Atom Red Thread

November sees Sainsbury’s stocking its shelves with Innocent Smoothies charmingly adorned with wee knitted hats.

So why discuss this now in mid September? It’s because all the hats are handknitted by generous folk and donated to the cause. Then they’re counted up, dished out, fitted onto the individual smoothie bottles and are ready to be sold.

For each smoothie & hat combo bought in Sainsbury’s in November, Innocent donate 50p to Age Concern & Help the Aged. The money goes towards keeping our nation’s Grannies and Grandpa’s healthy and warm over winter. The aim is to raise a whopping £250,000 to support both Age Concern and Help the Aged with their healthy eating and healthy living projects.

There’s a month and a day left to get the hats sent off and received, so I’m currently knitting away when I have a spare moment.

I first found out about the Innocent/Age Concern partnership and THE BIG KNIT in 2007, it was advertised in the monthly Sainsbury’s magazine I used to buy loyally every month. My first year, I only found out 2 weeks before the deadline, bought a few small balls of yarn from town and made up 20 hats just in time.

I’ve since moved home, and sadly am no longer even remotely near a Sainsbury’s (how I miss my monthly mag!) but I kept up with the Big Knit idea, and having some time on my hands last year, and being able to ‘borrow’ bits of wool from my Mum’s giant stash, I managed to whip up 50 bright and colour little hats, including cupcakes, strawberries and a couple of dolls.

This year I’m hoping to match that target of 50. It’s quite a big one considering each hat can take at least half an hour to make, the dolls being closer to an hour, but if I’m not writing or working, I’m sure there’s a few moments here and there to get a couple done a day.

I’ve already begun, and will update you before the end of my monthly blog with pics of the new ones, but for now I’ll leave you with a couple of photos of the hats I made last year.

And please, if you live near a Sainsbury’s, pop into one this November and buy yourself a tasty innocent smoothie (make sure you pick one with a hat!) – a treat for you and a donation to a worthy cause. After all, if you think it gets cold over winter, imagine how the older of us out there must feel!

Otter.