Knit your own Monk!

Knit your very own Brother Cadfael

I know, the fictional Cadfael resided at Shrewsbury Abbey, but I couldn't resist the header.

These guys below are currently on display in a Knitted Monk exhibition at Tewkesbury Abbey (Gloucester, UK). More information is available here. 

What's best, there is a free knitting pattern, which can be accessed here. I'm sure donations are very welcome. :-) 

Knitted Monk Exhibition, Tewkesbury Cathedral, February 2018

So, now there are really no excuses not to knit your very own Cadfael...or even a whole monastery.

Why Knitting for Charity? Why Knitting for Pine Ridge?

The onset of yet another Age UK / Innocent Big Knit campaign prompted me to start reflecting on charity knitting. Perhaps, I should mention that the topic of charitable knitting is vast: Some charity knitters specialise in particular accessories required by hospital patients, those in remission or patients with chronic conditions. Others knit for animal shelters. Some of us also produce custom-made items, clothes for birds after oil spills, for example. I also thought of those knitters, who produce clothing for premature babies and especially those of us, who cast-on for baby burial gowns.

Talking about charity knitting can thus come across as bleak, and this is perhaps one of the reasons why I've so far always refrained from writing about it. After all, this blog is intended to be my creative leisure pad. I'm also aware that knitters generally have strong opinions when it comes to discussions on charitable knitting, with some of us raising the question whether there is a place for charitable knitting in this day and age, given the abundance of mass-produced clothing. 

Badlands, Pine Ridge Reservation, Photo: Patrice Ouellet, more here.

On the topic of Charity Knitting...The Big Knit is back!

The Big Knit is back for 2014. Needless to say, it's one of my favourite fund-raising campaigns, but as a knitter you may rightfully accuse me of partiality.

For all those, who are not familiar with the Big Knit, it's an established, large-scale,  fundraising campaign, which takes full advantage of the good nature, creativity and reliability of the knitting community. 

Innocent / Age UK, Big Knit 2014. 

The Big Knit 2011...is back

The waiting is over. 

Innocent Smoothies have just announced that the big knit is back for 2011. 

• This year's deadline is 14th October 2011.

• The campaign goal is 650000 hats, equalling a donation of £162,500 to Age UK 

(£0.25 for every knitted hat)

Two of my hats that didn't make it in 2010

I suppose I better go, sort my yarns and start knitting...only 131 days left until 14th October 2011.