Innocent Smoothie Big Knit Day

Just a quickie to remind everyone that the Innocent smoothies Hats go on sale on the 5th November, in Topez stations across the country.

I'm sorry, but more Smoothie Hat stuff..

I thought it was all over, all finished, I had posted the last parcel, and I could go back to making all the other stuff that I had planned to do. I still have nothing on Etsy, I have a few pieces of beaded jewelery that I wanted to put up but I cant get a single nice pic of them, they are too small, so I've given up on them. I signed myself up for a Christmas Craft Fair and have to make all the stuff for that. I signed myself up to make a flag of Brittany for someone, but mercifully she didnt need me in the end. (I have to stop volunteering to do this stuff). The Woolly Way started up, and I'm a volunteer editor for that. I have a piece to get ready for an exhibition in The Cork School of Music with the Cork Textile Network, I started an Organic Gardening course, and am supposed to be preparing my garden for Spring next year (that's my homework), and and and.....

and they go and extend the deadline for the
Innocent Smoothie Big Knit!!!

Have they not got enough yet? Have pity on people like me who just cant say no to a woolly good cause. Considering I hate making two of anything, I think I did god-damn well, making the amount I did. Anyway, did you see those oldies marching on the Dail today? I tell you, there's no messing around with the over 70's. When they want to get something done...Fair play to them! You have to laugh at the fact that all these old dears came from all over the country to hassle the government about taking away their free medical cards using the free bus passes that the government gave them. Watch out! They will be taking them off you next, so you wont march on the streets of Dublin again...

Yes, I know the Big Knit is a good cause and all that. I suppose I'll just have to make one or two more. Please, PLEASE, everyone else, just make a few more so they can reach their target and put me out of my hat madness... Here are a few pics of what I thought were my FINAL HATS...

I've started making fruit for my Toddler to play with, and got the idea to make some fruit hats. considering they are fruit smoothies. So, I'm thinking hats, and I'm thinking fruit, and then it came to me, Carmen Miranda! The fruitiest hat wearer in the world. I had to have a go at making a Carmen Miranda hat. (If I have known my time wasting on playful hats would have caused an extended deadline, I probably wouldn't have made them, no, that not true, I probably would have made more!!)

Carmen Miranda and Friends


Carmen dancing in a Hyperbolic Crocheted Ruffle

Lots going on for the Big Knit

I have now made 50 hats for the Irish Big Knit. If I hadn't had so much fun writing patterns for the crochet ones, I prob would have more done. To me that's giving €50 to charity, and considering these recessionary times, I'm happy enough with that. I'll have a few more made by the deadline date, but I strongly recommend if you haven't already made a few hats for this great Project, please do. Judging by the 2009 Budget, the complete lack of disregard that Fianna Fail have for all of us, the oldies will need all the help they can get this winter. I did say at the start this was just about me and my textiles but sometimes its hard not to let the current situation go by without saying WHY THE HELL DID YOU VOTE THEM IN AGAIN!!!

Anyway rant, over back to the Big Knit. Sitting with the boyfriend, him laughing at the latest few hats (or so he says, but I'm beginning to get suspicious about the laughter, is it really the hats or is it me?). I thought about who buys Innocent Smoothies. I know they are very very good for you but they're not the cheapest, so you'd want to be really needing those few extra vitamins for that price. Its not just girls is it? So, I got to thinking about the fellas, what fellas buy them? So, you are a healthy male, you earn a few bob, in days gone by you would have been a stockbroker or carpenter, but now they're all out of work its hard to know. There is some luxuries people will not be giving up, money or no money, and I thing Innocent Smoothies are one of those. I'm not here to advertise Innocent, (except on the day the hats are for sale, but getting back to what I was trying to say about several sentences previous before I went off on a tangent), I thought those healthy blokes, who buy the Smoothies on a regular basis, they are going to walk into their local Topez (plug, plug) shop on the day the Big Knit Sale starts, and be confronted by a row of fluffy, colourful, cute hats. Now, take a carpenter for example, hes fit as f..anything, and he's all manly in his work clothes, trusty hammer by his side. He is NOT going to buy some cute fluffy hat. The girls will be humming and hawing over which is the cutest to buy, and the guys, that guy, will be humming and hawing over what one NOT to buy. He is not going to walk up to the counter with a fluffy, cute hat on his smoothie. Is he? So, in the interest of manly men out there, I decided to create some manly hats. Now living with a MAN UTD nut, I, unfortunately know a little bit about football. (Yes I understand the offside rule, and occasionally curse the Ref before he does......). It doesn't matter if its cute and fluffy, if its manly football colours. So asking his advice I went about making a football team. He said most teams are either blue/white or red/white. I would have done some GAA colours except I don't know where the hats are going, and we couldn't have Tyrone colours in Kerry now could we.... I had planned on doing a full football team, but got tired after red hat number 5, so decided to make it a 5-aside football team. Before posting them up to Fruit Towers in Dublin, me and the Toddler had a bit of fun playing with the hats.



