Innocent Drinks’ Big Knit is Back

Here’s one for all you Brit knitters out there: Innocent Drinks recently announced that it will be doing the Big Knit again this year.

There aren’t yet a lot of details, but the project was announced on the company’s Facebook page, with a note that more details will be available soon.

This is the ninth year of the Big Knit, which, if you don’t know about it, is a campaign to knit tiny hats for Innocent smoothie bottles. For each hatted bottle that is sold the company gives 25p to Age UK, in particular, to help elderly Brits stay warm and healthy during the winter.

The company has donated more than £1 million, which certainly has helped a lot of people.

Have you ever participated in the Big Knit or do you plan to this year? Spill it!

[Photo by Mark Hillary via Flikr.]

Next Pattern:

When I first started knitting again after a long absence from the craft (which has now been almost 25 years ago!) I really didn’t like garter stitch that much. I found it super boring, somehow even more boring than knitting stockinette stitch in the round, even though it’s exactly the same thing.

Over the years I’ve softened my opinion, and even grown to like garter stitch. There’s nothing wrong with being plain, and actually the texture of garter stitch is more interesting than stockinette.

Also there are fun things you can do with garter stitch to make it more interesting if you want to, such as adding stripes, working on the bias, or doing fun effects to change the look.

That’s the way with the Bernat Twist My Way Garter Knit Blanket. Using combinations of casting on and binding off creates what they call a Swiss cheese effect along two sides of the blanket. This is a lot of fun in the self-striping ombre yarn they chose for the pattern, but it would also be fun in a solid color or making your own stripes.

Despite the dramatic effect, this pattern is rated easy. It’s worked from side to side (if you consider the “cheesy” edges the top and bottom) and has an eight-row repeat that involves binding off and then casting on again to make the holes. They’re kind of like giant buttonholes.

Once you get the hang of it it’s a pretty easy repeat to remember, and it will be smooth knitting as big as you want to make it.

You can download this pattern from the Yarnspirations website for free, or you can buy a kit direct from them that includes the yarn you need (and knitting needles if you need those, too). Bernat Sport Ombre Twist, which is what is used in the pattern, comes in 12 self patterning colors and is a DK weight acrylic yarn.

[Photo: Yarnspirations]

Next Pattern:

Have you read?