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Arts & crafts

Two dog/cat blankets for Battersea

(49 Posts)
Purplepixie Tue 09-Jan-24 11:14:42

I have knitted over 100 dog/cat blankets for Battersea over a number of years. I had a break from it before christmas to knit items for presents etc for family and friends. Inbetween I would knit a few rows and yesterday I managed to get two of them sewn together. These are knitted using odd bits of dk and chunky, knitted together on 7mm knitting needles. Thank you for looking.

ALANaV Sat 13-Jan-24 14:16:20

Wonderful !! during lockdown I knitted squares for our local cat rescue ....,my knitting skills are non existent, but when I sewed them together they looked ok (and lets face it, the cats didnt notice !) ....but I have lots of wool left, and today annoyingly cos the sun's out, my arthritis is flaring up and I can't walk ...shame, cos its a beautiful day ..BUT I am now off to stagger around hanging onto the furniture to get my basket of wool and my needles ...I will look at the pattern on the BC&DH website ! thankyou ..............might probably send a donation as well ...in memory of Paul O'Grady .....

JaneJudge Sat 13-Jan-24 14:28:24

They are lovely and what a kind thing to do ❤️ I missed Paul’s update on telly this year

rocketstop Sat 13-Jan-24 18:52:29

Fabulous well done. I admire anyone who can knit , but do so for the animals is admirable.

sharon103 Sat 13-Jan-24 18:56:31

Oh lovely. Well done and keep up the good work.

Mares Sat 13-Jan-24 21:28:20

Oh how kind you are. Well done. X

Purplepixie Sun 14-Jan-24 01:15:48

Thank you.

Purplepixie Sun 14-Jan-24 01:20:18

I have volunteered to knit blankets for a local rescue centre and they didn’t want them but I did donate some cash. My daughter has had 4 cats from this local rescue centre in the past. Battersea always acknowledge receipt of the blankets by either a letter or emails and I always buy the raffle tickets that they send to me. I do miss Paul O’Grady.

Maya1 Sun 14-Jan-24 10:37:14

What a very kind and thoughtful thing to do. I have always admired all your work that you post Purplepixie. You are so talented.
I haven't knitted for years but l think l might be able to do one of these blankets. I'm trying to find new things to do.

Purplepixie Sun 14-Jan-24 12:08:10

Mayal Thank you so much for your kind words. I love all types of crafts. They are easy to knit and Battersea are so grateful for them.

Purplepixie Sun 14-Jan-24 13:27:16

www.topcrochetpatterns.com/blog/make-a-blanket-for-batterseas-cats-and-dogs

Here’s a link which may help anyone who wants to knit a blanket for Battersea.

Thank you for your kind words.

Witzend Sun 14-Jan-24 13:37:49

putplepixie, I know I’ve asked before, but could you please give me rough instructions for your squares? I have a lot of fairly sizeable oddments to use up, both DK and chunky.
Thank you!

Witzend Sun 14-Jan-24 13:38:25

That’d be for knitting, not crochet, which I can’t do.

Purplepixie Mon 15-Jan-24 09:26:35

Hi Witzend
The link says crochet but if you click on it and scroll down you will find it is knitting.

I make mine slightly different. Knit the lengths to look like they are squares as it all helps with sewing together, which I hate. I used DK and chunky on a 7mm knitting needle. Cast on 25st and knit 5-6 “squares” per length. Knit 4 lengths and sew them together. Hope this helps.

Jennajim Thu 18-Jan-24 07:40:35

Funny this should come up now, as I have just taken very large overspill of linen cupboard, towels, sheets,blankets, duvets,cushions, to a dogs rescue centre in Staffordshire. They are so pleased with this haul as they use so much for these innocent creatures that are abandoned. Its a feel good factor as well because this stuff is not going to landfill. WHY DO WE KEEP SO MUCH STUFF.

Lottidot Thu 18-Jan-24 07:47:31

I wholeheartedly agree, whilst Battersea are doing fantastically, we do really need to support our local animal sanctuaries that totally rely on charitable funds.

On another note, which animal charity accepts old but clean non-feather duvets (as opposed to the covers)?

Witzend Thu 18-Jan-24 18:02:01

Lottidot

I wholeheartedly agree, whilst Battersea are doing fantastically, we do really need to support our local animal sanctuaries that totally rely on charitable funds.

On another note, which animal charity accepts old but clean non-feather duvets (as opposed to the covers)?

We’ve taken old duvets to our nearest Dogs’ Trust, but can’t remember whether they were natural or synthetic. I don’t recall them saying they only wanted the one type. I’d ring or email and ask them.

I’ve also given a couple to a greyhound rescue place.

A bagful of old towels - overflow from a DD’s airing cupboard - went to Battersea the other day.

Frenchgalinspain Thu 18-Jan-24 18:07:30

Kind and from the heart project for the needy.

Lovely.

Dinahmo Thu 18-Jan-24 18:12:25

Germanshepherdsmum

Thanks Pp. I will do that. I’m a great admirer of your work. My skills, if you could call them that, are very basic these days after decades of not knitting but now I have a grandchild to knit for, so gradually picking up again.

Talking of knitting - as an aside - yesterday I downloaded the pattern for Harry Styles multicoloured cardigan. It is a crochet pattern however so I will have to relearn that.

On the subject of blankets for Battersea it is good to find a use for old wool.

I remember years ago when the local liabrary had a box for wool remnants and people could help themselves to it in order to make blankets for Save The Children etc. There was a big fuss when the charities stopped taking them because they were very bulky to transport and they had more modern thermal ones.

Sadly libraries are disappearing as they didn't just lend books, they provided many other benefits

Callistemon21 Thu 18-Jan-24 18:13:02

I don't mind knitting squares but really dislike the sewing together.

How do you join yours, purplepixie?

Dinahmo Thu 18-Jan-24 18:17:52

I recently took a supply of meds plus some towels to a small charity that houses old and or sick dogs.Sadly my Ruby was put to sleep just after Christmas and I had quite a large supply of meds and syringes.

I wish more people would think about re-homing dogs. We had lunch at the weekend with some friends who have 3, of different ages and breeds. One of them is 3 year old griffon nivernais who had been badly treated in her youth.She looks like an otter hound and is beautiful. Still scared of people though.

Purplepixie Fri 19-Jan-24 10:52:57

I knit mine in long lengths to look like squares - I hate sewing fiddly squares together.

Dinahmo - I have tried our local animal rescue centre and they didn’t want knitted blankets. So I chose Battersea and many years later I have knitted over 100 blankets for them. They always email or send a lovely letter to thank me and I have been invited along to meet them. We will go along to Battersea some time this year as we want to get a cat or two.

Greenfinch Fri 19-Jan-24 15:14:53

If Battersea is too far to travel they also have a rescue centre in Old Windsor at least they do for cats.Only today DD was admiring our cat’s hand knitted mouse that he brought with him. It is brown and yellow striped

Callistemon21 Fri 19-Jan-24 15:21:45

Purplepixie

I knit mine in long lengths to look like squares - I hate sewing fiddly squares together.

Dinahmo - I have tried our local animal rescue centre and they didn’t want knitted blankets. So I chose Battersea and many years later I have knitted over 100 blankets for them. They always email or send a lovely letter to thank me and I have been invited along to meet them. We will go along to Battersea some time this year as we want to get a cat or two.

I'm hoping someone else will be joining mine together this time 🤞