Knitting Archive
As 2015 draws to a close we can look back on a very productive year in the knitting group. Lots of baby clothes and blankets have been made for charities as well as members beavering away on their own work. We’ve supported each other by sharing our skills, for example learning how to knit from charts and quite a few have learnt how to crochet for the first time.
We returned to the Robin Hood again this year where we enjoyed a very good Christmas lunch. We look forward to the first meeting of the new year which will be on 5th January at 1pm. New members are always welcome, whether experienced knitters, complete beginners, or somewhere in between!
"It has taken people a long time to appreciate that sitting down and rubbing two sticks together with a string of yarn between them not only creates something beautiful and truly creative, but is one of the most life-enhancing activities around. It just makes you feel good.” Kaffe Fassett
Knitting, once considered a necessary cost-saving domestic chore and something done by little old ladies, is enjoying a modern day resurgence. These days knitting has become a DIY fashion statement, community activity, educational device, health-care tool, and even a new form of urban graffiti.
Our U3A Knitting Group is enjoyed by a variety of knitters and crocheters from the very experienced to absolute beginners. We share skills and techniques, swap patterns, appreciate each other’s efforts and, to be honest, we natter a lot over coffee and biscuits. All newcomers receive a very warm welcome at our meetings on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays 1pm - 3pm.
JUNE
‘The knitting group members have all been quietly getting on with their projects over the last few weeks and today, 2nd June, we saw some great results. Monica Lomas has knitted a fabulous jacket for herself with matching scarf while Gill Liberanome has crocheted a massive amount of premature baby clothes and blankets for the neonatal unit at Liverpool Women’s hospital.
In the spirit of shared learning, Gill spent the afternoon teaching Jean Glover to crochet which resulted in a rather good square. It remains to be seen whether Jean will be tempted to carry on making more squares but she certainly has the start of a great blanket there.’
MARCH
We had some very exciting news at the knitting group today, 17th March. One of our members, Jean Glover, has won a 6 day holiday for two in Barcelona as a result of entering a competition in the U3A magazine. We are all thrilled for her.
Chris is back from her travels to find that the group has been extremely productive in her absence:-
Monica Lomas, inspired by Jean Glover’s knitted cushion a few weeks ago, has persevered with cables, bobbles and picot stitches to produce a stunning cushion for herself – well done Monica! -----
----- Elaine Marks-Parker has knitted herself a lovely warm jacket as well as knitting premature baby hats for St Mary’s hospital. This cause is very important to Elaine because her son was cared for in St Mary’s prem baby unit when he was born 25 years ago.
Mona Follows has knitted a very cute clown suit for Cal McKenna’s baby grandson Charlie, and has also responded to an appeal by the Black Sheep Craft Barn in Culcheth where a lot of the knitting group buy their yarn. A member of the Black Sheep staff has a friend whose twin babies are very poorly in the premature baby unit at Liverpool Women’s Hospital and the unit is very short of hand knitted garments and blankets for tiny babies. They are going to be absolutely delighted when they see the amount of blankets and garments that Mona has knitted, and she hasn’t finished yet!
FEBRUARY
For our first February meeting we visited Helmshore Mill. Anne O'Grady has written an account of the trip, which you can find by clicking the link on the right of this window...
JANUARY
It was a good meeting on 6th Jan and, as we were sharing the room with the Singing for Fun group, we had a bit of a singalong as well! Two of our group brought in items to ‘show and tell’. Anne O’Grady, who was a complete beginner a few months ago, has knitted a fabulous hat with very a fashionable pompom. Jean Glover, a more experienced knitter, has completed a wonderful cushion with very intricate stitching. Well done ladies, an inspiration to us all!
December: 2014 has been a very successful year for the knitting group with new members joining every month. Despite the amount of chattering that goes on during the meetings, blankets and baby clothes have been knitted and crocheted for the Rainbow Ward at Wigan Infirmary and the special care baby unit at St Mary’s hospital, Manchester. Alongside that, members have been producing their own garments and teaching each other new skills.
Sadly, Glenys Shepherd stepped down as group facilitator in October to allow her more time to pursue her other interests. The group are very appreciative of the time that Glenys spent as facilitator and so, at the last meeting of the year on the 16th December, we presented her with a thank you gift.
On 9th December the group enjoyed an excellent Christmas lunch at the Robin Hood. A good time was had by all and we didn’t even take our knitting!
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