Peggy & Caesar join Flip at Skeinz.com

Wow!  We have been busy getting penguins out to all of you who have ordered after the TV3 News appearance.  Stocks of Flip are now getting very low - so to get prepared to Christmas & the premiere of a certain Penguin animated movie, we have got in stocks of friends for Flip.

Peggy has now arrived - she super sweet & super soft - totally squeezable!

Peggy just loves cuddles!

To keep Peggy company we have found Caesar.  He's an Emperor Penguin with attitude & hates being left out.  He's a little bigger & bolder & has a series of jumpers just for him!  I hear he also likes to dance!

Caesar is a party Penguin, he's loves to get down & boogie!

They are available now - so still stuck on those Christmas gifts?

Flip hits the News!

Just when I thought everything had completely died away with the penguin project, TV3 cropped yesterday wanting a follow up story.  Huge ups to them for following the story up & here's hopefully it sparks even more Flip sales & more donations to the fund!
View the story Here.

A Penguin at the North Pole!

Is this where Santa gets his mail from?

Ian, our beloved Irish master spinner at the mill, who has a sense of humour dryer than a pub without beer, posed the question last week "Why don't Polar Bears eat Penguins?"
Answer: Because penguins live at the South Pole & Polar Bears in the North.
Obvious really... Until now!
An order arrived from a Mrs M.Shanks - North Pole
It transpires that North Pole is a city just outside of Fairbanks Alaska USA & Mrs Shanks ordered one of our Flip Penguins.  Said penguin is now winging his way (or should that be flipping!?) to the North Pole & should be there well in truly in time for Christmas. Just keep him away from Polar Bears!

The First Penguins Head Home

I just thought I would share this, it's wonderful to see the first penguins all cleaned up & heading home!

Getting Hooked up with Flip!

Flip modelling Rachels wonderful Crochet PJ

One of the most common emails I received from people about the penguin PJ's has been a request for a crochet pattern.  One of our wonderful Skeinz.com regulars Rachel Rayner devised a crocheted version of the jumper & has kindly given me permission to publish it here for your all.  So for all the happy hookers out there, you can now whip up a jumper for your penguins at home or if you would like to help contribute to the fund we will happily accept your jumpers at Skeinz & when we have enough we will add a Crochet option to Flips wardrobe.  I have made a small alteration - as our Flips are quite portly I have just upped the hook size to 5mm to accomodate his round girth!

Using DK (8ply or light worsted) wool with a 5mm hook:
Jumper body
Base: Chain 25
Row 1: Single crochet (sc) into base chain, turn.
Row 2: sc 6, front post single crochet (fpsc) 19, turn.
Row 3: fpsc 19, sc 6, turn.
Repeat rows 2 and 3 until the piece measures approximately 2.5cm wide, ending on a Row 2.
From a Row 2, without turning, chain 10 (increase made). Turn.
Row 4: sc 10 into your chain. Fpsc 19, sc 6, turn.
Row 5: sc 6, fpsc 29, turn.
Row 6: fpsc 29, sc 6, turn.
Repeat rows 5 and 6 until the piece measures approximately 10cm wide, ending on a Row 6.
Row 7: sc 6, fpsc 19, turn (decrease made).
Repeat rows 2 and 3 until the decreased section measures approximately 2.5cm wide, ending on a Row 2.
From a Row 2, without turning, chain 10 (increase made). Turn.
Repeat rows 4 to 6 until the entire piece measures 20cm wide. Bind off.
Neck and Finishing

• Fold the jumper in half and seam along Base Chain.
• Now we will add the neck. Starting in the centre back (if your Penguin Jumper has a back), fpsc to flipper hole.
• Chain 5 (this may vary, depending on your gauge) over the flipper hole. Fpsc over front; chain over second flipper hole and fbsc to centre back. Join to your starting stitch with a slip-stitch.
• Back post single crochet (bpsc) around. Make three decreases (bpsc; skip one fpsc; bpsc), evenly spaced around.
• Continue making rounds without decreasing, alternating fpsc and bpsc.
• When the neck measures about 5cm high, bind off, and thread a piece of elastic through the waist. You’re done!

Flip Needs You!

If you give Flip a squeeze he sings!

I have just uploaded the first installment of Flip penguins & separate jumpers for sale to Skeinz.  They would make great gifts for family & friends this Christmas.

Remember 100% off all the money raised through the sale of the jumpers goes back to the penguins via our new Penguin Rescue Fund.  The great people at Forest & Bird (NZ) will be helping out along with the Cape Sanctuary Little Blue Penguin nesting programme.

If you have knitted jumpers & you wish to post them to us, you can send them to:
Skeinz, PO Box 3123 Onekawa, Napier 4142, New Zealand

If you are still wanting to knit a jumper, the pattern is listed in the post entitled 'Penguin Power'

Keep posted I will be releasing a crochet pattern very soon....