goodbye

All good things come to an end (or something like that). This is my final day as Big Knit Champion and so I'd like to say goodbye to everyone who helped out in the Big Knit - and to all those that I've been chatting knitting with over the last six months. The dedication and creativity of knitters has been phenomenal this year.

Whether you knitted one or one hundred hats we really couldn't have done it without you - so thanks lots and lots.

I hope you like the picture of twins Harry and Tom (aged 5). They just sent it in and were thinking of a creative way to keep their fancy dinosaurs warm in the frost.

If you'd like to help out in the Big Knit next year - please leave your details on our little form on our Big Knit homepage and we'll be in touch. Or if you have any questions, please e-mail us thebigknit@innocentdrinks.co.uk

Bye for now,

big knit charlotte (almost just 'Charlotte').

hats on trees and things

Exciting news. It's time to announce the Big Knit photo (flickr group) competition winners for 2007. We've had some pretty funky entries and choosing the best has been extremely tough. Especially with a whole year's supply of smoothies at stake for the winners. There were different categories - here you go...

1. Most creative use of hat

Think trees, think hats, think Margaret's hatted tree. We think this is great. Like Christmas tree lights (but on a different kind of tree and without the light part).

2. Best hat ensemble

Because it's amazingly cool. And we appreciate the effort and icy fingers that must have gone into it (well done Keira V).

3. Favourite overall hat picture

Awarded to Sandra - for magically creating some little blue hats which look just like the one on our lemon, honey and ginger smoothie label. They look fantastic and we're pretty keen on the camera angle too. We hope that the grass was smelling nice on that day.

Congratulations and thanks for everyone who entered their own pictures - they made us smile. We'll be in touch with the winners shortly - so you can let us know where you want us to send your smoothies.

 

grand hat judging grand winners

As we've said before, the creativity of Big Knit hats sent in this year has been astonishing. Last week we gave you the chance to vote for your favourite hats and we're now excited to be announcing the winners.

Edith W won the Best Little Hat(s) category with her fantastic monsters.

The hedgehog ran away with the Most Creative Hat prize - gaining a whopping 42.66% of the vote. Congratulations to Mrs Cobb for sending in this brilliant design.

This lovely little snowman, knitted by Mrs Rackham and the Titter Tatters was the Favourite Seasonal Hat. We think it was the posh broom that swung it.

And (drum roll please). The Hat of the Year - Your favourite of favourite hats from all the Hats of the Weeks was the Green Dragon. So a massive well done to Kate E for taking this grand prize.

We'll be contacting all the winners soon and sending you a special Big Knit trophy and a nice box of smoothies.

gracie and snowman

We thought you might like to see this photo of Gracie (2 years and 11 months) and her hat-wearing snowman - made from a smoothie bottle and lots of cotton wool with a little help from Mummy (31 years and 10 months).

a very grand total

You did it. We've counted all the little hats up and just found out that you helped us to beat our mighty target this year - knitting a whopping total of 400,720 hats*.

So a massive thank you to everyone who helped knit a hat or two or even 703 - thank you Hazel M. We hope that you're all enjoying a well earned rest now.

If you haven't spotted them yet, the hats are in Sainsbury's stores across the country. And by our calculations we expect that some stores will be sold out within days. Yes that's days. So get one quickly.

* if you're wondering what this might look like, there's only about 9000 in the above photo

prizes and pineapples

Hello. Just a quick reminder that there's still chance for three of you lucky people to win a whole year's supply of smoothies. All you have to do is to  upload your Big Knit photos (of hats that you've knitted or bought from Sainsbury's) onto our Big Knit flickr group.

There's three different categories, so get your creative hats on:

• Most creative use of hat
• Best hat ensemble
• Best overall  hat picture

Ps. The photo is of Dan - showing us that the hats can be used for more than smoothies. Thanks Dan.

knit-in at Fabrications

Please meet Barley - who runs Fabrications. Nice needles indeed.

They run lots of courses and have a lovely one on a Sunday where you can go along for a cup of tea and a biscuit whilst you pick up some more knitting tips. Give her a bell if you'd like to have a chat about it.

We just wanted to say a big thank you to Barley and her friends at Fabrications. They have been busy helping us to spread the Big Knit word this year and had some special Big Knit knit-ins - just look at the photo below.

Sandra's last hats

Here's a little message from Sandra. She was a total beginner at the beginning of this year's Big Knit and sent us a photo of her very first hat. She's developed into quite a pro - the dinosaur is our absolute favourite.

"When I had the impulse to learn to knit some hats for innocent this year, my utmost ambition was to make 5 hats (one a week). But I got so addicted to the needles that I made 40 little ones even before learning stocking stitch. It felt so good when I managed to produce a 'Perfect Pink' - the first pattern on the Big Knit guide - I was finally a beginner!

I wondered if I could reach 50 and get to the intermediate pattern - the 'green stripe'. It was a new found freedom, an explosion of colours and...stripes. I wondered if I could get to 100 hats and make the ladybird pattern - that was an ambition.

The day before the deadline I went for it. Made my very own ladybird and teapot and a witch's hat. And a dinosaur.

I can't quite believe I actually learnt to knit - I think I'll try to make finger puppets for my niece in time for Christmas. And maybe some more little hats for next year.

Whatever this has been an amazing learning curve (I got to 110 hats in the end). So thanks, innocent.

And it's totally bye from me for now - until next year...

Sandra xx"

where's wally?

This week's favourite little hat was made by the knitting team at Sainsbury's Tewkesbury Road in Cheltenham. They all got together for a knit-in with cakes and biscuits and tea.

Things are really starting to get a bit chilly outside, which made us love this hat-scarf combo even more. (I just wish that I had a bit of a bigger version to keep me warm). We also think it's very Where's Wally inspired. So much so that I thought we could play a little game with it.

We'll send it out to a Sainsbury's store on top of one of our little smoothies. If you find our special hat send me a picture with your name to win a special prize.

Happy hat hunting.

bkc

get your thinking hats on

OK we've stolen today's knitting pun from this morning's London Metro but we're getting thin on the ground for puns now.

A few days ago we showed you the first of our celebrity designed hats and promised you more. Well here's the more...

100% Natural Cotton: Fearne Cotton

Denise, Denise, we're so in love with you: Denise Van Outen

He had a whale of a time designing this: Chris Tarrant

An absolutely fabulous design: Joanna Lumley

If you can think of any better captions for these, or our first batch of celeb hats, then please leave a comment. The more groan-worthy the better.

There'll be a box of smoothies in hats for the winner (not the celebrity ones we're afraid but they'll be good hats all the same).

Update 27th November 2007: We've chosen our winner of the caption competition and it has to be Sandra with "Hat is where the heart is (Denise Van Outen)". Congratulations Sandra, we'll be in contact with you soon to arrange the delivery of your smoothies in hats. Reserve them a space in your fridge.
And thanks to everyone else who entered a caption, the judging was tough.<