So, the time has come.

Some thought they would never live to see it, but it has arrived….

But first a bit of background. I started knitting as a result of p/hop and particular because of Natalie. One day a guy called Steve saw this blog and really liked the project. Steve is a physician so MSF is close to his heart anyway, but more importantly Steve is a knitter. In a fit of outrageous generosity (which I’m sure he now regrets), Steve offered a donation of $500 if I could knit anything! Now, I’ll do pretty much anything for $500 and so started my Arsenal scarf.

The challenge was that Steve would pay once I could get the scarf all the way round my neck. On holiday in Ghana that happened. So, myself, Anna, Zak and Janet (the guys I was staying with) made a song for Steve.

So here are MSF-Pete and the Ghana Hillbillies. Hope you like it Steve……….

Big thanks goes out to our very talented backing dancers: Bismarc, Roxine and their mate whose name escapes me….

Also, at one point, excuse my French – heat of the moment stuff!

So I have just been on holiday to Ghana! Went to visit my friends Zak and Anna, who are there doing work for a development organisation called AACO (don’t tell MSF). Had a wonderful time and did a lot of knitting. Made a couple of videos for p/hop, one I’ll post now and one in a week or so as I am off to France on Friday (it is my 30th this month so I have used it as an excuse to go on 2 holidays

Loads of boys in Ghana crochet by the way but I saw no other knitters.

More on my return from France and the next one is a bit special…..

Ray, MSF Logistician writes of his adventures at Woolfest..

When I got the request from Aisha to help at a festival in June, I wondered which bands I might want to see, and would my steel toe-cap wellies be too much for Glasto. Then I saw “Woolfest” WHAT??? I imagined a big knitting circle with old ladies in coats, making oversize jumpers. How wrong could I be? The venue is huge, a massive modern barn usually being employed as a livestock auction room. For that weekend there were about 150 stalls with a serious display of variety, and showing me that there was a lot more to wool than I thought. There was everything from live sheep, alpaca and some other things I couldn’t identify (large rabbit like creatures), through the spinning, weaving and knitting bits, and including finished clothes, buttons and every imaginable item that could be used with wool. A group was knitting squares to make blankets for Afghanistan. The Red Cross tent stayed quiet, thankfully. All others were regular hives of activity. We were placed right next to the ice-cream seller. “What does ice-cream have to do with wool?” I hear you ask. This delicious ice-cream was made from ewes milk, of course, and was selling like hot-cakes. (I couldn’t think of a worse simile than that).

Aisha giving out patterns

I even got involved with a little impromptu knitting, as the mood overtook me. Logistician’s big, fat sausage fingers, combined with my ineptitide, were too much though for such a delicate art.

Sonja and Ray

The reception was beyond warm, and so many visitors/donors stated that MSF was the only cause they found worthy of their support. Some emotions ran higher, and even rose to tears when one lovely lady spoke with Sonja (our midwife) about the work she had done.

Gavin, Ray and Sonja at The Yarn Yard Stall

The aim of the two days was well and truly acheived, as the message about our work was thoroughly well spread among the knitting community. Who would have thought that MSF and knitting could be linked like this? Whatever next? I look forward to any new ventures along these lines. Any suggestions anyone?

One similarity to Glasto……we camped. Thanks to great weather, and to a site full of spinners, the festival continued into the night.

A big thanks to all involved, lovely people, all of them, who won’t mind being called a little wooly on this occasion!

To the next time.