My goodness, what a week! I’ve just galloped in from manning the tea urn at the Angels and Light Festival and switched hats so I can tell you all about the exciting time I had last Thursday meeting Debbie Bliss and the Save the Children crew at the launch of Christmas Jumper Day. I could almost say I was blown in, it’s sooo windy, I hope those of you who live in the west are not flooded out, as a Somerset girl I’m thinking of you…
My adventure began with hopping on the train in Norwich, I’m almost blasé about it now having done the same journey not all that long ago for the Buttonbag launch. No panics about the possibility of getting lost on the tube this time! I met my daughter in London and was able to have a peek at where she is currently studying, the Central School of Speech and Drama. Maybe I trod in the hallowed footsteps of Judi Dench and Jennifer Saunders, Lynn Redgrave and Virginia McKenna? Or touched the same door handle? Who knows…!
After a bite to eat we set off at a brisk walk to Primrose Hill where the evening was planned at the Mary Portas’ Living and Giving shop.
image – Save the Children
(click for info)
A completely different concept for a charity shop, I could quite happily move in, it’s beautiful…
But I wasn’t there to admire the scenery. I, and a group of other knitting bloggers had jumpers to make!
We were given a warm welcome by the Save the Children ladies, and by Debbie Bliss herself who was sporting a sling having broken her wrist after an argument with a wobbly chair(don’t ask!)
photo – Save the Children
Once we had been plied with yummy Christmas nibbles and a glass of something nice we were ready for Debbie to introduce our task for the evening, mini jumpers, for egg cosies!
We were all given a bag of yarn and the patterns and set to work. It’s not easy chatting, eating drinking, working out the pattern and knitting but we had a good stab at it…
without too much unpicking or dropped stitches!
It was a fabulous evening, and so lovely to meet not only Debbie and so many other like minded bloggers, but also the Editor in Chief of Vogue Knitting magazine, Trisha Malcom, who was over from New York. All very exciting for someone who lives at the corner of a field in rural Norfolk!
But I need to tell you what it was all about don’t I?
“On 14th December, more than 250,000 people (and counting!) will be wearing a festive woolly to school, offices and workplaces all across the UK, with everyone taking part donating £1 to Save the Children.
Think fluffy nosed reindeer and cross-stitched snowmen! Anyone can take part – you can decorate an everyday jumper with tinsel and baubles, rescue an old one bought in a moment of festive joy, or even knit one if you’ve got the skills – it’s completely up to you.
Money raised from Christmas Jumper Day will help bring life-saving care to some of the world’s most vulnerable children. In the world’s poorest countries almost 7 million children die every year from easily preventable causes like diarrhoea and malnutrition. Simple solutions, like vaccines and mosquito nets, save lives – so your knitted jolly jumper could make a real difference.
We want to spread the word far and wide to get as many people as possible involved in a day of jumper joy on 14th December. “
Do follow the links, there’s so much going on and I’ll be wearing my Christmas Jumper on the 14th, will you?
If you want to knit the jumpers, the patterns are available here and if you want something a little more manageable in size the egg cosy patterns are here
I had the needles out on the train home the next day, and have now finished all three of the patterns…
We thought these would also be lovely hanging on the Christmas tree, strung together as a little garland for the fireplace or even to decorate a bottle!
If you’d like to visit all the other bloggers and find out their take on the evening, you’ll find them here, do call in and say hello…
- Damn, Knit and Blast It
- Angharad
- Bee and Buzz
- Chichidee
- Shoreditch Sisters
- Misadventures in Craft
- I Heart Teaching Art
- The Knitter
- Simply Knitting
- My Life in Knitwear
- Fraggle Knits and Stitches
- Nest
- Dorothy Does
And now it’s time to leave you with another link, this time for Handmade Monday over on Handmade Harbour where you’ll find lots has been going on as usual!
I’ll see you again soon…x
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It sounds (and looks) a wonderful time – well done. I am really looking forward to 14 December to see all of the gorgeous jumpers. Hope you have a good week.