I posted a pic in the Big Knit Flickr group. The next thing I knew I was being ordered by Innocent Smoothies to post those hats to Dublin ASAP. Why? So, the menfolk in the office could have a game. Now, I'm all up for a bit of fun, but did you see what they were doing with my hats? Hey, those hats are for keeping old people warm this winter, not for you young pups to be messing in the office, time-wasting, when you should be working... If you don't know what I mean, just look here at them roughing up my cute little hats....



Heres my Topez Hat

Innocent Smoothie Cowgirl Hat

First, we have Cowgirl. With her trusted steed by her side, shes pretty in a pink (and red) chenille, this baby is hot to trot: .I used a 3mm hook, and scrap chenille


American Version:
Abbreviations:
ch-chain
sc-single crochet
slst-slip stitch

Work the base in continuous rounds for the 1st 10 rows
Ch 2
Row 1: 6sc into the 1st ch (6)
Row 2: 2sc into each st (12)
Row 3: *(2sc into next st, 1 sc), repeat from * (12)
Row 4: *(2sc into next st, 1 sc), repeat from * (24)
Row 5-9: sc in each (24)
Row 10: change to red: sc into each (24)
Row 11: change to pink: sc in each (24)
Row 12: *(2sc into the next st, 1 sc)* repeat from *, slst to the top of the 1st sc
Row 13 *(2sc into the next st, 2 sc)* repeat from *, slst to the top of the 1st sc
Row 14: *(2sc into the next st, 1 sc)* repeat from *, slst to the top of the 1st sc
Fasten off and weave in the ends

English Version:
Abbreviations:
ch-chain
dc-double crochet
sc-single crochet

Work the base in continuous rounds for the 1st 10 rows
Ch 2
Row 1: 6dc into the 1st ch (6)
Row 2: 2dc into each st (12)
Row 3: *(2dc into next st, 1 dc), repeat from * (12)
Row 4: *(2dc into next st, 1 dc), repeat from * (24)
Row 5-9: dc in each (24)
Row 10: change to red: dc into each (24)
Row 11: change to pink: dc in each (24)
Row 12: *(2dc into the next st, 1 dc)* repeat from *, sc to the top of the 1st dc
Row 13 *(2dc into the next st, 2 dc)* repeat from *, sc to the top of the 1st dc
Row 14: *(2dc into the next st, 1 dc)* repeat from *, sc to the top of the 1st dc
Fasten off and weave in the ends

Innocent Smoothie Cloche Hat

Next, we have Cloche, in chenille, these gals show their true colours. Smooth and Innocent. I used a 3mm hook.

American Version
Abbreviations:
ch-chain
sc-single crochet
slst-slip stitch

Work in continuous rounds for the base of the Hat
Ch 2

Row 1: 6sc into the 1st ch (6)
Row 2: 2sc into each st (12)
Row 3: *(2sc into next st, 1 sc), repeat from * (12)
Row 4: *(2sc into next st, 1 sc), repeat from * (24)
Row 5-10: sc into each (24)
Row 11: *(2sc into next st, 1 sc), repeat from * (35)
Row 12: *(2sc into next st, 2 sc), repeat from * (47)
Slst into the top of the first sc. Fasten off

Band
Work 30 ch. Fasten off, leaving a long length for sewing onto the hat

Flower
Ch 2
Row 1: 6sc into the first ch
Row 2: 5 ch, (sc into the next st, 3ch), repeat * 5 times (24)
Fasten off, leaving a long thread for sewing onto the hat

