knitted jumpers for penguins

Tasmania's Conservation Trust held a project to collect knitted jumpers for penguins caught in oil spills.

[quote]
The Penguin Jumpers Project has now finished. Over 15,000 jumpers were collected, which will be stored in Oil Spill Response Kits around Tasmania. In the case of a major oil spill, these jumpers will be used to help rehabilitate Little penguins (Eudyptula minor) that have been oil affected. Oil clogs the feathers of these tiny seagoing birds, and reduces their insulating and waterproofing qualities. Even worse, the penguins attempt to clean themselves by preening, and rapidly become poisoned.
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these are so cute!

click on the read more link below for the pattern:
Tasmania's Conservation Trust held a project to collect knitted jumpers for penguins caught in oil spills.

[quote]
The Penguin Jumpers Project has now finished. Over 15,000 jumpers were collected, which will be stored in Oil Spill Response Kits around Tasmania. In the case of a major oil spill, these jumpers will be used to help rehabilitate Little penguins (Eudyptula minor) that have been oil affected. Oil clogs the feathers of these tiny seagoing birds, and reduces their insulating and waterproofing qualities. Even worse, the penguins attempt to clean themselves by preening, and rapidly become poisoned.
[/quote]

these are so cute!

here's the pattern:

[quote]
Penguin Jumpers – Pattern

Handknitted 4 ply
4 ply wool 1 pair No. 10 needles (old measurement)
1 pair No. 12 needles (old measurement)
With No. 12 needles cast on 50 stitches.
K10 rows in K1, P1 rib

Change to No. 10 needles and K2, P2 rib whilst increasing at the end of every row 6 times (62 stitches) then continue to knit in 2 x 2 rib until garment measures 15cm.

Decrease one st at each end of every row until 36 stitches remain. In the next row decrease one st at each end and also one st in the middle of the row to leave 33 sts.

Change to K1, P1 rib with Size 12 needles.

Knit 11 rows and cast off firmly on Row 12.

This is one side of garment. Make another and sew up from upper decrease to start of rib open for flippers. Add elastic to the top and bottom to prevent the penguins getting out of them. Top: 15cm of elastic; bottom 17cm (knots allowed).

Hand knitted 8 ply
8 ply wool 1 pair No. 11 needles (old measurement)
1 pair of No. 9 needles (old measurement)
1 set of No. 11 needles (old measurement)

Cast on 36 stitches using No. 11 needles.

K1, P1 to end of row. Repeat this row 7 times.

Change to No. 9 needles and K2, P2 rib. Work 4 rows increasing at each end of every row. (44 sts)

Continue until work measures 15 cms.

Decrease 1 st at each end of every row until 28 sts remain.

Decrease 1 st. in middle of next row (27 sts.)

Leave on needle.

Make second side the same.

Transfer the 54 sts from both pieces to 3 of the set of 4 No. 11 needles.(18 sts on each.) and work a round neck in K1 P1 rib for 10 rows.

Cast off.

Stitch up sides to decreasing to 27sts (opening for flipper). Add elastic to the top and bottom to prevent the penguins getting out of them. Top: 15cm of elastic; bottom 17 cm (knots allowed).
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09/05/2010 : update : I just saw an article on the Courier Mail via twitter "Australians give hair off heads to save oily Gulf" about hair salons donating hair which is stuffed into stockings / pantyhose & used to help soak up some of the oil. obviously they'd need a LOT of these to have an impact. but this got me thinking, there must be a lot of animals affected by this recent oil spill so maybe they need knitted jackets for them too - though I don't think there's penguins on the coast where it happened?? (not sure). I asked @ravelry if there were any ravelry projects working on this. the yarn could help soak up the oil too.

from "Australians give hair off heads to save oily Gulf":
"AUSTRALIANS are giving the hair off their heads, the fur off their pets' backs and the tights off their legs. The unlikely cause? The massive oil slick spreading across the Gulf of Mexico. The donations are being used to make booms and mats to mop up the oily mess spewing out of the sunken BP-leased Deepwater Horizon oil platform which is lying on the seabed. "People from France, England, Spain, Brazil, Australia, all over Canada and the United States have signed up," said Lisa Gautier, co-founder of the Matter of Trust charity."