Cast on for a good cause

Knit patchwork blankets for cancer charity Macmillan

Create some comfort with the World's Biggest Coffee Morning. Join together with friends, colleagues, family, neighbours to hold a coffee morning on Friday September 25 and do more than just chat and pass the biscuits: knit some blanket squares.

 

The Knitter magazine has set up this Macmillan Comfort Blanket Campaign, to run alongside the charity coffee morning.

 

Along with the tea and coffee, cakes and biscuits, everyone who attends is asked to make a small donation. Last year, more than 45,000 people held coffee mornings and, together with their family, friends and colleagues, raised over £7.5 million.

 

Blankets that are donated to Macmillan will be used to support and raise awareness of the charity's campaign for more help for cancer patients struggling to cope with rising fuel bills. The charity believes that everyone should be able to keep warm and comfortable during treatment without being caused undue stress about how to pay the bills.

 

How to join in

 

● Click here to register for a coffee morning, or call 0845 602 1246 and quote NA3.

● Download the blanket-square pattern PDF below. This pattern (left) has been designed by Juliet Bernard, editor of The Knitter. You'll find more patterns here.

● At your coffee morning, knit blanket squares with your knitting group.
Take 40 squares and sew them together into a Comfort Blanket, 8 squares long by 5 squares wide at your coffee morning.

● Take or send your Comfort Blanket to one of our drop-off points (The Knitter Macmillan Comfort Blanket, Future Publishing Ltd, 30 Monmouth Street, Bath BA1 2BW), or give it to The Knitter team at The Knitting and Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace, London on October 8-11. Please include your name and address.

Your blankets need to be handed in by October 31, 2009.

 

Not sure how to knit? Here's our step-by-step guide

 

Need to find a group of knitters? Here are our tips

 

  Click here to download