Oh my goodness aren’t those little jumpers adorable! You’re right, they would look super cute strung together 🙂
I’m glad you had such a wonderful trip, thank you for sharing the pictures! x
Thank you for all the information. I’m retired so won’t be wearing a jumper to work but I will look at your egg cosy link and hope to make some of those to support the day. Might take them into our local STC shop.
Carol xx
Jealous- who me? No, no. It sounds like you had a great time. I love the mini jumpers – especially the cabled one. I am so going to give this pattern a go. Thank you for the links – will do my best to spread the word.
Those Jumper Egg Cosies are just adorable and it looks like you had a lot of fun! Thank you for the information on Christmas Jumper Day, I will be sure to mention it at work tomorrow!
Looks like an amazing shop and an amazing trip. I LOVE the mini-jumpers – just adorable!! I will come back and check out the links 🙂
Those little jumpers are so cute and what a really great cause too!
Your evening sounded wonderful. 🙂
Vivienne x
Sounds like you had a great time! Thanks for the heads up on the Christmas jumper day, I hadn’t heard about it but will definitely be donning mine! 🙂
Gosh Debbie Bliss. How exciting, and the little jumpers are really lovely.
I must confess I’m a bit jealous, I was invited but couldn’t make it! Sounds like you all had a lot of fun.
Oooh – me too. Sounds a great day – and the little jumpers are *fab*.
It all sounds fab, well done! Loved looking through your photos 🙂
Sounds like a fantastic evening and how lovely to meet all those different people 🙂 I’m not envious at all, really I’m not!!! I shall visit the links to all the other bloggers as soon as I have a few spare minutes. Glad you had a good time 🙂
Sounds like you had a wonderful time and I love the jumpers and the concept of Christmas Jumper day. I will check out all the lovely blogs later on. Thank you for sharing. xx
How cute are those little jumpers. Looks like you had a wonderful day (yes,I’m jealous!)I didn’t know Mary Portas has a charity shop, it has been set out nicely.
What a fabulous project – I’m googling how i can get involved next time right now and will be insisting that everyone wears their jumpers this year! And I LOVE the egg cosies, so versatile!
I really enjoyed reading this post. I almost felt like I was there. It sounds like you had a wonderful night. The egg sweaters are hilarious. Thanks also for highlighting such a good cause.
Ali x
Great fun ! And the egg cosies are wonderful .
December 14th will definitely see me wandering around in a festively jazzed-up jumper plus a tinsely scarf . Mind you , I might be the only one . I’m just going to check if they’re doing it in Holland , too …. maybe I’ll have to drum up some support .
I hope they raise masses of cash !
What a lovely day for you! The mini sweaters are adorable. Great photos and
very informative.
Wendy x
Wow, Penny, that’s so exciting! Even I’ve heard of Debbie Bliss 😉 ! I shall be wearing a jumper (or 2!) on the 14th! x
Wow Penny, it looks a great day, the shop looks amazing, I’ve never heard of this before so I’ll certainly be spreading the word.
Jan x
ps… yes it takes ages to load things but we need to do these things 😉
Hi Penny,
It was lovely to meet you at the event 🙂 I saw your comment on Susan’s blog – the asymmetrical shawl was one I showed you, though it belonged to another knitter. It’s the Stripe Study Shawl 🙂
Now how green am I?! I was invited too but I couldn’t make it on that date, and North Wales to London is rather a long way for an evening out. I would have loved to meet you, and the other lovely ladies I recognise there, and Debbie B of course. Boo hoo!
PS I’ll still be posting about the Christmas Jumper Day of course, and visiting the few blogs you’ve listed that are new to me.
Crikey – what a fab all-singing all-dancing blog you’ve got here! It’s wonderful!
It was lovely to meet you at the Save the Children event and thank you very much for putting the links to all of our blogs on your page – I must do the same!
Love to Higgins!
Gem xx
It was lovely to meet you, Penny! You’ve finished those three jumpers rather speedily! I tried train knitting but was hampered by a very overcrowded train. I have my needles beside me right now though, and am cracking on with them all!
How fun is this! You are doubly hallowed now from your visit to the Speech and Drama school, and from being One Who Has Spoken to Debbie Bliss. 🙂
Will have to find out if there’s anything going on over on our side of the pond for the 14th.
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