Shaun the Sheep turns 30 & launches nationwide knitting campaign

Posted by Rachel Westall on 19 August 2025

Shaun the Sheep, the iconic stop motion character created by Aardman, appeared on screens in 1995’s Wallace & Gromit: A Close Shave, to critical acclaim. To mark some 30 years of Shaun’s madcap adventures and worldwide entertainment, Aardman has teamed up with British Wool, Campaign for Wool and Craft Forward to unveil a global knitting and crafting initiative with purpose.

Shaun the Sheep infographic for nationwide knitting campaign The campaign - 'Can Ewe Knit It?' – is a call out to global fans and knitting enthusiasts to knit or crochet a Shaun inspired blanket square, where a public event by Craft Forward will ewe-nite every woolly wonder to create Shaun the Sheep inspired blankets for unhoused people, with wool for the event being 100% British Wool, donated by West Yorkshire Spinners.

A spokesperson for Aardman said: "Shaun is a global and cultural icon, and to mark his 30th birthday we want to use his fame for good and connect the craft and innovation of our studio to incredible organisations that use craft to uplift communities.

"Fans worldwide have produced incredible artworks and crafted creations featuring Shaun since he first appeared on our screens – now we're putting a bleat out asking knitters, crocheters, and craft enthusiasts to flock together, and join our global act of woolly kindness and creativity to help unhoused people."

To take part, the ask is to knit or crochet a Shaun inspired 20cm x 20cm blanket square either by downloading one of the free pattern designs or create a totally unique project inspired by the worldwide woolly star and send to Craft Forward.

The squares will form the heart of a public event where creators will come together at The Mills Fabrica in Kings Cross on 28th October 2025 to make a flock of Shaun-inspired blankets. Each blanket will be given to an unhoused person in London through Craft Forward's 'Blankets for London' project, that brings warmth to some of the most vulnerable in society.

Shaun the Sheep A spokesperson from Craft Forward said: "The Blankets for London project has already produced 472 handmade blankets that are providing warmth and comfort to unhoused people across the city. We're so happy to be able to work with Aardman, British Wool, and the Campaign for Wool on this amazing project which will not only support Blankets for London, but also be the first rendition of Blankets for the World – an initiative to distribute warm, handmade blankets to different areas across the globe, giving a chance to people who send blankets and squares to contribute directly to their local area. 'Can Ewe Knit It?' is truly for everyone, whether you're new to knitting or crocheting, or a seasoned crafting pro. We hope you enjoy making our patterns as much as we enjoyed designing them!"

In Shaun the Sheep's 30-year career he has won two BAFTA awards, an Emmy, and was voted the nation's best loved BBC children's TV character in a poll by the Radio Times.

Whilst Shaun might be a giant across our screens, his model weighs just 100g and stands at 17cm tall. The team behind the stop motion superstar have used over 500 eyeballs, 300kg of clay and 10km of wire to keep Shaun's stardom alive for three decades, creating 2000 mouth shapes for a flock of over 140 sheep, where just three seconds of animation is created every day of production.

As proud supporters of UK sheep farmers for 75 years, British Wool's involvement in the campaign ensures that it's as homegrown as it is heartwarming. By encouraging fans to use real wool in their creations, it brings them closer to the farms and farmers that the fibre came from – and is a direct nod to Shaun's famously fleecy look.

HOW TO TAKE PART:
Download a square pattern (or make your own) via https://aard.mn/CanEweKnitIt
Use real wool where possible to support UK sheep farmers
Post your 20x20cm square to Craft Forward, 3 Space International House, 6 Canterbury Crescent, London, SW9 7QD by 30th September 2025
Share your creations using #CanEweKnitIt and tag @aardmananimations

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