WINTER CUSHION RACE
Yes, we have a race on to knit 40 special cushions that can be stuffed at the Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrogate from 24-27 November.
The BOA (British Olympic Association) heard about the Woolsack cushions and approached us to ask if we could possibly do something very special for the Youth Olympic Winter Games; Innsbruck 2012.
They want to create a home from home environment for the competing athletes in their accommodation in Innsbruck and thought some home made Woolsack cushions with their personal messages would be a perfect way to do this. The athletes will be told they can each take a cushion home with them at the end of the Games.
They also asked if the 40 cushions could be in red, white and blue (any combination of these colours, or single colours) †oh, and could we get them to the dispatch point before 5 December so they could be carefully packed to be couriered over with the rest of the freight.
This gives us 3-4 weeks.
Having seen all the cushions that have been turning up at stuffing events through the year, read the wonderful messages on the labels and talked to so many makers I thought that there was a good chance that enough cushion makers throughout the UK would want to take on this challenge and knit these 40 cushions in the available time.
So ..... we said YES!
Would you like to join in with this very special cushion challenge?
Can you knit a cushion in under 4 weeks?
You can read more about the Youth Olympic Winter Games; Innsbruck 2012
here: http://www.innsbruck2012.com/
If you'd like to get involved then please email me to register your support and get further information. jane@woolsack.org
(anyone who won't be attending Harrogate can post their cushion to me to be stuffed at the Knitting and Stitching Show)
TEAM WOOLSACK
We now have a team of local contacts in different parts of the country who are helping to link individuals and groups within their area and spread the news about Woolsack.
Alison Castle : North East alison@woolsack.org
Carol Knight : Coventry Area carol@woolsack.org
Clare Davies : Surrey, Dorking Area clareydavies@btinternet.com
Dawn : Cumbria dawn@woolsack.org
Hilary Williams : Kent lady1lavender@gmail.com
Jenni Frost : North Wales jenni@woolsack.org
Jill Edwards : West Sussex Area jill@woolsack.org
Julie McCabe : Weymouth & Portland Area ourjules@hotmail.com
Linda Cameron : Cumbria hannalin@hotmail.co.uk
Liz Roberts : Ross-on-Wye Area hightownjacobs@yahoo.co.uk
Lucy Watton : Redditch and Birmingham Areas lucy@woolsack.org
If you don't yet have a local contact then please continue to contact Jane Cooper, jane@woolsack.org or Sue Blacker, sue@woolsack.org
Website or mailing list queries to Jane please.
If you would like to enquire about joining Team Woolsack and becoming a local contact for your area then please contact Jane.
Stuffing Events during November
There are several opportunities during the month for you to bring your cushion to be stuffed and finished and to meet members of Team Woolsack.
Woolfish Wool & Craft Festival, Coldstream Community Centre, 5 November
The Big KNIT Show, (Knit Expo), Exeter, 13 November
The Knitting and Stitching Show, Harrogate, 24-27 November
Full details of these events can be found on the website: http://www.woolsack.org/stuffingevents
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
If you would like to join Team Woolsack for a half day or so of stuffing fun, then Sue and I would really welcome some volunteer helpers. If youâ€d like to go to the show and would enjoy spending half the day doing your knitting/spinning/weaving etc and talking to people about the project and crafting/British wool in general then we have enough free tickets for up to 4 helpers per day (depending on the show).
People who have helped at previous stuffing events report that itâ€s great fun and an experience they have very much enjoyed. People get enough time off to enjoy looking round the show as well, and cake/chocolate seem to have featured at the more recent stuffing events.
Please contact Jane about Harrogate and Sue about Exeter.
THE INSPIRE POSTER
We now have our very own Woolsack poster with the London 2012 Inspire logo on it. This is a very special priviledge and we are very proud of being an official part of the London 2012 Games.
This poster can be displayed in libraries, community halls, other public buildings, schools, and on community notice boards. Please contact Jane if you'd like to arrange to have the poster displayed in your community.
For any other locations don't forget you can download the A4 Woolsack poster from the website to display in your local yarn shop or any other locations.
Letting people know about Woolsack
We've become aware that some groups of people who very much want to get involved with Woolsack haven't heard about it yet. In particular it seems that some WI's may not have received the expected messages. If you know any WI members who haven't heard through the WI could you please share information or let them know how they can contact us.