There can't be many people out there who don't don a t-shirt once in a while, even the chicest of celebs. T-shirts are more than just something to cover your flesh, they're statements of belief, social status, support and a place to show off. Now you have the chance to throw your creative ideas behind a very worthy cause as Médecins Sans Frontières launch their clothing design competition.
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) have been providing medical aid where it's needed since 1971. They deliver aid and support in more than 60 countries around the world and are literally saving and changing lives every day. They're constantly on the look out for ways to promote their cause and raise more funds. Which is where the competition comes in.
They're looking for inspired and creative folks "to design a new line of clothing to be used as part of a larger initiative to increase public awareness and reward donors". The deisgners must incorporate the MSF logo in every design but apart from that the design canvas is blank. Up to three designs can be submitted so there's lots of scope.
It's a fantastic opportunity for young designers. The winning designers will not only have the honour of seeing their style ideas worn by MSF supporters across the globe, they'll also be helping medical staff do amazing things with every item sold.
You can see all the information as well as being able to download the logos to work with, on the MSF website.
There have been plenty of knitted boob patterns over the last few years from knitted norks to help new mums to busty bits for Breast Cancer Care. All good causes and now there's another way to help by knitting some knockers.
The Knitting Experience Café, in Brunswick, Maine, are asking for knitted prosthetic breasts for mastectomy patients.
The fibre-based funbags are apparently lighter and more comfortable than silicone prosthetic breasts (which can cost up to $500). The fabric also breathes and prevents evil heat rash that some women wearing the silicone ones suffer.
You'll find all the info and patterns on the Knitted Knockers here. Both knit and crochet chi-chis are accepted.
I've almost run out of breast puns now so get stitching a pair of handmade hooters for a good cause.
It'll make for excellent conversation when someone on the bus/in your office/wherever asks what you're knitting.
Some knitters dream of our little house of their own that they can fill with their yarn stash and knitting goodies. Knitters in Hilmarton have come up with an idea which flips that on its head and raises money for their local church. They're knitting a house.
The six-by-six foot house will be knitted by more than 30 of the community's knitters for the village's craft and music festival which takes place in July. They're thinking big too with plans for window boxes, a chimney and a surrounding garden too.
The crafty cottage will be the main feature of the two-day festival which will raise money, by ticket sales and donations, for Hilmarton's St Laurence Church. Knitting begins now and the knitters in question have no doubts they can finish the task in the five months they have till the big day.
See the full story, with information for donation your spare yarn, here.
A Divine Life is selling the pattern for these smart, woollen hats, with proceeds from all patterns sold going to Doctors Without Borders' Haitian fund to help relief efforts in the area. The charity provides medicines, shelter, food and water: non-knitters can always donate here.
If you were already planning on making a new hat this winter, why not download these patterns and give a donation to show your support? Suitable for beginners, you can buy them over at Ravelry.
Imagine you had to pull a cart around all day with a harness attached to your nose. Doesn't sound like a lot of fun, does it? Yet an incredible 50% of the world's population is still reliant on horses, donkeys and other animals for their livelihood.
The wonderful WSPA is calling on anyone who can sew to help with a project to help these valuable animals to do their daily work in greater comfort. Noseband protectors - basically thick and soft panels of cloth placed between the animal's nose and its harness - are easy to make and you can donate them to WSPA who'll pass them directly on to the owners of working horses and donkeys in the middle east.
If you'd like to help, there's a pattern and information on where to send your home-made nose protectors here.
Christmas is acomin' and that warm fuzzy giving feeling is starting to pluck at your heartstrings. What better way to get your Christmas knit on than by stitching something stupendous for a goat?
Your charity challenge is to:
totter over to the Pimp This Goat site
get your groovy goat by donating £5 to the very worthy FARM Africa cause
admire your model goat when he arrives naked as the day he was born to his model goat mum and dad
take your knits and pimp him out
post your pimped goat photo to the Pimp This Goat Flickr group
dance with delight if your handmade hooved hilariousness ends up being picked for a feature on the blog
The lovely part is that you're helping farmers and their communities in Africa to fight hunger and farm their lands for a better future. Christmas charity via the pimping of a goat. Your nanny would be proud.
It's easy enough to buy a knitting pattern online. They're everywhere. Google it, wander through Ravelry's pattern pile, meander through the millions on Etsy. You get a lovely pattern to give you hours of knitting pleasure, the seller gets some lovely money. All is right with the world. But wouldn't it be fabulous if you could get your pattern and be a superhero to someone who needs it all at once?
A year ago a project called P/hop (Pennies Per Hour of Pleasure) was born to help knitters do just that and today is its first birthday.
P/hop is charity knitting project which raises funds for worthy emergency medical aid organisation Medecins Sans Frontieres/Doctors Without Borders.
It's a plethora of ever so lovely patterns, all donated by incredibly generous designers. The patterns are available for you to download on the site. You donate based on how many hours of pleasure you'll get from knitting your p/hop pattern. There's no set price for a pattern; you can donate 50p or £50. It's entirely up to you.
You can donate in pounds or in dollars and the patterns are well worth your money and time.
Read over the jump for more on the patterns and a special birthday announcement.
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