To finish
Sew the band and then the flower onto the hat. Weave in the ends

UK Version
Abbreviations:
ch-chain
dc-double crochet
sc-single crochet

Work in continuous rounds for the base of the Hat
Ch 2

Row 1: 6dc into the 1st ch (6)
Row 2: 2dc into each st (12)
Row 3: *2dc into next st, 1 dc), repeat from * (12)
Row 4: *2dc into next st, 1 dc), repeat from * (24)
Row 5-10: dc into each (24)
Row 11: *2dc into next st, 1 dc), repeat from * (35)
Row 12: *2dc into next st, 2 dc), repeat from * (47) Sc into the top of the first dc.
Fasten off and sew in the ends

Band
Work 30 ch. Fasten off, leaving a long length for sewing onto the hat

Flower
Ch 2
Row 1: 6dc into the first ch
Row 2: 5 ch, (dc into the next st, 3ch), repeat * 5 times (24)
Fasten off, leaving a long thread

To finish
Sew the band and then the flower onto the hat. Weave in the ends

Photos!!

No sooner had I asked for links to see photos of the Sailors Society Mad Hat Competition, then I received them!! Big thanks to Tony for emailing me on some pics that I can now share...



The photos don't do them justice, you almost need to blow up the photos to try get to see some of the detail in the work. Some of them are indeed Very MAD..







Some of the hats are up for auction to raise money for the Sailor Society. Tony has informed me that the bidding process has already started. They had a few bids at Birmingham NEC (one hat received a £100 bid!). They will also be on display and accepting bids at Alexandra Palace and Harrogate in London (where the winning bidders will be announced). So, if you're going to any of these show, take a look at this stand. It looks fantastic. And if you have a few bob spare after all your Fibre shopping, please make a bid. There's a few there that are just too darn cute to pass by...

Well done to the Sailors Society and Twisted Thread for organising such a fun fund-raising project, and hopefully it'll be an annual event. I better start planning my next design, if I'm to have a chance at winning...

Sailors Society Mad Hat Competition

I wasn't sure when winners were going to be announced, and have been doing little searches online to try find out. I wanted to see the other hats, but I couldn't find any info, bar what the competition was about. Its a pity really, because it would have given the Sailors Society more publicity. Its a charity that works to help sailors from all over the world, gives them Woolly Hats, old mobiles, advice, etc. Having lived in a busy fishing port, and seen the how dangerous the sea can be, I loved the idea of doing something for this Charity. I've a thing about boats, the sea, and have, ahh shiver me timbers, some boat-building salty ancestors in the family.

I received a letter yesterday to announce the winners of the Sailors Society and Twisted Threads Catch a Sailors Fancy Mad Hat competition (phew, what a mouthful). and although I didn't win, my Jellyfish meets Couture hat was awarded Commended - Individual Category! to quote.

I wish I could see some photos of them! They sent a list of winners and commended, and they sound hilarious. The overall winner of the Individual category was

Giant felted and sequined fish on head by Jill Wright

Other commended hats were :
Fish and chips platter on orange bonnet
Mermaid with blue lurex bra on blue-green hat
Desert Island with palm tree and dolphin.

These are hats for god's sake! I need pictures!

You had the choice of putting them up for auction to raise more money, and it would be great to see how much they get for them. They are travelling around with the Knit and Stitch shows in England, but I don't think they are coming over here, I did ask...

If anyone has any pics, links, anything, please let me know, I'd love to see this Mad Collection.

Innocent Smoothies Big Knit 2008

The Irish Big Knit 2008

I've just heard from the Innocent Team, that the Irish Branch will
be launching the IRISH BIG KNIT 2008 campaign next week.
They will have goodies, prizes and info on www.innocentdrinks.ie

(The UK website which already has info, pics and patterns up. If you cant wait for the Irish one, and want to get going www.innocentdrinks.co.uk)


All the info should be up on their website next week - Keep an eye out for it

Here's what they say:
The Big Knit is a campaign where innocent, Topaz and the charity Age Action join forces to help older people in Ireland keep warm during the cold winter months. We will put little woolly hats on our smoothie bottles in Topaz stores from 5^Th November 2008, and for every hat-wearing smoothie sold, innocent and Topaz give €1 to Age Action.
The money raised from The Big Knit will go towards providing support to older people, including care and repair programmes and advice on how to keep houses warm during the winter.

