The Trundling Knitter!

27th April 2010 sees the coincidence of two events of personal importance, my final orthopedic examination after last year's double hip replacement surgery and World Tapir Day. I intend to mark both events simultaneously by walking the measured mile-long footpath in the Meadows in Edinburgh for the first time without my walking sticks. To make sure I can't hold a walking stick in either hand, I'll be knitting as I go.

That covers the renewed mobility but what about the tapirs? Well, the good folks at World Tapir Day have announced the 2010 Trundle for Tapirs - an initiative encouraging small local, fund-raising efforts all around the globe to preserve the habitat of Mountain Tapirs in Ecuador. While this campaign focuses on the tapirs there are obvious benefits to the ecology of the region and in turn to the whole planet. So to help me mark World Tapir Day, I'm asking as many people as possible to sponsor my walking knit to raise funds for World Tapir Day's nominated beneficiary, World Land Trust's Ecuador Rainforest Project.

Please let me know if you want to pledge sponsorship on madeleine@tapirland.co.uk. You can give a fixed amount or you can decide to sponsor me per circuit of the Meadows or per centimetre of knitting produced. I expect to manage between one and three circuits but I really have no idea what rate the knitting will work out at.

For those who care, I'll be knitting a 5 stitch I-cord on 7.5mm needles from either Noro Kureyon or Cascade 220 with the intention of felting it at a later date. The pre-felting length will be measured for sponsorship calculations.

When the time comes, the easiest way to to make your donation is online at the World Tapir Day page on JustGiving. I will also collect cash and cheque donations and submit them together as a lump sum.

So my plan is for you all to tell me how you want to sponsor my efforts and then on Tuesday 27th April at 6.30pm GMT I will set off from Milepost at the junction of Middle Meadow Walk and North Meadow Walk to walk and knit for as long as possible. Please come along to wish me well - bring your tapirs too!