Knit, Have A Go At It! fun.

i heart...

teaching people how to knit.

And that's what yesterday was spent doing. I had a great time showing some lovely people how to knit patches, having a good chat & stuffing my face with amazing chocolate mousse cake!

A massive thanks to Voluntary Arts Week, The Life Craft for having us, Rowan, Designer Yarns & Anne Ferguson for donating yarn & of course all you lovely people that came along - was really great to meet you all.

Post a Patch is an ongoing project, so we are always looking for more patches to make into blankets for our selected charities - Starter Packs Glasgow & So Go And Run Free.

Here's some tips to get you on your way...

AND we have a looooads of yarn left, so if you'd like to knit a patch, e-mail us on hello@iheartdotdotdot.co.uk with your address & we'll send some your way :)

xox.

Knit crazy.

i heart...

knitting.

I've gone a bit knit crazy recently. Knitting bunting, knitting owlets, knitting patches. It's been rather hard prying those knitting needles out of my hands. Want in on the knitting fever? Come to this a week tomorrow...

We've organised the event as part of Voluntary Arts Week & we've had some very generous yarn donations from individuals as well as yarn companies - Rowan & Designer yarns. So come along for some free knitting lessons, to knit some patches for Post a Patch & have some scrumptious cake at The Life Craft. More info here.

If you can't get to Glasgow on the 8th, then don't you worry. You can still get those knitting needles clicking by making a square for Post a Patch & sending it in the post to us! More info here.

And to complete the knit-a-thon is this week's favourite friday...

...this adorably cute illustration by Ashley Goldberg. Aww.

xox.

Blankets.

i heart...

Post A Patch.

Thanks to your generosity we now how two baby blankets ready to send to So Go & Run Free...

Thank you so much to everyone that has sent us patches so far, however we still need lots & lots more, so keep them coming! More info on how to get involved here.

And if you're reading this thinking 'Gosh darn it, I'd love to help out these amazing charities, but I can't knit' then do not fret! Come along to this...

... 8th of May, The Life Craft, 12pm - 5pm. I'll be there giving FREE knitting lessons & encouraging everyone to knit some patches for Post A Patch. Do it!

xox.

Knit, Have A Go At It!

i heart...


knitting.


So as part of Voluntary Arts Week 2011, we've organised a special event at The Life Craft on the 8th May...

So no more will you have an excuse not to knit, because now's your chance to have a go at it! We'll be there from 12pm - 5pm to help you brush up on your crafty skills with FREE drop-in knitting workshops.

Can already knit? Come along & join in with the beginners & their newly found knitting prowess to make squares for the Post A Patch project. Our current community project which donates handmade patchwork blankets to charities - Starter Packs Glasgow and So Go & Run Free.

With your hands likely to be all a-flurry with knitting needles and crafty inspiration, you will be able to take a break and relax with The Life Craft's scrumptious selection of coffees and cakes & have a good old natter too.

So, you get to learn how to knit for free AND help two amazing charities, what more could you ask for!

xox.

p.s. We're looking for yarn companies that would be generous enough to donate some yarn for this event, if you know of anyone that would be up for this, please e-mail hello@iheartdotdotdot.co.uk

Thank you.

the low down.

i heart...


being a busy bee.


& oooft is that something we've been over the last wee while! so here's the low down on what we've been up to:

we've been frantically making handmade bits as this sunday we'll be hopping on the bus down to glasgow & will have ourselves a lovely stall at Granny Would Be Proud in Hillhead Bookclub once again. come along & say hello!

we've been fighting crime against css & html to get our online eco-shop looking beautiful ready for it's launch on the 30th april. i've also been fighting the urge to keep all the new eco-tastic stock for myself!

i've also decided to separate my own work from i heart... & have it simply under my own name - Iona Bruce. i've made a wee facebook page & will add new bits to it after all this mayhem dies down a bit! but it would be lovely if you could pop over & 'like' my page. 

we've also been busy preparing for the next Meet & Make session on the 1st may. if you would like to book a place send us an e-mail on hello@iheartdotdotdot.co.uk

we've also been busy organising an event for Voluntary Arts Week, more will be revealed soon but get your knitting needles ready! & if anyone knows of any yarn businesses that would be up for donating some yarn to a good cause, please do get in touch.

and of course we've been over-seeing our projects Post A Patch & Music To My Ears.

please do keep your patches & tunes coming!

so there you go, we're busy but there's plenty for you to get involved & busy with to, get to it!

xox.

thanks Grandy!

i heart...


getting parcels in the post.

but a couple of days ago, i got possibly the best parcel in the world. inside it was a whole bundle of patches for our post a patch project, a lovely mini blanket & a photo of the amazing lady that knitted them all - meet 'Grandy'...

so we now have our first blanket for So Go & Run Free...

and are well on our way to making a big blanket for Starter Packs Glasgow...

