Knit and Natter News

From Katie Gwilt, PQASSO Intern at The Reader and Knit and Natterer

Welcome to the new Knit and Natter Weekly Update!

Knit and Natter has been taking place at The Reader at Calderstones for just over a year now, organised by one of the volunteers, Sue. We meet every Tuesday at the Mansion House from 10:30am-12:30pm and we are made up of a wide mixture of ages and genders (we welcome men who knit!). We have knitters, our resident crochet expert, keen sewers, cross stitchers and professional soap makers. It’s a very welcoming group who work hard and definitely like to natter! Amid the needles, wool and biscuits, we always find time to stop for some Shared Reading (usually one or two poems). A number of our members are part of the various reading groups The Reader runs and anyone can bring along a poem they would like to share with the group.

Since the group started, not only have we all worked on our own creative individual projects for friends and family, but also we have been busy raising money for The Reader. We have donated homemade items for craft fairs plus made a variety of monsters and animals for the new childrens interactive story-centre The Storybarn and Ice Cream Parlour, made squares for the premature baby unit at The Women’s Hospital and are currently working towards the next craft fair in Calderstones Park on Saturday 16^th April. One of our knitters has just finished this adorable knitted owl who will be on sale on the day with all proceeds going to The Reader, supporting their outreach work bringing Shared Reading to many various communities.

One of our knitters Rita Harvey went over to The Storybarn recently to drop off an amazing caterpillar she made especially for the space. She handcrafted all of the individual body pieces separately, choosing different coloured material, stuffing and sewing them together, adding in the letters of the alphabet across his side - doesn’t he remind you of the Very Hungry Caterpillar? – and finishing him off with lots of individually-handmade feet, which you’ll see if you look at him from the back and were apparently a nightmare to make and attach! We had a lot of fun tying him to one of the tree branches, so if you are in there see if you can spot him and give him a friendly wave…

Rita's friendly Caterpillar has found a new home in The Storybarn

At a future meeting we are planning on taking some more creatures over to The Storybarn as a group and arranging them around the building so keep your eyes peeled for some more new weird and wonderful knitted colourful creations…

One final work in progress also by Rita is this lovely one-off Betty Boop toy she is making for a family member. I just love the embroidery for her face. She is fast making the hair to be able to attach and then her work is done. I know I would be over the moon to receive a handmade gift like this and I am sure her new owner will cherish her.

We are a fast growing group and new members are always welcome. If you are interested in getting involved with us and making Tuesday the highlight of your week, please contact katiegwilt@thereader.org.uk and come along and join the fun! No previous knitting experience is required, just bring some needles and wool and we can help you get started and soon I promise you will be hooked.

And if you're interested in being part of Knit and Natter, get a further taste of what happens by taking a look at the video below...