I can’t believe you’re one year old already!

I think we’re all agreed that p/hop is a Very Good Thing Indeed. And as all good things come in threes, I’m going to tell you about my three favourite things about p/hop.

1.  MSF

P/hop is an easy way to make regular donations to a fantastic charity. MSF is an immensely important organisation, providing emergency aid to people in the most desperate of situations, as well as implementing longer-term healthcare programs for those in need. I know that I am a very fortunate person – I have clean running water on tap, food to eat and a safe environment in which to live. But part of appeciating this good fortune is acknowledging that others are not so lucky and helping to make a contribution to make their lives better, and for me this is where p/hop comes in.

MSF is an independent and impartial organisation, ensuring that people are helped on the basis of need, not race, gender or political affiliation. An organisation like this clearly deserves as much support as we can give.

2.  Community

We all know how fantastic and supportive the knitting community is, but p/hop is extending my own personal community by bringing me into contact with new designers, fellow supporters and even new knitters (Hello Pete!). I really enjoyed chatting to the people on the p/hop stand at Woolfest, talking about patterns and their work and just how brilliantly things were going. While these things benefit me at a personal level, I like to think that they also benefit the global community, as our support of p/hop helps MSF to help people in need all over the world.

3.  Knitting!

Over the past year, I have p/hopped yarn, fibre and a Woolfest event ticket. I’ve also donated in return for yarn, patterns, the time of others, to support fundraising efforts and to acknowledge how fortunate I am. Each of these donations have been relatively small contributions, but you know what? Over the course of the year they add up. The fact that I have access to fantastic new patterns, yarns, books and all the rest is simply a bonus. So to round off I’ll stick to the spirit of the post and give you my top three p/hop patterns that I’m looking forward to getting on my needles…

• Hopsox – fantastic socks designed by Joy
• Lovely colourwork Without Borders Socks by Katie
• Jane’s cosy Cranford Mitts (probably!)

Thanks to all who have supported p/hop so far. Now let’s get the message out even further so that next year’s birthday party is even bigger!

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Thank you Sallyjoy. You can read more from Sallyjoy here.

Remember you can get all the blog-a-long updates by following p/hop on twitter and in the p/hop Ravelry group.