Penguins Need Our Help Too!!

[Frangipani]

I came across this article the other night and immediately thought of C'ville! These penguins are being rehabilitated at Phillip Island Nature Reserve after getting caught in oil spills, which damage their feathers. While they recover, they wear these sweaters to keep warm. They also sell them in their gift shop to raise money for the penguin hospital.

(Clickable image)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/frangipani16/th_DSCF0436.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/frangipani16/DSCF0436.jpg)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/frangipani16/DSCF0437.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/frangipani16/DSCF0438.jpg

I thought this would be a fun project. Anyone interested in making these? Here is their website:
http://www.penguins.org.au/

Bec

[mythunderbird]

bec, those little guys are so cute. will have to see if i can make a few as my dd is nuts about penguins:lol :lol vicki

[Cordelia]

WOW they are cute....wonder how they keep them from tripping about in those sweaters?...Poor babies!

[twoqtgirls]

LOL! How cute! A sweater to wear over your tux! Great idea!

[Nashville Crocheter]

I Love penguins! Can't wait to see my friends faces when I tell them I am crocheting penguin sweaters :lol :rofl :rofl :rofl :laughroll:haha

[tween]

OMG! I LUV PENGUINS!!!! I HAFTA make a bunch for the lil guys & gals!!! Thank you soooooooooo much for the link!!!!

[HollyM]

Oh how adorable!!!
I poked around on their website, I couldn't find info about sweater criteria (size etc). :think Do you have anything on that?

Holly

[Chiscrochetcrazy]

Ok you got me with this one :) They're so adorable :manyheart I love birds that waddle (sp) I miss seeing my ducks roaming around the yard :( they're in a nice big pond now so they're better off.The penguins are so adorable in their sweaters:manyheart

[threeolivemartini]

I e-mailed them .. will let you know when i get the reply .

[Frangipani]

YAY! I'm so glad some of you want to help!! I emailed them as well but don't plan on hearing back right away as it's a long weekend here for the Queen mum's birthday. Basically I told them I belonged to a group that may be interested in donating penguin sweaters asked where I could get more information.
In the article, the Nature Reserve rep said that they "get the odd one or two sweaters sent to them from across the world" but not enough to keep them stocked up". So I figure anything is good.

As far as sizes, I would imagine they come in all different sizes. I know there are some especially little ones too (all together now....awww). :manyheart
I think if you make them to fit a football, you should be good.Since crochet is stretchy, I'm sure they'll fit fine.

I'll update when I know more.
Bec :D

[craftimama]

This is so neat! :) I did find a website that talks about making sweaters for penguins, but the pattern it lists is a knit pattern.

http://www.tv.cbc.ca/midday/pasttopics/sweaters.html

I'm not sure about the info on page address-wise, etc. But it did have a pattern and info on making the sweaters.

It says the sweaters need to be 100% wool.

If you hear back from them on how to donate sweaters, let us know the details. This would be a fun, small project!

Hugs, Juli

[Becks]

Did you check out their giftshop?
This is a picture of the sweaters they sell which also come with a stuffed penguin in them...
http://img61.echo.cx/img61/8926/penguin9dr.jpg Very cute! They do look knitted. I was wondering if they put used sweaters onto these penguins to sell or if they put donated ones which weren't made of wool on them. Or what? :lol

[mumbles17]

I made sweaters for them a few years ago (are they still needing more sweaters- cos I know they had a gazillion people all over the world that responded ( cos they are so darn cute) and i even recall a crochet version of the sweater - give me a while - and I will search thru the craft stuff in the garage..........and hopefully i can find it ..........

Fiona

[Frangipani]

I would imagine they need to be made from wool or something warm. I don't think they *have* to be knitted. Knitting is just the dominant "craft" here in Australia and even though people see that I crochet, they still refer to it as knitting! :think
They do sell them in the gift shop too to raise money for the penguin hospital. I will wait to hear from them but I figure if they get too many,they can just ship the excess to another nature reserve.

[SoCalDonna]

If I had not seen the picture, I might have thought you were pulling our legs. Poor little guys--they look so cute in those sweaters!

[pixi]

this is awesome thanks for posting this Frangipani!

