Are knitted chicks a whole UK thing?

Posted by ars3nics@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 55 comments

With Easter getting closer, I remembered buying these knitted chicks, usually with a creme egg in them, for about a pound back in primary school. Was wondering if they're a UK-wide thing or not?? Just asked a few of my mates in the Midlands and they're looking at me like I'm insane.

This is the closest example I can find online!

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lika_86@reddit

I'm from the Midlands and remember them.

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heyitsed2@reddit

Ditto.

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cyanicpsion@reddit

Nw England.... My mother is busy knitting a bucket load of these as a charity fundraiser

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maceion@reddit

A lady knitter in my wife's dancing class makes these and sells them with proceeds going to her chosen charity. I always buy two , one for my wife, one for myself and display on sideboard until eaten at Easter.

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atomic_mermaid@reddit

I can't quite articulate why but that picture horrifies me.

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Imperator_Helvetica@reddit

Yes for Sheffield and Manchester - I guess they rely on volunteers knitting them - but selling them for £1 will probably leave you at a loss these days.

Creme eggs themselves are now nearly a quid themselves I think - unless you're buying in bulk.

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budapest_budapest@reddit

I’ve seen them in Manchester. Not super common, but I’ve been in a few pubs where someone has come round to sell them in a similar way to poppies. Usually fundraising for a hospice or similar.

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grubbygromit@reddit

I'm west mids and my mom would make these. Tbh not seen one for a while though.

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Traditional_Rice_660@reddit

East Midlands - yep, I remember these.

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Aggressive_Deal7058@reddit

My granny used to knit them! One year she bucked the trend and did a hedgehog.

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TheBristolBulk@reddit

Yeah but what did she knit?

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Fun_Anybody6745@reddit

I remember similar - something like this https://www.jeangreenhowe.com/Images/Easter_Egg_Treats.pdf

Jean Greenhowe used to publish loads of patterns in Woman’s Weekly, my gran used to get this and I think we had at least one of everything she ever published.

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Lynliam@reddit

Definitely a thing in Scotland mostly knitted for charity. I have 2 and I love them.

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-Po-Tay-Toes-@reddit

In Leeds and I got a robin one for a chocolate orange this Christmas.

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ReySpacefighter@reddit

South/Southwest, and definitely saw these growing up, but no longer!

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FlyingCloud777@reddit

Lord, those things from Scotland!

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LostMission663@reddit

I'm from the south west and we used to buy them every year.

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a_paulling@reddit

Same, interesting how it seems so irregularly distributed based on the comments

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SlumberlandSausage@reddit

I’m also from the south west and I’ve never seen these before.

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newfor2023@reddit

Ditto

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0235@reddit

I have a fluffy chicken one, though cream eggs can get a bit gooey if they are old, so make sure to not store them for too long

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raccoonsaff@reddit

I think in the 2000s and 2010s they were more of a thing, but I'm pretty sure they were all over the UK! Lots of schools encouraged kids to make them and would sell them. Nowadays you often see them at craft fairs round Easter. I feel like a lot of charity initiatives are becoming less of a 'thing' sadly, like Comic Relief and Children In Need.

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Worried_Drawing1094@reddit

I remember these in primary school, loved them!

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massie_le@reddit

Our local butcher did this

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bluepushkin@reddit

South east here, and I've never seen them before in my life. They're adorable, though!

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ASDowntheReddithole@reddit

I've made a few of these! They make neat, quick Easter gifts if you put a Creme Egg in them, double as an egg cosy (though I don't know anyone who uses an egg cosy any more), or you can just stuff them and make a little cuddly toy.

Good way to use up scraps of yarn, too.

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Slight_Bullfrog9403@reddit

Yorkshire, these were absolutely a thing here too!

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Useful_Shoulder2959@reddit

This has been a thing for a decade. They can also be crochet.

Craft, craft and more Craft and The Handmakers Lounge on Facebook sell these.

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thermalcat@reddit

It was a pretty common fund raiser in school. Grannies (usually, not exclusively) would knit or crochet them and then they would be sold at the fayre to help raise school funds. Or if you didn't need extra money just gifted to the kids.

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External-Praline-451@reddit

Yes, we had them in London too, with creme eggs in for charity. I bought one for a guy on a second date once, because it was Easter. Reader, I married him 🥰🐣

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KatVanWall@reddit

I’m from the East Midlands (and a knitter) and I’ve never seen them!

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Timely_Egg_6827@reddit

I have a few - usually knitted for charity at church fairs. I get them occasionally on animal rescue donation sites. I don't think ever commerical just a way for women (mainly) who had time and bits of spare yarn to make donations. You get terry chcolate orange ones at Xmas.

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jaycakes30@reddit

My kids school does these but they’re just eggs rather than chicks.

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blurredlynes@reddit

Never seen them before, but my mum knitted a Terry's Chocolate Orange Christmas pudding cover one year, but that was recent (<4 years ago and not childhood).

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Ornery-Reference6803@reddit

Had one of these send to me in Afghan in 2010. May still have it in a box somewhere 😂

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Bonjour19@reddit

I had these down south in Herts. My mum still knits them for me at Easter sometimes. She also knits them and sells them in the library to raise money for charity. Super cute and totally pointless like all the best things. Plus chocolate obviously.

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Hi2248@reddit

I remember them from Ayrshire, but not anywhere else in the UK

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BouncyBlueYoshi@reddit

Yep, I had some.

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One-Illustrator8358@reddit

I'm in the west mids and i remember having baskets of them

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newphone_newme@reddit

I'm from the East Midlands, definitely remember these growing up, usually at the village fete or church I think, the old ladies in the village would make them.

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ValenciaHadley@reddit

You should met my mother she knitted probably hundreds of them for charity, I'll have to ask where she sends them.

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Stuffedwithdates@reddit

I remember them in the 60s in south Wales

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solatregal@reddit

My work in N.I used to have them! I actually have a few of them in my car glove box, just cause it makes me happy to see them there

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Tiny_Statement_5609@reddit

We used to get these in Wales when I was a kiddo! There was always someone's nan at school who would happily make 240-odd so each kid could get a creme egg in one at easter!

Happier times...

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keepthebear@reddit

When I was little there was a lady at church who knitted them for us kids every year. I can't find any now.

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confused_each_day@reddit

I’m from the midlands and vaguely remember seeing these.

Usually it is a local individual or community group using them to fundraise?

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Looks like someone canny in your local WI managed to infiltrate the schools to boost sales 🙂

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