Penguin Parade

For Christmas 2021 I decided I wanted to do another fundraiser for local charity Isabel Hospice. Sticking with the animal theme, I based this one on penguins- and so the Penguin Parade was born!

I started out by doing some research and sketching out a few ideas. Although my knitted toys are rarely realistic, I find it helps to study the real animal for inspiration. I start off with realistic or semi-realistic sketches; then simplify the design to find appealing, knit-able shapes.

After this I started creating some prototypes and began knitting the actual penguins. I created a total of 12 penguins, to represent the 12 days of Christmas. Each penguin was a different shade of blue/purple and had a unique accessory to distinguish themselves from each other.

After this I decided that the penguins needed a friend, so I made a polar bear to be displayed alongside them. He also ended up featuring in some of my illustrations with them.

After this it was time to create some promotional materials. The aim of the fundraiser was for people to take part in a treasure hunt (they had to find each of the penguins hidden in shop windows around town, plus the polar bear) and make a donation to Isabel Hospice through a JustGiving page I had set up. Everyone who entered was then entered into a prize draw to win one of the penguins! I promoted this with posters and flyers (which I designed), as well as through my social media accounts.