image to view full size |
Competition Logo |
Ship's Captain's Hat |
Bee Hats |
The Sailor's Society is running a competition to design a woolly hat. To enter you need to register before Friday 30th May and all entries must be received by Friday 1st August 2008. The design brief for the hat is "to create something outrageous, humorous, witty - we want to exhibit hats with attitude!"
All entries will be displayed at The Knitting and Stitching Shows this year - NEC Birmingham, (September); at Alexandra Palace in London (October) and in the International Halls in Harrogate (November)
Click here for further information
Warm Woolies
Malgosia Colquhoun knits for 'Warm Woolies', a charity for babies and children mostly in Russia and Kazakhstan. Because of the climate, they accept wool and wool-rich fibres (85% and above) only. Malgosia requests that knitters send donations of yarn, for which she will refund the postage.
Click here to contact Malgosia
Click here to learn more about Warm Woolies
Wallace & Gromit's Children's Foundation
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John Lewis in Glasgow is currently fundraising in aid of Glasgow's Yorkhill Childrens Hospital by knitting and crocheting blanket squares. Basic patterns for beginners have been provided and they are organising "Big Sew-in Days" to help it all come together.
A "Big Sew-in Day" is planned for Saturday 26th April, coffee and light refreshments will be available and a large turnout of knitters, crocheters alike are expected.
Click here to contact Jane Galbraith if you would like to take part
Click here to read about this fundraising
Great Ormond Street: The Knitted Gingerbread House - Update:
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| Inside the Gingerbread House |
News From Alison Murray:
"The house has proved to be a great success at it's showings in Exeter, Harrogate and Cardiff during Autumn 2007. We have raised about £15,000 for Great Ormond Street Hospital so far. We have just been to Brighton and are about to go to Glasgow and Birmingham with the house. The Gingerbread house is due to be featured on the Martha Stewart Show in the US, due to go out on Monday 25th February."
Project Peru
Sheila Steward knits jumpers, hats and blankets for a the British registered charity "Project Peru". She would very much other knitters to become involved. Any knitting suitable for children would be greatly appreciated. The people of Peru love bright colours, so garments of many colours (odd balls) are welcome.
Click here to find out more about "project Peru" and where to send knitted items
Hope Now Southampton
Julia Benton is going out to the Ukraine to help on a widows camp run by the charity Hope Now which is based in Southampton. She went out last year and was asked to run a knitting group for 60 ladies. She is desperate for donations of needles and yarn.
Click here to contact Julia if you can help
The Finite River Knit
Stephanie
Ingham is part of a group organising
a FINITE RIVER knit to make a giant river for an exhibition
called ' FINITE?' to be held at Hadlow College in Kent
from 29th March to 6th April 2008 to raise awareness
of finite resourses. The
project is part of a new village sustainability initiative
which is also supported by Kent County Council and Hadlow
Agricultural College in Kent. The college is hosting the
art exhibition to advertise this sustainability initiative.
The group has been named the HADLOW CARBON GROUP and this
exhibition will be the first of many projects they hope
to undertake.
Afterwards
the sections will be sewn into blankets for the homeless.
The group requests donations of blue, green and brown yarn, needles and knitters,
and, or donations of blue, green or brown rectangles 4 inches (10 centimetres
) wide x any length.
Click here to contact Stephanie if you can help
Little Lamb Charity Blanket Project
Lindsay Hall lives in Glasgow and knits and crochets blankets for various charities in the UK and America. She is visually impaired, but manages a huge output of items making full use of her time. She has set up a website to coordinate and distribute donations of knitted and crocheted squares, which she hopes visitors to this site will help her with.
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| One of Lindsay's Blankets |
Click here for Lindsay's dedicated Charity Blanket website
Click here to contact Lindsay if you would like to help
The Sailor's Society: New Woolly Hat Campaign For 2008
Click here for further details of how you can help
Early Angels Project
Raynor Gellatly runs a charity set up to encourage knitters to knit for premature babies at their local hospitals. They are looking for new volunteers to send knitted baby garments or small soft toys.
Click here for full details on their website
Many of The Charities who have contacted us during 2007 still need your help. Please click on the link below to read about charities we have featured previously
Click here for Charities listed during the past two years
© ukhandknitting.com 2005