GOOD READ
68 WWW.SIMPLYCROCHETMAG.COM
thoseinneedathomeandabroad–
everythingfrommatinéejacketstolarge
blankets.“Peoplecanchoosewhattheywant
tocrochet,butwehighlightwhatis most
neededinourmonthlynewsletter,”explains
a representativeforKnitforPeace.“Theyare
giventocharitieswecantrusttodistributeto
thoseinneed.Forexample,toSyrianand
Kurdsrefugeecamps,tocharitiesintheUK,
tothehomeless,tofoodbankswhich
distributeclothesaswellasfood,tocare
homes,hospitals,women’srefuges,even the
NHSLondonAmbulanceservice.”
KnitforPeacenowhasmorethan20,000
knittersandcrochetersintheUK.So
successfulhasit beenthattheyarespreading
totheMiddleEast,usingknittingandcrochet
asweaponsofpeace,bringingtogether
peoplefromdifferent ethnic backgrounds
andreligions.
Getinvolved:VisittheGoodGiftswebsite
andjointhemailinglisttofindoutwhat
crocheteditemsaremostneeded.
goodgifts.org/help-knit-a-community.html
PHILLIPISLAND PENGUIN
FOUNDATION
Oilpollutionis a seriousthreattoAustralia’s
little penguins. When penguins become
oiled,theywilltrytopreenandcleanthe
toxicoilfromtheirfeathers.Ingestingit can
killthem.AlthoughPhillipIslandPenguin
Foundationfocusesonknittedjumpers,
ratherthancrocheted,toprotectsmall
penguinsfromoilpollution(asthefitneeds
tobereallysnug)theydoencourage
crocheterstocreateversionstogoonsoft
penguintoys.Eachtoy sold raises money for
thefoundation.
AdministrationOfficerJaquelinaFerreira
tellsus:“Intotal,therehasbeenmorethan
US$185,000raisedforourcharitythrough
thesejumpers.Themoneyraisedfunds
research,rehabilitationandconservation
projects,whichprotectandenhance Phillip
Island’snativefloraandfauna.”
Getinvolved:HeadtothePhillipIsland
website,download the jumper pattern and
getcrafting.
http://www.penguinfoundation.org.au/penguin-
jumpersOTHERCHARITIES
HandmadewithLovePreemieBlanketsUK
Crochetblankets,hats and cardigans for
prematurebabies.
http://www.facebook.com/Handmade-
with-love-preemie-baby-blankets-uk-653926518069365
InnocentSmoothiesTheBigKnit
Crochetlittlewoollyhatsforthesmoothie
bottles.Foreachonesold,Innocent
Smoothiesgives25ptoAge UK.
http://www.thebigknit.co.uk
SunshineInternationalBlanketsofLove
SIBOLacceptscrochetblanketsfordonation
toelderlyresidentslivingincarehomes.
http://www.sibolchallenges.blogspot.com
p/hop
Selectfroma collectionofcrochetpatterns
availabletodownload,andthenmakea
donationtoMédecinsSansFrontièresbased
onthehoursoffunyou spend crafting.
http://www.p-hop.co.uk
LovingHands
Dedicatedtosendingallkindsofitems
toUKcharities.Becomea memberand
discovertheprojects available to get
stuckinto.
http://www.lovinghands.org.uk
KnitforSyria
Alsoacceptingcrocheteditems.Your
makeswillbesenttoSyria,wheretheyare
distributedtointernallydisplaced people or
tochildreninhospitals.
http://www.hihfad.org/get-involved/knit-for-syria
Written by Colette EarleyClockwisefromtop:
a gorgeousblanketfor
KnitForPeace;a knitted
jumperona penguin;
CarolCoxextendssmall
blankets to a useful sizeA wordfroma dedicated charity
crocheter...
CarolCox,a retiredOfstedInspector
fromSomerset,startedcrochetingfor
charitymorethanthreeyearsago.“I
readaboutRefugeeAidFromTaunton
whileonFacebook.RAFTwasformed
andis runbyvolunteersinTaunton
whohaveestablishedlinkswithother
groupsintheUK.Theyorganise
sendingclothes,toysandmedical
suppliestorefugeeorganisations
acrosstheworld.
“I feltsoconcernedaboutthe
wellbeingofrefugeesseekingshelter,
particularlybabiesandchildren,that I
wascompelledtotakeaction.
“I crochetbordersontodonated
blankets,whichareotherwisetoosmall
tobeuseful.Overmytime,I’ve
crochetedbordersontomorethan 100
blankets.I dothisasI liketoknitand
crochet,andatthesametimeprovide
practicalhelptobabiesand children
whohaveverylittle.
“I wouldrecommendthatanyone
whohastheabilitytohelpothersget
involvedwithcraftingforcharity– it’sa
greatplacetostart.I chosecrocheting
blanketsbecauseit wasa challenge
andalsoa purposeful way to develop a
new skill.”