GRANNY, Monica Dunne and her loving grandchildren Lucy Hayes (9) and Billy Hayes (5) launched the Kilkenny Arts Office ‘Knitted Together 3’ project
The art project, started in 2020 by Kilkenny Arts Office sees 100s of volunteers crocheting and knitting will for the first time be held in-person this year.
The past two years saw over 180 volunteers knit and crochet at home during lockdowns.
Nearly 4,000 crochet and knit squares were collected from each of the annual projects that resulted in over 100 blankets being stitched together and sold to raise thousands of Euros for charity.
The project aims to foster community spirit and connection across the county to mitigate against the effects of social isolation caused during the pandemic.
It will also create beautiful hand-made blankets to donate to local charities.
In 2022 the ambition to foster community spirit has been elevated as it is the first year of the project where groups and individuals can gather together to knit and crochet without restriction.
This year’s project team is encouraging individuals and community groups of all ages to come together to crochet and knit and to share and learn new skills as they produce hand-made blankets which will also displayed during an exhibition planned for Culture Night 2022.
Hubs across Kilkenny
Between now and August participants are asked to register their interest in participating online at www.kilkennyartsoffice.ie and will knit or crochet using double knitting yarn and 4mm crochet hooks or needles.
Participants with the skills and time to create full blankets are invited to take part along with participants who can also create 8-inch squares the result of which will be the stitching together of the squares to create community blankets.
Hubs’ will pop across Kilkenny. The project is also aiming to identify ‘Knitted Together Ambassadors’ who would like to take a lead role in teaching and hosting community knitting hours.
The ambassadors are people who hold skills in knitting and crochet they don’t have to be experts but should have a passion for the project.
The project is hugely supportive of positive ageing by creating social connections, skill exchanges, positive reinforcements and friendships.
Ambassadors’ will be supplied with free knitting and crochet kits to help them encourage new knitters and crocheters to join and learn new skills and make new connections.
Charities to benefit include The Jack and Jill Foundation, Enable Ireland, Irish Cancer Society, National Council for the Blind Ireland, The Samaritans and St Vincent De Paul.‘Knitted Together’ is funded by Creative Ireland. Those who wish to participate can register online and for further details see www.kilkennyartsoffice.ie
