November Newsletter

Helping Fellow Knitters

As the cold weather creeps in we are glad to be sending out warm blankets and clothing. Thank you Knitters.  As well as collecting and distributing donated knitting to those in need, we fund groups and individuals so they can set up knitting businesses in developing countries. Many are tied to their homes and cannot work full-time. Knitting can fit in with household and child care duties.

Eugenie lives in Rwanda, with our help she has been able to set up a business. She takes her knitted clothes to the nearby market. She estimates she is able to earn about £30 a month which helps her look after her 3 children, pay medical insurance and enables her to employ, when necessary, casual labour to help her cultivate her small plot of land.

If you would like to help women like Eugenie click here

Refugee Appeal Update

A huge consignment of blankets and warm clothes were dispatched to Syrian refugees. As the cold sets in it is really important that we continue to help to provide warmth. The picture to the right shows the muddy conditions this summer – imagine this in winter! We continue to accept donations of knitted and crocheted items and these can be sent to the usual address.

We are also still in need of funds to help us get the items transported safely to the camps.

Please help if you can. Click here.

Buy a Gift – Give A Gift

As well as buying a ‘Good Gift’ to support Knit for Peace you can now also buy Gift Vouchers for our Knit for Peace Holidays and/or Workshops. Vouchers start at £10 but can go right up to £2,000 if you or your nearest and dearest are feeling super-generous! Email us at knitforpeace@charitiesadvisorytrust.org.uk  buy your vouchers.

You can also support our work through a Good Gift from the Good Gifts Catalogue at www.goodgifts.org

You are all wonderful

I know we have said thank you before – but we really can’t thank you enough!  I have just been looking through the notes and letters you have sent us with your donations and can say it made for a wonderful afternoon – thank you for all your blessings and good wishes.

It seems that not only do we have lots of generous supporters but they are all very humble! Many people write on their forms ‘hope this is of use’, ‘hope this is OK’. There were also queries about what is needed (or not). Just to reassure everyone – your knitting (and crochet) is all very useful and we encourage you to knit what you enjoy – we occasionally ask for particular things but don’t feel you have to swap from your usual patterns – they will still be needed! We do get a lot of premature baby items, but we will find outlets for these eventually!

We also love to hear about your groups, your reasons for knitting, your events and any other feedback – so please keep it coming!

Workshops round up

Thanks to Jane Crowfoot’s wonderful initiative and organisational talents we were able to offer a series of workshops in the second half of 2016. These were well attended and enjoyed by many different people. We had a mix of crochet and knitting workshops and a mix of technique and design ideas, everything from finishing techniques, designing knits for children to free-from crochet and two-handed Fairisle Technique. We are very grateful to all the tutors: Jane Crowfoot, Juliet Bernard, Debbie Bliss, Sarah Hazell and Dedri Uys and all the companies that supported us with donations of yarn packs.

We hope to run a new series of workshops in 2017 and if there are specific things you’d like to see on that schedule do get in touch (no promises!).

Knit for Peace Christmas Cards

 

 

Some of our cards are also available blank for your own message. The full range can be found here.

Knit-Pro Designer Along

Over the last 6 weeks we have been running the first ever Knit-Pro Designer Along to raise funds for Knit for Peace. Working with a number of high profile designers and magazine editors 12 gorgeous blanket squares have been created for you to knit and crochet. They include designs by: Debbie Bliss, Arne and Carlos, Erika Knight, Jane Crowfoot, Lena Fedotova, Debbie Abrahams, Simply Knitting, Simply Crochet, Crochet Now, Inside Crochet and Let’s Knit.

We also released a sheet of design ideas and borders. The e-book will be available soon!

 

 

 

 

We’d love to hear from anyone who has worked their way through some of the designs and see any finished items – you can put them on our Facebook page, tweet us, or simply email them through to knitforpeace@charitiesadvisorytrust.org.uk

All the individual patterns are now on the website and can be sent to you for a donation of £1 per pattern.