Two dog/cat blankets for Battersea

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 🤞

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

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 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.

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

How do you join yours, purplepixie?

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

Kind and from the heart project for the needy.

Lovely.

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.

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)?

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.

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.

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

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

Thank you.

Oh how kind you are. Well done. X

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

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

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

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 .....

Having volunteered for Battersea I know how much your blankets are appreciated. It was always exciting to open the parcels with the lovely knitted blankets in so many different colours, and the wonderful knitted mice for the cats. Words cannot begin to express the gratitude of the staff and animals alike for the generosity of people such as you.

Very commendable. BUT please consider giving to SMALLER SELF FUNDING RESCUE CENTRES who rely on small donations who may be struggling in these hard times. By the way Battersea gets thousands £ from public etc.