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Attention British Knitters! More Woolsacks Needed!

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woolsacks londonI don’t know how many British knitters read this page, but I just saw on Knit Today’s Twitter feed that knitters are still needed to help with the Woolsack Project. This event is part of the Cultural Olympiad and aims to provide Olympic and Paralympic athletes from all over the world with cushions made out of British wool.

Some of the pillows have already been distributed, and Twitter also tells me that the Polish team is set to receive its cushions tomorrow, but the organizers want to make sure that every athlete who wants a cushion is able to receive one, so they’re putting out a last-minute call to the needles. If you want to help out you can find information on making cushions, free patterns and what your design can’t include (trademarks of the Games, for instance). I’m guessing at this late hour the closer you live to London the better it will be, but there are local contacts you can find through the contact page for more information on if and how you can help.

What a fun way to welcome the athletes and support the British fiber industry and the work of knitters at the same time!

[Photo by Woolsack.]

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Knits with Sheep

It felt like it had been a while since I’d done a roundup of knitting patterns involving sheep, and if search is any indication, that is true. I found a roundup of patterns for knit sheep from a few years ago, but the only one with v I could find is from 2015. So it’s definitely time to revisit this fun genre of knitting patterns.

This all started with a headband. Alyssa Kaat’s Icelandic Sheep Headband (free on Ravelry) to be specific. Ravelry showed it to me as a pattern highlight and I couldn’t resist taking a closer look. It’s worked with two colors of worsted weight yarn and alternates sheep with stars around your head.

Another great sheepy headband is this one from Loch Fyne Crafts on Etsy. These sweet little sheep are worked in bulky yarn and you can make the background look like field and sky or work it in a solid color.

Or make a headband (or a hat, cowl, or all three) covered with a flock of sheep with this set of patterns from New Age Knitting CA. These pieces also use the field/sky coloring, but you can use whatever colors of worsted weight yarn you like.

Speaking of hats, there’s also the sheep hat from Lynann Knits Designs. The sample was worked in Icelandic wool to make the sheep and the hat extra fuzzy and warm, but any worsted weight yarn will work.

There’s also the Wandering Sheep hat from Kat Hudon (on Ravelry), which features a fun collection of speckled sheep that can be worked in different yarn weights to make different sizes of hats for kids and adults.

And lest you think sheep need to be knit in traditional stranded colorwork, check out the Rebel Sheep Mob blanket by Deborah Moore. This one is worked in mosaic knitting using fingering weight yarn. In mosaic knitting you’re only working with one color per row so it’s pretty easy. You can find this pattern on Ravelry.

I can’t possibly share sheep knitting patterns without mentioning the amazing Black Sheep Shadow Shawl by Mark Jamieson. Shadow knitting is a technique I want to do more of, but it involves working two rows alternating in two different colors and the pattern emerges when you look at the design from an angle. It’s so cool and the sheep on this one are amazing! It’s not a beginner project but well worth the work. You can find it on Ravelry or at the designer’s website.