How a Knit Nativity Helps a Hospice

Here’s your heartwarming Christmas knitting story of the year.

The Knutty Knitters is a group of women in Bristol who all used to work together at the same school. They started a knitting group in 2011 and try to meet once a month to chat, knit and eat chocolate cake.

When one of their members, Christine, died, the remaining members decided they wanted to do something for St. Peter’s Hospice, which had cared for her at the end of her life.

They ended up knitting a life-sized nativity, complete with Mary holding the baby, Joseph, shepherds, wise men and animals. In 2012 they took the nativity on tour and raised £8,000.

The next year they had Christmas cards printed (you can see one above) and the card sales alone cleared £25,000.

Learn more about the women behind this amazing piece in the video at the link above, or visit them on Facebook to see where the nativity has been this year. You can also donate to the cause on Just Giving.

Merry Christmas to all!

Looking for more Christmas themed Knitting patterns? Check out some of our favorite Knitting patterns on Etsy and

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I have two cats, and I have always wanted to make them some kind of cat bed. But I also feel like they would completely ignore it, so I would be better off spending my knitting time on someone who I know will appreciate it (me). If you want to give it a try, though, here are some cute pet beds to knit for cats, small dogs, and maybe even some bigger dogs.

My favorite of the ones I came across in writing this post is the Capiti knit cave that looks like a cat. This one is from Ursule Knits, and from the pattern description it sounds like it is lightly felted by hand to make it stand up, so you need to use wool to make it. It calls for DK weight but I’m sure worsted would work, too.

The Maya Cat Cave is another cute cave-like project. Designed by Lavi V and using super bulky yarn, it’s like a purpose-made sack for your kitty to hang out in. It uses a metal ring (like you might use to make a dreamcatcher) to make the opening sturdy. You can find this one on Ravelry.

If you don’t want to be quite as literal as a cave, this pet bed nest from Monique Rae is another good choice. This one is flat on the bottom with short sides. It uses two strands of worsted weight yarn held together and comes in six sizes for a range of cats and dogs to be cozy in.

This circular cat bed knitting pattern from Ginger Purl is cute and easy to knit if you’re familiar with knitting flat circle. This one is striped, which is a great reminder that cats don’t care what color their bed is, so you might as well use leftover yarn on it.

I am a little skeptical that this pet bed that’s made with roving and arm knitting will look as good once an animal has seen it, but it is a cute and quick project (and you could just use it as a basket that kitty is allowed to get in rather than a dedicated space). The pattern is from Wools by Nicky and includes a video tutorial if you’re new to arm knitting.

If you’d rather knit a blanket for the dog or cat in your life, check out the Ziggy Zag Pet Blanket by Paws and Purls Knits. This pretty reversible blanket comes in five sizes for various pets, and if you make it in washable yarn it’s the perfect thing for your furry friend to cuddle with.

Or if you have a pet who will submit to a hood, I love this hooded pet blanket from Yarnspirations. Using Bernat Blanket yarn, it’s super cozy (and bright!) and pretty easy to knit as it’s all worked in one piece. The pattern only has one size but it’s just a rectangle with a hood so you could probably adjust it pretty easily for the size of your pet.

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