The Big Knit is Back!

Regular and long time readers will know that I like to take part in The Big Knit with Innocent Drinks to help raise money for Age UK.

The Big Knit has been going for about 11 years and I think I first took part in 2008 but I will have to go back through my blog to check.  Well actually I think I will, back in a mo..................

I have just visited their site HERE as well.

I'm Back................I first spotted it in 2008 but did not have a go until 2009 but I did not think to take any pictures!

I have found the following:

My first effort sin 2009

Went Pom Pom mad in 2013.

Forgot or lost picture for 2012 and the Autumn of 2011 was a sad time for my family and I did not make any at all.

So this year my approach has been slightly different and due to the fact that i roped my Mum in on it this time and that the hand in date seems much later , by 12th December I have these to show you.  

The Big Knit 2014

I think that these are the best so far.  I knitted three of them and my Mum knitted the rest.

I then picked them up when I last visited and brought them back to Cornwall.

Then to continue with my 2014 Getting to Grips with Crochet , I decided to crochet little flowers and then sew them on to the front of each hat!  Not sure about doing any Pom Poms this year.  What do you think?  Would adding a Pom Pom be too much.

I am now going to knit a few more hats myself and due to the hand in date being later I am thinking of getting colleagues at work involved and some are much better crochet makers than I ma and there is a crochet hat pattern on the website which is www.thebigknit.co.uk.

there are also some novelty hats there too but to be honest just trying to knit straight of an evening after a long day at work is enough and I like making the little flowers.  Got another idea for them too!

So if you have some scraps and small needles pop over and take a look and there is  also a help video and patterns to get you started.

It is a really fun project which helps to raise money, uses up nice scrap wool and is an annual event that I find myself looking out for.

Take care and I shall be back later in the week.

xx

Design your own hat for Charity....

My little hats are all wrapped and packed to be sent off tomorrow.

I found on The Big Knit website a section where you can design your own hat and then share it on Facebook or Twitter if you have an account.

Above is my effort and I have put this on Twitter.  If you would like to have a go here is the LINK and Innocent Drinks will donate 10p to AGE UK.

Before sharing it I right hand clicked and saved the image in my pictures so that  I could post it here.  If you decide to design a hat pop it on your blog and pop a link in my comment box and we can visit each others posts to see the hats we have designed.

Best wishes

xx

Update - Little gems for The Big Knit

You may remember a couple of weeks ago that I gave the link for The Big Knit instructions and website.

Well, due to going on a plane for my holiday I decided not to take the knitting needles as I thought it might cause too many problems even if they were in my suitcase.  So I waited until I got home.

I made the above in 2009 and thought that perhaps I could try and make this years little hats a bit more fun.

I dug out some scraps left over form crocheting various projects last year and matched a few up to make the little striped hats.  By using a pom pom maker (tutorial link at the top of this blog) I even added mini pom poms to  the hats as well.

A ball of this crazy wool was sent to me as part of a giveaway I won a few years ago.  Not really enough to make anything with so it was perfect for these little hats.  It really is rather odd yarn and makes these hats very different!

Then I knitted some plain versions and added either flowers that were made on a small flower loom (tutorial can be found in the links at the top of this blog) and the hat in the front has a very small crochet flower added to it.  I carefully stitched them on with wool after I had stitched the hat together so that I could get it in the centre just right.

I stitched this to look like a square and in a nice shade of blue.

So here they are, all 10 of my "Little Gems".  The deadline is not until the 1st of October so I shall have a go at making a few more.  I used 4mm needles (UK) and you could even use shop bought pom poms if you had them, plus basic double knitting wool.  Nothing posh at all but they still caome out lovely.

 If you are also taking part in this Charity knit then please add a comment with a link to your blog or site so that we can pop over and take a look plus support each other in this good cause.

Cute are they not?  Love making these and lining them up along the shelf next to where I sit in the living room.  I might even try the new design this year of a grape, depends on how easy it will be to follow the pattern!  I am not a natural knitter at all.

Take care all and welcome to the two new followers that I had join up in the past few weeks.

xx

The Big Knit - Little Hats

After years of only just finding out in time about the The Big Knit with Innocent drinks, this year I am actually in plenty of time!

Click here for more details and the all important sheet of ideas and instructions.  There is a wacky sheep pattern this year which I shall have to figure out but the finished picture did make me smile.

Now , I have taken part in this on several occasions but finding the pictures could be a bit tricky.............

I made the above hats back in 2009! Where has the time gone.  I did send off another bigger batch last year but did not take any pictures.  Tut tut...such a bad blogger!

This could be just the little project that I could take on holiday at the end of this week.  Small needles and some scrap wool.  I could make the pom poms when I get home again.
If you  have some time, scrap wool and would like to knit for Charity then do pop over HERE and see what you need to do.  The deadline is the 1st October.
I think tomorrow i shall be packing and selecting a few bits of wool, could be very relaxing a bit of knitting in the sun.
After our lovely cruise at Christmas Hubby and I have managed to sign up for another now that Hubby's job has now been made permanent.
I shall take plenty of pictures to go in a book I am making.
Oh........I do not think I have shown you the journal I made at Christmas...have I ?  I really must start to write down some of these blog post ideas.
Have fun, the garden is having a much needed bit of rain this evening and hopefully the water butt is not quite so empty.
xx
PS Bunting PDF template is in the pipeline.