Lucy from Family Affairs and other matters is getting behind Innocent’s push to receive donations of knitted hats for Innocent bottles, the sales of which help to raise money for Age UK.
Here, she implores you to get click clacking with your needles (even if, whisper it, she herself can’t actually knit…)
Innocent have asked for another big push to reach all the knitters out there in order to increase the much needed funds for Age UK – their target is 800,000 hats which is an awful lot of teeny weeny hats.
SO: CALLING ALL KNITTERS. I REPEAT, CALLING ALL KNITTERS…
The behatted bottles will be on sale at Boots and Sainsbury’s for three weeks from November 16 2011, and 25p from each one sold is donated to Age UK.
To get you started, here is a pattern to create a grape hat. Do you think someone could knit me one big enough to wear this winter so that I can embarrass my children TO THE MAX! How cool would that be?
How to knit a lovely bunch of grapes
To get started, you will need:
- DK in purple and a small amount of green
- 1 pair of 3.75 mm needles
Some fancy abbreviations
K = Knit
P = Purl
Sts = Stitches
St st = Stocking stitch
K2 tog = Knit two together
P3 tog = Purl three stitches together
M1 = Make a stitch by picking up the loop between two stitches
MB = K into the front and back of the stitch until you have five stitches. Turn and purl these stitches. Turn, K2 tog, K1, K2 tog. Turn, P3 tog, turn, K1.
The pattern
To get started, pop on the kettle.
Cast on two stitches, then knit one, make a stitch by picking up the loop between two stitches, and knit one (three stitches).
For row two, and all alternate rows, purl. For row three, K1, M1,MB, M1, K1 (five stitches).
For row five, K1, M1, K3, M1, K1 (seven stitches).
For row seven, K1, M1, MB, K3, MB, M1, K1 (nine stitches).
On row nine, K1, M1, K7, M1, K1 (11 stitches).
For row 11, K1, M1, MB, K3, MB, K3,MB, M1, K1 (13 stitches).
Then cast on 16 stitches (29 stitches).
Work three rows of stocking stitch together by purling row 12, knitting row 13 and purling row 14.
On row 15: (MB, K3) to last stitch K1.
Work three rows of stocking stitch, and then for row 19 you need to K2 (MB, K3) repeat to last three stitches MB K2.
Work three rows of stocking stitch, and then repeat row 15. K2 tog until last stitch K1 (15 stitches), then for the next row K2 tog until last stitch, K1 (eight stitches).
Change to your lovely green yarn and K2 tog across all stitches (four stitches).
Continue on these four stitches working an icord to make the stalk.
Sew up from row 12 to finish your hat, and marvel at the wonder you have just created.
There are plenty of free downloads available from Ravelry.
Once you’ve finished knitting the little hats then all you need to do is post them by Friday October 14 2011, to:
Innocent Drinks, Fruit Towers, Canal Building, 342 Ladbroke Grove, London W10 5BU.
Thank you for supporting The Big Knit, and helping to keep older people warm this winter. To find more patterns and information visit www.innocentdrinks.co.uk/bigknit.
-- Lucy Palmer, Family Affairs and other matters
