Knit & Natter Group host fundraising Craft Fair
NORTHLANDS House Care Home in Southampton is holding a Craft Fair this Saturday (November 23, 2024) featuring products made by its inhouse Knit & Natter Group.
The industrious knitters banded together as an offshoot of our Young Visitors’ Project and proceeds from the sale will go towards extra activities for residents.
Handmade goods
Our Service Development Officer, Tricia, explains: “They will be selling hoards of knitted Christmassy goods, handmade by the wonderful residents and our volunteers at Northlands House in Westrow Road, Banister Park at the Craft Fair at the Care Home this Saturday, November 23 from 2.30pm.
“One of the main aims of Communicare is to reduce loneliness and isolation in the community and, among many other schemes, we run intergenerational projects between the elderly and young volunteers.
Young Visitors’ Project
“One of these is our Young Visitors’ Project at Northlands House, which aims to connect residents of Northlands House to young people, usually sixth formers, through activities and conversation. It is also a chance for the young visitors to learn about the residents’ childhoods and what life used to be like, and for the older residents to learn about life today from a younger person’s perspective.
Renewing skills
“One of our senior volunteers wished to combine her knitting expertise with her involvement with the project by starting a conversational knitting group that became fondly known as Northlands’ Knit & Natter. She was able to revive a love of knitting in many of the residents and guided the members into renewing their skills.
“As the group is connected to Communicare, they quickly gained some junior members eager to learn to knit. The knitting gave the residents the opportunity to engage with the young people and was an important icebreaker that led into much deeper conversations.”
Knitting challenge
Once the group was established, a project began, and every member of the group was given the challenge of knitting their own square.
The plan was to assemble the many squares into blankets that would represent a collaborative venture between generations. Many hours of effort went into these squares.
Sharing yarns
Young volunteer Callum Jacob, aged 19, who has been involved with the project, says: “I had enormous fun knitting my square despite how challenging it was to learn. I started my square at 20 stitches but after a few sessions ended up with 27 and had to undo the work I’d done. I got there in the end and am thrilled to have contributed to a blanket. The best thing about Knit & Natter is being able to easily talk to the residents around something they enjoy.
“Many hadn’t knitted for many years and knitting their squares brought back many fond memories of parents knitting clothes for their siblings and of recycling old jumpers and re-using the yarn.”
Knitting fever
Once the knitting fever began, the more expert members of the group quickly progressed from squares to all kinds of different things.
Exceptional gifts
Bethany Fiddler, Activities Coordinator at Northlands House adds: “We now have a stockpile of spectacular Christmas themed knitted items that would make exceptional gifts and are all up for sale on November 23 from 2.30pm at the Craft Fair at Northlands House.”
Photo with thanks to Tim Kenyon Photography.