In 2020 Kilkenny County Council Arts Office ran a fabulous project called Knitted Together.
The council asked volunteers around the county to knit or crochet squares for the Elkana Charity in South Africa.
It had over 180 volunteers knitting and crocheting at home during lockdowns and was thrilled with the results.
It collected nearly 4000 squares and once again, volunteers came up trumps and helped to put the squares together to make some beautiful colourful blankets for the Elkana Charity and for local charities.
Based on the success of last year’s project the Arts Officde is continuing its Knitted Together project for 2021 and is once again seeking your help, support and skills to create more beautiful blankets for charity.
What it needs: This year it would like you to knit or crochet 8-inch squares (8 inches across by 8 inches down) using double knitting yarn (DK) and 4mm needles or 4mm crochet hooks, depending on your craft or you can do both.
COMPLETE BLANKETS YOURSELVES
To any of the participants with the skills and time to create full blankets, it is also inviting you to create the squares and complete the blankets yourselves.
For anyone making a full blanket you could use 6 squares across by 8 squares down (48 squares in total).
The completed blankets will be donated to Kilkenny charities and charity shops to help supplement their depleted fundraising.
As part of its 2021 project it will also organise on-line get-togethers and tutorials for anyone who wants to chat to others involved in the project or to learn from other makers.
If anyone is short of supplies, please let the office know and it will try to help as it has a limited number of kits to distribute.
But it is of encouraging you to use up any wool that you may have lying around at home.
If you would like to be a part of this project please email [email protected] to confirm your participation and so we can let you know about the get-togethers.
LAST YEAR’S BLANKETS
John Crowley, a South Kilkenny farmer and supporter of the Elkana Charity, shipped 40 of blankets plus donated blankets and knitted baby jumpers from volunteers and donations made by the people of South Kilkenny, to the Elkana Charity for Christmas 2020.
Because of the generosity and hard work of volunteers it was possible to give blankets to some Kilkenny organisations i.e. Amber Women’s Refuge, Good Shepherd Centre, O’Neill Centre, St Canice’s Homes for the Elderly and St Marys Homes for the Elderly.
This project is funded by Creative Ireland and supported by Age Friendly Kilkenny and Healthy Ireland Kilkenny programmes.
