I like knitting.
Plain “vanilla socks” allow me to switch off for a while, knitting round and round and round as I mull over the events of the day. It is sometimes called “mindless knitting” but I prefer to think of it as recharging my batteries.
And then there is challenging knitting, the stuff which takes me out of my comfort zone. The sort of knitting where if I dare to think about what’s for dinner at the same time as I knit, then there is the guarantee of much tinking or frogging (or both).
I am incredibly fortunate.
I have a home in which to knit.
I have the luxury of being able to switch off occasionally.
I know that there will actually be a dinner.
And I know that the people for whom I knit are safe, and usually just a phone call away.
Various people will be making patterns available over the next two years (perhaps longer).
Each pattern can be knitted in yarn from any company, any indie dyer… you just have to match gauge. This fundraiser is not an attempt to encourage you to buy yarn from anywhere in particular, or even to buy it at all – if you can knit from your stash that’s fantastic!
If you are a designer, and you would like to donate a pattern, please get in touch. You can contact me by using the contact information on my blog at The Yarn Yard.
Just remember that your pattern should not promote any individual yarn or company.
There is no “set-price” for a pattern, you can give 50p or £50, it’s entirely up to you. And you can donate at any time – before you cast on, half way through, or when you finally get to wear your creation…. or all three!
Donating through Just Giving is quick, easy and totally secure. You don’t need to add your name, you can be “anonymous” or “knitter extraordinaire” or “the frogger”.
Oh yes, I forgot. You want to know what p/hop is?
p/hop stands for pennies per hour of pleasure.
As you are knitting your free pattern, and especially as you come to the end of the project and you are admiring it, ask yourself how many hours of pleasure it gave you? How many new techniques did you learn, for free? If you knitted from stash, how much did you save by not buying new yarn?
What would all that be worth? 10p an hour? 25p an hour?
Since p/hop started over a year ago, it has raised more then £12,000 in the UK and nearly $3000 in the USA. MSF are now regular attenders at the bigger fibre events in the UK and there have been donate-for-a-ticket raffles at every event.
We are also now starting to be a feature of the smaller knitting group diary. Knitters take along their stashes and donate them, other knitters, who cannot resist gorgeous yarn and the opportunity to help MSF make “honesty box” donations online after the event. It’s an incredibly powerful and yet terribly simple concept and knitters love it.
PSÂ Spread the word! There are widgets and things you can copy to put on your own blog which will link here, just click on “Share this page” at the top and you are taken right to them.
The more people who know about p/hop the better!
p/hop
I like knitting.
Plain “vanilla socks” allow me to switch off for a while, knitting round and round and round as I mull over the events of the day. It is sometimes called “mindless knitting” but I prefer to think of it as recharging my batteries.
And then there is challenging knitting, the stuff which takes me out of my comfort zone. The sort of knitting where if I dare to think about what’s for dinner at the same time as I knit, then there is the guarantee of much tinking or frogging (or both).
I am incredibly fortunate.
I have a home in which to knit.
I have the luxury of being able to switch off occasionally.
I know that there will actually be a dinner.
And I know that the people for whom I knit are safe, and usually just a phone call away.
Various people will be making patterns available over the next two years (perhaps longer).
Each pattern can be knitted in yarn from any company, any indie dyer… you just have to match gauge. This fundraiser is not an attempt to encourage you to buy yarn from anywhere in particular, or even to buy it at all – if you can knit from your stash that’s fantastic!
If you are a designer, and you would like to donate a pattern, please get in touch. You can contact me by using the contact information on my blog at The Yarn Yard.
Just remember that your pattern should not promote any individual yarn or company.
There is no “set-price” for a pattern, you can give 50p or £50, it’s entirely up to you. And you can donate at any time – before you cast on, half way through, or when you finally get to wear your creation…. or all three!
Donating through Just Giving is quick, easy and totally secure. You don’t need to add your name, you can be “anonymous” or “knitter extraordinaire” or “the frogger”.
Using the Just Giving site is easy-peasy. Médecins Sans Frontières UK gets your money faster and, if you’re a UK taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation.
Oh yes, I forgot. You want to know what p/hop is?
p/hop stands for pennies per hour of pleasure.
As you are knitting your free pattern, and especially as you come to the end of the project and you are admiring it, ask yourself how many hours of pleasure it gave you? How many new techniques did you learn, for free? If you knitted from stash, how much did you save by not buying new yarn?
What would all that be worth? 10p an hour? 25p an hour?
Since p/hop started over a year ago, it has raised more then £12,000 in the UK and nearly $3000 in the USA. MSF are now regular attenders at the bigger fibre events in the UK and there have been donate-for-a-ticket raffles at every event.
We are also now starting to be a feature of the smaller knitting group diary. Knitters take along their stashes and donate them, other knitters, who cannot resist gorgeous yarn and the opportunity to help MSF make “honesty box” donations online after the event. It’s an incredibly powerful and yet terribly simple concept and knitters love it.
The MSF website is here. Please visit and have a good look around.
Thank you for your donation.
PSÂ Spread the word! There are widgets and things you can copy to put on your own blog which will link here, just click on “Share this page” at the top and you are taken right to them.
The more people who know about p/hop the better!