Woolly offerings

The most wonderful thing about being part of the KGB is the wonderful generosity that's been generated within our community.  For those involved, the impetus of the inspiration that encourages people to participate in craftmaking - with the result of having their work admired by many - is truly humbling.

Today we were given another square for the 'Picnic in the Park' event.  Now, I happen to know that the person who knitted this is a beginner and was inspired to 'have a go' from seeing all of our previous projects.  Just look at all those wonderful stitches, each and every one of them made with the intention of making people happy.  That's a wonderful aspect of human nature, isn't it?

We just happy to help bring such a thing together.

Voluntary Arts Week

The founders of the KGB are quoted in the Guardian today in connection with Voluntary Arts Week.

Well done and thanks to all the Secret Agents who helped in the project mentioned in the article - you're all ace (if somewhat mischievous) people!

As it happens, Niddy Noddy will be running a guerilla knitting workshop, for children aged 8-15, this very Saturday 11th May at the Charnwood Museum in Loughborough, Leicestershire. This event is run in conjunction with Charnwood Arts Big Knit Group,  Little Bird School of Stitchcraft and coincides with Voluntary Arts Week Craftbomb. For more information and to make a booking, nip over to the Charnwood Museum events page.



From the Guardian:

"People absolutely love it, and so much energy and enthusiasm has been harnessed," says Noddy. "Life can be so insular. People go to work, come home and shut their doors. So we're really pleased that we've started something that's had such an impact on people's lives.  We're not just here to be silly – we care."

"We're helping people connect with their community. They'll pass by a tree they see every day, but their brain filters it out because we lead such busy lives. Suddenly they're looking at it and taking notice. Somebody emailed us yesterday to say it brightens up their day every time they go past.
"We're helping people to learn new skills, and giving something to the community – something that makes them smile and feel part of something bigger. And if they're feeling happy, they pass that on to someone else. We create things for people to talk about that are positive, not negative."

 Niddy Noddy, April 2013

Yarn bombing - secret pink mission

We did not install this beauty but we contributed many squares to this brilliant project.  This was a secret mission that the KGB felt was a very worthy cause.  Thank you to Vicki Long of Dandelion-Studio who gave us permission to share her beautiful images:

 

KGB Woolly Egg Hunt 2013: The winners

Well, with over 600 entries, we can officially say that the Woolly Egg Hunt 2013 was a success!  From the beginning, with so many donations of wonderfully crafted eggs from very many generous knitters, with nine KGB agents helping with the hanging of the eggs, with support from our sponsors Flexpress, Dodgy and Little Bird School of Stitchcraft and the help from lots of kind local shopkeepers who let us display the eggs in their windows, it's been great.  Our mission has

MADE SMILES

and, as you know, this makes us happy.

The only downside is that there can only be two winners, but they were very very nice winners and we're sure that you'd like them as much as we did.

Here they are:

In first place:

The lovely Skye & Summer, with Michelle and Denise

They win a Lindt cracker full of chocolate donated by Flexpress.

In 2nd place:

The delightful Edelyn who came with her mum, Jackie, all the way from Chichester! 

 

She wins a knitters brooch by local knitter, Giant Rumble Buffin.  Thank you for donating this additional prize.  Here's a close up for everyone to admire:

Honorable mentions really do need to go to:

3rd place Adrian Barnacle (on behalf of Grace) - 58
2nd place Amy and Lexie McLoughlin - 68
1st place Jackie Abela and her clan! - 78

A special KGB prize will be winging its way to you soon, Jackie.


Thank you to everyone who took part in this.  It's very good to share Birstall with you. Look out on our blog for each and every photo submitted, once Trout Mask has pulled them all together for you!

Email Address Typo

For those of you trying to submit images for the Woolly Egg Hunt, there is a slight typo on the flyer.  The correct email address is:

Niddynoddy@hotmail.co.uk

Apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused

Niddy Noddy!

Woolly Egg Hunt 2013 - Release of the location map!

The KGB Woolly Egg Hunt is now closed for competition entries, but please continue to send in your pictures to be included on the blog - thank you!