(please excuse the jammy bottoms!)

a massive thank you to 'Grandy', Joanne's Mum, Tracey & my Mum who have knitted up a storm & sent us all the patches for this blanket.

but we still need LOADS more patches though, so keep 'em coming!

send your 10cm x 10cm knitted/crocheted patches to:

i heart...

21 burnside ave

aviemore

PH22 1SE

xox.

we need patches!

i heart...


post a patch.

incase you don't know already, post a patch is our current community project. we're looking for people around the world to knit/crochet squares & post them to us so we can make them into blankets for two amazing charities - Starter Packs Glasgow & So Go And Run Free.

so far we've had a few patches come our way...

(thanks to Elaine, Christopher, Joanne's Mum & Anthea for the patches we've received so far!)

but as you can see we need LOADS more. so please get knitting or crocheting pronto!

why not spend your sunday catching up with friends whilst you knit. can't knit? invite your granny or mum round to give you a wee lesson. or switch the tv off, put the kettle on & have a relaxing knitting session on your own. sundays were made for knitting!

send your 10cm x 10cm patch to:

i heart...

21 burnside ave

aviemore

PH22 1SE

thank you so much.

xox.

touche, crochet.

i heart...

trying new craft techniques.

& last weekend i tried my hand at crochet. i went round to my mum's & had a nice relaxing evening, relaxing until i started attempting crochet! it is very fiddley, however i persevered & it did get easier, even quite addictive. i managed to make myself a lovely little granny square...

...which is going to be the very first patch for our Post A Patch project.

like i say it is verrrryyy addictive, so i'm going to keep on practising & have even got a wee idea of a crochet project i can teach at meet & make at some point.

xox. 

post a patch update.

i heart...


post a patch!

so after struggling to find just one charity that wanted our community-made blankets, we now have two!

Starter Packs Glasgow & now So Go And Run Free - a charity that offers support to bereaved parents in the highlands, who lose their babies before, during or shortly after birth & provide them with memory boxes. our blankets will be used to wrap the babies in whilst the parents say their goodbyes & can take it home with them to remember their special wee one.

both charities really need our help, so get your knitting needles & crochet hooks out & get making patches! and spread the word, the more the merrier :)

for more info on what to do & where to send your patch, click here.

xox.

post a patch.

i heart...

when a plan comes together.

after struggling to find a charity willing to accept the donation of our community-made blankets (read more here), thanks to your help we've now found one!

Starter Packs Glasgow is a charity that provides starter packs of basic household necessities for homeless households in glasgow. our blankets will be gladly received by people who don't have much & are striving for a fresh start.

so let the knitting commence!

all you need to do is...

• knit/crochet a 10cm x 10cm patch, in any colour or pattern you wish - be as creative as you like!
• send your patch to:

i heart...

21 Burnside Avenue

Aviemore

PH22 1SE

• we will then sew all your beautiful patches into lovely blankets & send them to Start Pack Glasgow, who will pass them onto people who will benefit immensely from them.

there's no deadline on this as i would like it to be an ongoing project which could hopefully help other charities as well, but the quicker you get knitting the quicker the blankets will be made & enjoyed by people in need around glasgow.

go get your knitting needles out!

xox.

project help.

i heart...

community projects.

and so far we've concentrated mostly on collaborative zine projects (have a look here & here) which have been so much fun to organise & have introduced me to some very talented people.
however, this project is going to be a bit different. it's far from a new concept, but i think it's a lovely one.

introducing, post a patch...

now, i've been thinking about this project from waaaayyy before xmas & have been contacting charities to offer them the donation of these proposed blankets - something i didn't really see being a problem. i mean surely children's charities that help orphanages, charities that help people in 3rd world countries, homeless charities that help people on the streets, would jump at the chance of the donation of blankets, right? wrong.

i contacted Oxfam, who replied saying it would be too expensive to get the blankets overseas (which i can understand), Barnados who replied saying they already have a local ladies group that provide them with handmade goods, Action For Children who never replied, Shelter who passed me onto Crisis, Crisis who said they already have bedding... it goes on.

i never, ever imagined it would be so hard to give something away to charity. some have suggested to sell the blankets & donate the money to them, but that's not what this project is about. it is about one community giving something to another. a blanket doesn't just keep you warm, it makes you feel safe & knowing that it was made by people from all over wanting to help, i would hope would make the receiver feel wanted, loved & less alone.

so before we even get our knitting needles out, i need your help. do you know of any charities that would welcome our blankets with open arms? do you live near a nursing home/homeless shelter/orphanage that would benefit from these blankets? any suggestions would be very much appreciated. and if all else fails you will see me handing out blankets to homeless people on the street myself!

xox.