INSTANT PORRIDGE

One of our knitters, Fleur, has a solution for our hectic haberdashery routine.

Grasshopper Instant Porridge is saving our mornings. You might think we are lazy not opening until mid day but while you are waiting for us, we dash around on bikes doing all our other jobs and sometimes miss breakfast. To stop my hunger, I put Fleur's bio-degradable pot in an old sock, pinned onto my handle bars, and armed with a spoon, I can stuff it down at the traffic lights or on quiet roads. Yum. Order porridge pots from www.teamgrasshopper.co.uk

GONKS

Thank you to Tower Hamlets Occupational Health Group for donating lovely set of patterns and old buttons. We especially love this pattern for Gonks. 

There's a different pattern for each member of the family, but they are all basically as follows.

They used Dk on 4mm needles.

MAIN PART (3 sections alike)

Cast On 6 sts. Inc 1 st. each end of first 5 rows. (16 sts.)

Inc 1 st. at beg. of every row until there are 22 sts., then inc. 1 st. each end of every 3rd row until there are 36 sts. ** work 40 rows. * Dec. 1 st each end of next and every 3rd row until 22 sts. remain. Work 2 rows. Dec 1 st. at beg. of every row until 16 sts. remain. Dec. 1 st each end of next 5 rows. (6sts) Cast Off. Join 3 pieces tog. to form a round, leaving an opening for the stuffing. Stuff firmly and close the opening.

ARMS ( 2)

Cast On 15 sts. K. 20 rows. Cast Off.  Fold arms in half and join side and cast off edges, stuff and close opening.

HANDS (4 pieces alike)

Cast On 6 sts. k.5 rows. inc. 1 st. each end of every row until there are 18 sts. K. 3 rows. Cast off 5 sts. at beg. of next 2 rows. k. 5 rows.

Next row - k. 4 turn and k. 10 rows on these sts.  Cast Off. Join yarn and k. 8 rows on rem. sts. Cast Off. Sew hands tog. in pairs, stuff lightly, stitch to arms.

  

FEET (4 pieces)

Cast on 2 sts.  Inc. 1 st. each end of first 3 rows  Inc 1 st. at beg. of every 6the row until there are 12 sts. K 5 rows. Next row - * k. 3, turn and k. 3 rows on these sts. Dec. 1 st. at beg. of next 2 rows. Fasten off *, rep. from * to * 3 times. Sew feet tog. in pairs, leaving an opening, Stuff lightly and close opening.

If you can knit this, then I don't need to type up the patterns for all the clothes, because you are clever and could make it up yourself. Or...just pop in the shop and we will photocopy the whole thing for you...