[rebeccav]

OMG! how cute are they :D :manyheart

[Frangipani]

OK ladies! Someone emailed me a crochet pattern to make the penguin jumpers!! I don't know who it was, just the name Lyn. Anyway, I am going to try it out. I am still waiting to hear from the Nature Reserve.


Cheers,
Bec

[threeolivemartini]

i got the same thing Bec.. she is from the nature preserve.. I got the knit and the crochet version.. if any one wants it please drop me a note and i will forward it on ..

[craftimama]

Can you forward the patterns to me please?? They are SO cute! I can't get my kids to wear sweaters, so I'll just make them for penguins. :)

Hugs! juli

[threeolivemartini]

Due to all the requests.. and I would hate to miss any one .. i am just posting the crochet version here.. i dont think i am breaking any rules doing so .. if you want the knit version I have that as well

Crochet Pattern
Using double knit and 4.00 mm crochet hook. Make 19 chain. Miss first chain
and double crochet into the next 18 chain. (18 stitches) Turn, one chain,
double crochet into 18 chain. Repeat second row four times. (Makes six rows
of double crochet) Turn. One chain Change to half treble. Increase in first
st, half treble to last stitch. Increase in last stitch. Continue in half
treble increasing at each end of next row. Now continue half trebles without
increase for twelve more rows. Next, decrease at each end of every row for
four rows. (This decrease is like for armholes in a raglan sleeve jumper and
will accommodate the penguin's flippers.)

Now change back to double crochet and work eight rows. (This is the neck)
Make another piece the same.

To stitch up. Stitch up both sides to start of decrease and then stitch from
where decrease finishes to top of piece. This will leave about one inch and
a half both sides for flipper opening.

These little vests are not large. Nor are the penguins. You may put a piece
of hat elastic around thetop and bottom edge as the penguins can get their
toenails caught in them and will try to rip them off. The hat elastic will
draw in about another two inches around the top and bottom circumference.

Finished product. About 24 cm long and at widest point 14 cm.

NOTE: Notation about the crochet stitches is in "Australian" language. It is
possible that crocheters may have to convert to English. I believe that a
double crochet can sometimes be called single crochet and that half treble
is also known as half double crochet.

[waterbaby]

Thanks to Frangipani for alerting us to the plight of the penguins and to 3OM for posting the pattern. Who'd'a thought about there being such a need? Will get out some wool and start making little sweaters this weekend. Just one question/clarification about the pattern: Seems to me I read somewhere that stitch terms in Australian patterns are the same as American---is that right? And in England they're different. So that, for example a US/AU single crochet in England would be called a double, correct?

[Frangipani]

Here you go. These are the differences:

Australia ------------- US
yoh(yarn over hook)------------yo(yarn over)
ch(chain)------------------- ch(chain)
dc(double crochet)------------------sc(single crochet)
hdc(half double crochet)------------------hsc(half single crochet)
htr(half treble)---------------------hdc(half double crochet)
tr(trble)----------------dc(double crochet)
dtr(double treble-----------tr(treble)
trip tr(triple treble)------------------dtr(doublr treble)



I need to get crocheting again but I'm still jet lagged from the super long flight!! :coffee
Bec

[head2toepets2go]

http://www.tct.org.au/jumper.htm#Tasmanian

Sorry its not crocheted but its the only thing I could find!

Fran

[Krystal]

could I ask what 'double knit' is? is that an australian term, or is that a yarn we have in the US? I'm new to this still so my experience is limited.

Also, will the 4mm hook be something different here in the US?

Thanks for any replies...I might have to try and tackle this...I LOVE penguins

[Mel2nsluvsCrochet]

Those are THE most absolutely adorable little sweaters on those penguins! I would love to help out!!!! Would anyone be interested in helping me make up a pattern for a little sweater for abandoned kittens who were weened too early from their mothers? The animal shelter where my parents live have a dozen little kittens 3 weeks old that need to be kept warm, and of course, me being a sucker for kittens, threw my hat in the ring... what do you all think?

Melannie:hook

[sem464]

Ok, like I don't have anything else to do.:lol :lol Thank you so much for telling us about this. I printed the pattern & as soon as I can get my hands on some wool, I will make them.:hug