The Knit a Christmas Jumper in December Challenge is a knitting challenge that asks supporters to knit a Christmas or a festive jumper throughout the month of December. But how you take on the challenge is completely up to you! There are lots of ways to get involved:
Knit a little each day — set aside time daily to work on your project.
Dedicate a few weekends — perfect if you prefer longer, focused sessions.
Work at your own pace — choose a rhythm that fits your schedule.
To help you get started, we’ve provided a suggested jumper pattern(PDF, 790 KB), which you’re welcome to use. If you’d prefer something different, there’s a wide range of knitting and crochet patterns available on LoveCrafts and Garn Studios so you can choose a project that suits your interests and skill level. And of course, you’re completely free to pick your own pattern from anywhere!
We know everyone’s knitting journey is different, so we encourage you to choose something that feels fun, achievable, and just the right amount of challenging. Your finished item doesn’t need to be perfect; what matters most is that you’ve taken on something creative, had fun, and helped raise vital funds for Cancer Research UK. Get your friends and family involved, share your progress throughout December, and celebrate your masterpiece on Christmas Day!
Unfortunately handmade or handknitted items cannot be sold in our stores with or without care/traceability labels, so we can't accept any challenge items as donations. Items donated to our stores need to be put through and pass the relevant industry safety checks in order for us to be able to sell these safely on. We appreciate a lot of time and effort went into making these so we're sorry not to be able to accept these in store, but please do have a look online as we're sure there are organisations who will be in need of these items such as homeless shelters.
There’s lots of ways you can fundraise for life-saving cancer research as part of the Knit a Christmas Jumper challenge. A few of our ideas are shared below:
Ask friends and family to sponsor a number of stitches or rows (for example, £5 for 500 stitches). You could even create a progress tracker showing how far along you are and who sponsored each section.
Knit mini Christmas jumper decorations or keyrings and sell them at local craft fairs, online (for example, Etsy or Facebook Marketplace) or to colleagues. These are quick to make and can be themed around Cancer Research UK colours or logos.
Host a live knitting session on social media (for example, Instagram Live, Facebook Live, TikTok). Encourage viewers to donate during the stream and share updates on your progress.
Let donors “name” the jumper or choose a theme (for example, reindeer, snowflakes, Cancer Research UK branding). You could even embroider their name or initials into the design.
Encourage colleagues or local knitters to join you in the challenge. Set a collective fundraising goal and track progress together.
ost a small event (virtual or in-person) at the end of December to reveal the finished jumper.
Absolutely! You don’t need to knit a jumper to join in. This challenge is all about choosing an item and technique that suits your skill level and inspires you. Whether you're a beginner or more experienced, you can knit or crochet any item you like, from scarves and hats to socks or even festive decorations. We encourage you to make this challenge your own. Pick something that feels achievable but still pushes you a little, and most importantly, have fun while fundraising for Cancer Research UK. Need inspiration? If you need more inspiration you can explore the ideas at Garn Studios or choose your own pattern.
We encourage everyone to take part during December and share their finished creation on Christmas Day, it’s a lovely way to celebrate your achievement! However, this is a personal challenge, and you’re welcome to start or finish at a time that works best for you. If December is too busy or you need more time, you can absolutely continue your project into January. What matters most is that you enjoy the process and support Cancer Research UK in your own way.
Once you have signed up, join the Facebook Group dedicated to this challenge.
Once you're in, you can:
Get tips and tricks on knitting.
Be inspired by other fundraisers and knitters.
Find out anything you want to know about the challenge.
Yes! If you don’t have Facebook, you can set up a Cancer Research UK online Giving Page using the link below and collect sponsorship for your Knit a Christmas Jumper in December Challenge.
There is no entry fee for this challenge. Participants are asked to collect funds for Cancer Research UK through your online Giving Page. This will automatically be sent to us once paid onto your page.
The only thing that matters is that you challenge yourself and try your best to complete as much of the challenge as you can. Whether that’s completing your jumper in December or not, the money that you fundraise through participating will allow Cancer Research UK to continue to fund life-saving research and we can’t thank you enough.
Nope, we trust you! You don’t need to submit any proof to us that you’ve completed your jumper. This is a personal challenge, and it’s all about having fun, getting creative, and supporting a great cause. That said, keeping your friends and family updated is really important, not only does it keep them engaged, but participants who regularly share their progress tend to raise up to 40% more! So be sure to post photos, videos, and updates on your online Giving Page throughout December.
We also encourage you to share your journey, the highs and the hiccups, in the challenge group. Whether your stitches are perfect or a little wobbly, we’d love to see your progress. And don’t forget to reveal your final masterpiece on Christmas Day, it’s a great way to celebrate your achievement with the community!
To receive your free tote bag, complete our sign up form.
Please note: Due to unforeseen circumstances, there are some fulfilment delays. Your tote bag should arrive during the first week of December. If you haven’t received it by 8th December, please get in touch with our Supporter Services team at: supporter.services@cancer.org.uk
During registration, we offer the option for people to opt out of being sent a tote bag should they not want one for the challenge. When filling out the sign-up form, simply select ‘no’ where it asks if you’d like to receive a tote bag; you’ll still receive an online Giving Page, be able to join the challenge group, and take part!
Sending out your tote bag comes at a cost to Cancer Research UK so please only order one tote bag per fundraiser to ensure as much money goes towards our life-saving research as possible. We ask for everyone requesting a tote bag that they donate something to their fundraising page.
Unfortunately, medals come at a large cost to the charity so we will not be sending these out. However, we will send all participants a certificate at the end of the challenge in their completion email. You can also access downloadable digital badges to shout about your achievement on social media.
Yes, under 18s can take part in this challenge, but we do not market to them and any third-party platform forum (for example, a Facebook forum) is only available to over 18s. If under 18s are taking part, their parent/guardian must consent to the child’s participation, supervise the challenge, and accept responsibility for complying with the challenge rules. Currently we are unable to accept registrations for a child, so the child’s parent/guardian have to register on the child’s behalf. Similarly, if a child wants to raise money online and/or join a forum, the child’s parent/guardian must register for an online fundraising page and/or join the forum on the child’s behalf.
Participants must register as individuals but can take on the challenge in a team. To raise money together, you can set up a Team Giving Page once you’ve registered and received your individual pages.
To do this follow these steps:
All your team will need to sign up to the Knit a Christmas Jumper in December Challenge so they each have their own online Giving Page.
Once everyone has signed up, log into your account.
Hit the 'Create new team' button and follow the instructions.
Once you've created your team, you can send the team page URL to friends and family so they can join too!
Using our Online Fundraising Platform is the easiest way to raise money. Once you've signed up, you will receive a Fundraising Giving Page once you’ve registered here. You can then share the page with your friends and family to gather sponsorship for your challenge.
We don’t set a fundraising target for participants, but we recommend that supporters set themselves a reasonable target of raising £150 or more.
Our fundraising hub has plenty of fundraising tools and ideas to help you raise life-saving donations.
This challenge is a fundraising initiative specifically developed by Cancer Research UK, and therefore all fundraising must go solely to the charity.
Gift Aid is a tax relief allowing UK charities to reclaim an extra 25% on every eligible donation made by a UK taxpayer. This means Cancer Research UK can claim an extra 25p for every £1 donated, without it costing you or your sponsors an extra penny. If the donation is eligible for Gift Aid, sponsors need to fill out the sponsor form, following the guidelines at the top of the page.
