All the cheques for the National Knitting Week Bliss competition need to be made out to “Bliss Special Care Baby Charity” and sent to 'Knit and Bliss Competition, Knitting Magazine, 86 High Street, Lewes, BN7 1XN' and to reach us by 15th December.

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If there is one week in the year that inspires a new generation of knitters, it's got to be National Knitting Week!

Knitting magazine launched this annual week of celebration in October 2005 - so if you have missed out, now's your chance to join in!

Stitch ‘n’ Bliss

National Knitting Week is on its way… and so the creative process begins. The ideas, the events, the venues – get the wheels in motion and make this, our 5th year, the best one yet.

This is where National Knitting Week can help. This year we are working with Bliss, the national charity for premature babies, and have set a target of £10,000 – the cost of running their invaluable helpline for just one month! Knitting and the UKHKA (UK Hand Knitting Association, www.ukhandknitting.com) are calling on all knitting groups up and down the country to come together to make this target a reality. National Knitting Week is about you. It’s about having fun, while doing what you love best. So spread the word and lets start organising, knitting and smashing that target!

Below we have listed some great ideas for you to come together, have fun and help us make our target a reality. Some are simple ideas, involving everyday practices and some involve a little more creativity...

Could you teach one person to knit? In return they could donate £2.00 to Bliss
Get together with some friends or your own knitting group and have a sponsored knit! You could knit some premature baby clothes for your local neonatal unit.
Baby blankets are always needed. Simple for children measuring just 14” in length. Maybe you could visit your local school and let them know what’s happening!
Bring and Buy sales, they don’t have to be just about knitting, but why not introduce a Knit and Bliss area.
For your free information pack from Knitting and Bliss, including posters to advertise your events, and a thank you gift email katye@thegmcgroup.com or send your details to: NKW, Knitting Magazine, 86 High Street, Lewes, East Sussex BN7 1XN
If you have local yarn store, or even a local shop, why not suggest having a Sweet Box – JD Sweets Ltd is a company that distributes sweets to businesses and groups, donating a percentage of sales to Bliss. Boxes of sweets and cakes are placed with business or groups for people to purchase at £1.00 each. This is done on an honest box basis. The sweets are refilled regularly with 10p in each £1.00 being sent to Bliss. If you would like order a box please email corporate@bliss.org.uk
My first Lickle Ted. Here is a gorgeous little teddy, perfect for a small child. This is a limited edition with only 100 available in October. They cost £10.00 plus p&p and can be ordered online from knit@bliss.org
How about a Pamper evening? Take time out for yourself and your group. Contact your local Virgin Vie, Ann Summers or Avon rep to put on a party for you. Charge an entry fee donation of £5 to Bliss and enjoy some retail therapy from the comfort of your home.
Have a ‘KNIT IN’. Find a venue and gather all your knitting buddies for a sponsored Knit. Baby blankets and preemie knits are all desperately needed for hospital neonatal units, so find sponsors to give you £5 per blanket, hat etc for Bliss and then deliver all your items to your local unit.
STASH SALE. Why not clear out all those neglected balls of yarn (even if they are attached to half finished sweaters) and organize a stash sale. What might be unwanted yarn by you, maybe someone else’s next project! Bake some gorgeous cakes to take along, and sell those too!
Subscribe to Knitting Magazine. Fill out the subs page on page 28 and we will donate £1.00 to Bliss. Or call our hotline on +44 (0) 1273 488005 and mention KM54 Bliss donation.

Don’t bin it... recycle it! Why bin your mobile phones and printer cartridges when you can recycle them and raise money? By using the recycling scheme that Bliss offers, you’ll not only be helping the environment but you’ll also be supporting their work with sick and premature babies, their families and their carers. Even better, it costs you absolutely nothing! For each phone received, Bliss will get a donation from its recycling partners and these funds will be ploughed back into their services. It really is that easy to make a difference to Bliss’s work and the environment!

Did you know?

The money Bliss receives from one recycled mobile could provide telephone support for a distressed family. The money Bliss receives from six recycled mobile phones could fund a complete set of information booklets.
The money Bliss receives from twelve recycled mobile phones could fund a neonatal nurse on a Bliss study day.
In the UK alone there is an estimated 15 million handsets discarded every year, over 100 million hoarded and fewer than 10% recycled.

Please post your phones to: ShP Solutions, Freepost, CityLab, 4-6 Dalton Square, Lancaster, Lancashire, LA1 1PP
NB. Please put ‘Knitting Magazine’ in the top left hand corner of the envelope

Prizes! Win a fabulous hamper of knitting goodies worth £1000 for the group or individual who raise the highest amount for Bliss Plus...
Rowan are offering a fabulous 25 places on one of their knitting workshops.
You will be treated to a day with Rowan designers, Sarah Hatton and Marie Wallin, who will give you their expert help and guidance as they teach you new techniques and skills.

Click here for printable poster so you can let people know about YOUR National Knitting Week event!

Do it for charity

Hold a sponsored knit for charity, or ask people to enter small knitted items into a local competition, which can then be sold for charity.

Here are some fantastic ways to help out with Bliss, a charity which helps premature babies:

Corporate Fundraising Pack

Contact information for UK neonatal wards

Brilliant products from companies who contribute money to Bliss with every purchase!

Knit for fun!!

Host a knitting party with wine and snacks to form new knitting clubs and groups. Grab attention and do your bit to promote the craft in your area. Use Knitting magazine and its website to publicise your event or appeal for volunteers to help in your area. Just log on and type in your message or your event details on our registration page.

For more information or if you have any queries, please use the email address below to contact us.

Email: info@nationalknittingweek.co.uk