Soooo, you want to find the eggs in the KGB Woolly Egg Hunt 2013? Well...here's a peep at some previously classified information. It's just a guide. You'll still have to use your best eagle eyed eyeballs to find them all, as there's many more eggs out in the wild, at least for as long as the more light fingered folk of Birstall can keep their cheeky mitts off them! Seeing as the KGB had to replenish quite a lot of the eggs last year, we will be putting some eggs safely behind various windows belonging to good local businesses, so that we can guarantee that there will be something for you to find.

We'll call every individual egg picture an entry to the competition and the winners will be chosen on the 4th April by a random number generator.

When you spot an egg (or other Easter icon) then please take a photo and send it to niddynoddy@hotmail.co.uk to be entered into a competition to win a giant Lindt cracker full of chocolate donated by Flexpress or a prize of a beautiful knitters brooch, donated by a local knitter.

This years' Woolly Egg Hunt was also be sponsored by Dodgy, of "Good Enough" fame and more, who are doing a bit of a "Back to Back" tour at the mo, so we're making them some tea cosies.  Naturally.  We also enjoy the continued support of the wonderful Little Bird School of Stitchcraft.

Here's a map...please click on it to see it all.

View KGB Woolly Egg Hunt Easter 2013 in a larger map

outdoor The Purple Myrtle Tree
indoor Windmill Avenue Shops
indoor Hannah Parade shops
outdoor School Lane Playground
indoor Went Road shops
indoor Kingsgate Avenue Shops
outdoor Greengate Cemetery
outdoor Golf Club
outdoor & indoor Birstall Library
outdoor Birstall Methodist Church
outdoor Birstall Garden Centre
outdoor Vets
outdoor Birstall Parish Council Offices
outdoor Flexpress This location is a smidge approximate. Sponsor of the Woolly Egg Hunt
outdoor Rainbows Nursery
outdoor Wanlip Preschool
outdoor Highcliffe Primary School and Acorns Under Fives Preschool and Toddler Group
outdoor Riverside Primary School
outdoor Stonehill High School
indoor Ruby Tuesdays Friend of the Woolly Egg Hunt and provider of delicious food.
outdoor Bus Stop (towards Leicester)
outdoor Outside Park & Ride (inside would have been safer for the egg, but hey...)
outdoor Midland Cooperative Society
outdoor Path to Watermead Park
outdoor Telephone Exchange
outdoor New Hallam Fields Playground Location is very approximate!
outdoor Greengate Allotments
outdoor Birstall Parish Church
indoor Wanlip Avenue Shops
indoor Lambourne Road shops

Woolly Egg Hunt 2013 - Oh yeah! Egg donating time!

The KGB Woolly Egg Hunt is now closed for competition entries, but please continue to send in your pictures to be included on the blog - thank you!

Ah, little did we know last year how you'd take to this...and how we've grown since!

So, without any further ado, it's time to get hooking and clacking again and make some eggs for the Woolly Egg Hunt 2013.

We'll be installing a eggs around the village of Birstall. Members of the public are encouraged to seek out the woolly eggs and send in pictures of their finds.  The pictures will be entered into a competition to win a Lindt Easter Egg cracker donated by Flexpress.  We also have a prize of a beautiful knitters brooch, donated by a local knitter.

In 2012 we had over 200 entries showing how popular this event was for our local community, so we  need lots of woolly eggs, whether knitting, crocheted, woven or felted.
   
Deadline for egg donations: 27th Mar 2013 (earlier if poss).  Eggs can be brough to the March Knit2gether at the White Horse, Birstall.
Installation Date: 28th Mar 2013

Last year we were pretty amazed at the eggy creations we received...so this year we think more of the same will be just fine!  The eggs will be festooned across Birstall, so let your imagination run riot as every egg can be the star of its own show.

 

Here's some patterns to get you started.  Mainly eggs is best, but if you would like to turn out a small chick or bunny wabbitt, that's fine too.

Knittin'

Knitted Easter Egg Patterns by Little Cotton Rabbits
Easter Tree Tutorials by Natural Suburbia
Easter Bunny by Craftbits

Crochet:

Easter Egg Crochet pattern by Easy Makes Me Happy
Amigurumi Easter Eggs by Jane Blogs

We're pleased to announce that this years' Woolly Egg Hunt will also be sponsored by Dodgy, of "Good Enough" fame and more, who are doing a bit of a "Back to Back" tour at the mo, so we're making them some tea cosies.  Naturally.

Trout Mask