Knit Aid for Refugees + Scollayalong Prize

We've all heard the tragic stories of displaced peoples fleeing countries such as Syria with nothing but the few bags they can carry. Now that Autumn is here and the Winter weather is drawing in a new charity, Knit Aid, is asking for knitted accessory donations to give to the refugees.

Image courtesy of Knit Aid

The charity was set up in September by Shahnaz Ahmed, one of Wool and the Gang's gang makers. Says Ahmed:

"We believe that everyone deserves to have access to clothing of the quality we'd make for ourselves, so I only knitted donations with the best yarn I had ... We've just had our first successful donation drop of for refugees in Europe, after we'd received lots of donations from knitters all over the country."

The Knit Aid website has a free pattern to knit a scarf/snood, and it costs £5 to buy a beanie pattern. The charity is running knitting workshops in central London and also accepting donations for its next drop off - the deadline to send knits in by for this is 7th November.

Send your donations to:

Knit Aid
37 Pembury Avenue
Surrey
KT4 8BU.

Wool and the Gang's crazy sexy wool yarn, used in both the beanie and snood patterns, is high quality but, at £15.50 per 200g ball, it's also expensive. If you'd like to knit for refugees but can't afford Wool and the Gang's prices, you may be able to substitute another super chunky yarn but don't forget to knit a swatch first to see it affects the pattern.

See Knit Aid's Facebook page here for the latest news..

Scollayalong Prize!

I did it! My first knit-a-long effort, making the Scollay cardigan, won me a prize. I have to confess that this wasn't for technical ability - I was a randomly-picked winner - but that certainly hasn't wiped the smile off my face. I won four 100g balls of West Yorkshire Spinners 4ply sock yarn.

Now I'm busy knitting the second sock for Brit Yarn's Great British Socks Away knit-a-long. Read all about it on Ravelry and see pictures of the socks others have finished already. It's not too late to join in, however the final cast of date is 8th November.