Knit a Hat, Save a Community, or at least plan to knit a hat, buy the pattern book and the yarn and only remember to knit when your ears get cold on your way to work

You may do things differently.

I on the other hand, have *almost* finished a pair of mittens I started 2 years ago. I'm under no illusion that I'll knit myself a hat before next Spring, but I like to surprise myself.

encircle

Now about saving a Community, I should probably explain myself. How does one save a Community by knitting a hat? In all reality, one doesn't. I'd never stop knitting hats to save communities all around, I'd pick it as my superpower. Hat-knittingWoman. I'd like a cape with that, TYVM.

rubbish mojitos

So, we're not saving a Community by knitting a hat. But we can help save a community by helping that very same Community to collect the funds to help them save their own Community from demolition. I'll tell you how, and I'll tell you why I care.

The Community we are talking about here is called Mutonia and this is what's happening to it (official statement)


The Mutoid Waste Company arrived in Santarcangelo di Romagna, Italy in 1990 to perform in that year's "Festival Dei Teatri", a renowned annual festival held in the town. From that time on Santarcangelo became a base for the group and it became their home. Their art, their way of life and they themselves became an accepted part of life in Santarcangelo. Over the last 23 years they have increasingly collaborated on projects with local institutions such as schools, and their ties with the local community have strengthened. In recent years some of the Mutoids have chosen the Yard as a safe place to raise their own children. 
The Yard is unique: a place that follows the rules whilst living completely outside them, a place that advocates an alternative outlook on life, a place that allows people to discover new things - and it's wonderful that such a place is considered a true part of Santarcangelo and that the locals readily accept the Yard as part of their community.
Despite these many years of mutually respectful cohabitation there is one voice that has continually spoken against the Mutoids presence; a single objector who now seriously threatens this culturally important phenomenon.
Mutonia is not a campsite (even though its inhabitants live in caravans, buses, trucks and temporary constructions that look more like works of art than houses); it's not a standard travellers site (although many of its inhabitants have a semi-nomadic lifestyle); and the group have never illegally occupied the land. 
In recent years Santarcangelo's local council has been searching for a solution to the situation, seeking help from other government bodies, with the ultimate aim of declaring the Mutoid Yard as a Site of Cultural Interest.
Unfortunately the Yard currently finds itself under a very real and serious threat of eviction - a reality which would not only destroy this unique community but also disperse its inhabitants and their artwork



A few years ago I got close to burning out. I gave myself the gift of therapy and avoided going down the hole. At that time I was just finding out more about the lovely knitting community. I read a lot of blogs by knitters, from the casual multi-hobbyist to the massively impressive designers who all show us a lot of their craft and a glimpse of their lives.

Runway

One of the special ones is Woolly Wormhead. A hat constructor extra-ordinaire, who just happens to live in a bus. This bus happens to be parked on the site of Mutonia.
Suddenly, whenever I thought to just start driving and keep going until I couldn't any longer, there was a destination. I never went, and I got better, but it's nice to know it's still there should I be in need of a destination ever again.

But now it might not.
Woolly (may I call you Woolly?) has released a pattern book called Hatopia which contains a whopping 10 of her popular designs for the price of £9.00 of which £7.00 goes to the SaveMutoniaFund.

Maybe you've already bought your own copy. If you haven't you totally should, or at least let me buy it for you. Well, one of you. Yes, it's a

Give away!!!

All you have to do is leave a comment below, stating when you'll cast on and actually finish knitting a hat if you had all the time in the world. (I'll check up on you!)* 

You'll also need to leave me a way to contact you, so add your Ravelry name, as that's the best I can come up with right now.

If you already own a copy, you can still enter. Just find someone you think deserves the gift of a really nice pattern book full of great hats and we'll get the book to them. 

If you're inclined to help out (and gain patterns, enlarge the stash, like we need an excuse) you should check out Woolly's blog in which she lists a bunch of people offering to donate part of your money if you buy some of their stuff  fluf. 

The GiveAway will close on Sunday the 25th of August, at noon CET. A winner will be chosen by some sort of random number generation. I'll figure something out.


Oh, and sign the petition. 

***COMPETITION NOW CLOSED***

*No I won't. I barely have time to check up on myself. Whatever makes you think I have time to check up on you?