We've set ourselves a big target of 20,000 little woolly hats as this means we’ll raise a brilliant €20,000 for Age Action and we'd love your help getting us to that target.

www.innocentireland.typepad.com

Innocent Smoothie Big Knit 2008

Every year Innocent run a campaign to get folks up and down the land to knit little hats for their smoothie bottles. For every behatted bottle sold, Sainsburys and innocent - will give 50p per bottle sold to Age Concern to help keep older people warm in winter.

The Big Knit 2008

The first batch I made were all pretty simple. (I'm practising my knitting, since I discovered that the reason I always hated knitting was because I was knitting all wrong, I'm trying to give it a second chance). I thought the best way to go about it was to buy an Innocent Smoothie, and have the bottle for testing sizes. But, they're not that common here, but after 5 shops we finally discovered them in Tesco's.

I'm not the best when it comes to working two needles at the same time, but here's a few pics of my attempts.

Here's my little fella playing with Smoothie and the Gang

After a while, I found the knitting a bit tedious. It was hard to get the shapes I wanted. My first attempt at doing a pumpkin, turned into a beret. Crochet has a firmness that makes it much easier to manipulate. So, I just reverted back to crochet and started to enjoy making up a few mad Smoothie Hats.





Someone said, why didn't I just give the money to the charity. It costs this much for the wool, and that much for postage.

But that's not the point. I cant throw out any wool, so have bags of scraps that I couldn't do anything with, except make these hats!. The postage, well, it isn't that much. It promoting textiles as a fun hobby, and as a fundraising tool. But mainly, the kick I get out of making these silly little hats is priceless.....

The Uthando Project

Another charity I have recently come across is the The Uthando Project . They are looking for handmade dolls, any type, knitted, crocheted, sewn, to distribute to the children of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. Patterns and further information are available on their website.


Heres some suggestions they make:

• Make your doll brown, soft and cuddly, with colourful clothing (or body, for knitted dolls)
• Remember that dolls are for children of all ages
• Dolls with dress-up clothing need at least 3 items of clothing. Shoulder bags, beads, and other decorations are very welcome!

Ravelers, check out the Uthando Group

Woolly Hats for Sailors

I love making things for charity. I'm usually broke, so I never have much money to donate, but the one thing I have is time (not much, but I'll find it) and scrap wool.

So, when I came across this charity appeal, "Woolly Hats Wanted! The Woolly Hat Campaign provides seafarers arriving in the UK, often ill-prepared for cold weather, with hand-knitted hats to keep them warm during the many months they are at sea." It is run by the UK Sailor Society

I thought this is the one for me. I love anything to do with the sea, and I love making hats, what more could a girl as for?? I've had an email from Tony at the society, and he said they will accept donations from anywhere, so Irish people, get your needles out and make us proud. You can also email them for pattern suggestions.

They are also currently 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)




General Enquires: admin@sailors-society.org
Fundraising Department: events@sailors-society.org

ISANDS

For any followers of Coronation Street, they will no doubt have been following Marie's sad storyline. After the programme, there was the usual, "If you have been affected.... The group mentioned is ISANDS: Irish Stillbirth and Neonathal Death Society.www.isands.ie

ISANDS is currently running an appeal to anyone who has sewing abilities, can crochet or knit to create make tiny wraps or clothes for tiny babies. The Wrapped in Love campaign is hoping to supply maternity hospitals and units throughout the country with items so that every parent in the future will have the opportunity to pick a little wrap or garment to wrap their baby in love.

If you want more information contact ISANDS. There is a group on Ravelry (isands wrapped in love group) that share and advise on patterns.
If your looking for patterns, you can just google preemie projects/patterns. There are groups in UK and USA that have published patterns for you to use.

Here are pics of the first few projects I did. As crochet is more my thing, I crocheted burial wraps in different sizes, with optional hats. The one lovely aspect of this project, is that each time you make an item, you make a small sample piece, which is given to the parents as a memory token.