Knitting!

I first learned to knit when I was about 8 years old. My granny taught me while I was staying with her in Wales, and I knitted a very long, very messy scarf. It belonged to my teddy called Woolley Bear (named after Jack Woolley from The Archers), and luckily he didn't seem to mind the mess. When I left Wales, however, I pretty much instantly forgot how to knit. I just couldn't remember how to do it. But by that point, I was busy with settling into Year 4, and spending all my free time playing with my new Harry Potter Lego. I lost one of my knitting needles, and used the other to reenact countless wand battles with Voldemort and the Death Eaters.

7 years later, my Mum decided that she was going to learn to knit, and asked me to teach her. I had been telling people for years that I could knit, proudly displaying Woolley Bear's scarf whenever it came up. I was so convinced that I knew how to knit, that I forgot I'd forgotten how to knit. So Mum retreated into the living room for a few days with her laptop, needles, and wool, and learned from YouTube. Within days, she had learnt several different stitches, had bought half of the craft shop, and was producing amazing pieces of knitting. Naturally, I was jealous, and decided that this talent MUST be hereditary. I demanded that Mum teach me to knit again, and I embarked on a scarf... using 4mm needles.

After a week, the scarf was only 10cm long. After two weeks, it had grown to 30cm. I was bored of knitting already.

And who should come to my rescue, but Scarlett Curtis! Scarlett is a keen knitter, and set up an amazing blog called Teenage Granny, all about things she had knitted, baked, and generally created out of her awesomeness.

Soon after, she set up #TwitKnitClub, a knitting club for knitters on twitter. My Mum and I both joined immediately, and were soon knitting patchwork blankets along with the rest of the group.


Since then, we have knitted numerous items for #TwitKnitClub projects, including hats, hearts, stockings, and toys. Over the summer, Mum and I spent countless hours together watching endless boxsets of 30 Rock and House, while knitting mini VW camper vans. This was one of the most exciting projects I've ever done, and it was so much fun spending that much time with Mum. And House, Cuddy, Liz Lemon and Jack Donaghy, obviously.

But Scarlett hasn't stopped at uniting the knitters of Twitter! Last week, she lauched Knit Relief - an auction of amazing crafted items, all for Sport Relief. It has been a huge success, and I think it's already raised over £1000! There are over 50 items for sale, and they are all incredible. I want all of them! You can find out more information about Knit Relief from Scarlett's blog here.

Mum was busy knitting these amazing rabbits and eggs for a local Sport Relief sale (pattern by Little Cotton Rabbits), but I decided that since I'd been working on the pattern for a TARDIS phone sock (originally from a stocking pattern, also by LCR), it would be fun to auction one of them.

After a few days of struggling with patterns, and shouting at minuscule cotton letters, I finished my first TARDIS phone sock, and immediately started on a 221B Baker Street phone sock as well. They've already raised over £35, which is awesome! You can now bid for them in the Knit Relief auction. I will knit a phone sock specifically for the winner and their phone. The pattern is so much fun, and I've even started taking my knitting to school. I expected to get strange looks, but 5 people have already asked me if I can teach them! Knitting is now my favourite pastime, and I cannot stop!

Bid for the TARDIS phone sock here, 221B Baker Street here, and the rest of the fantastic Knit Relief items here.