Sharing the wealth

You may remember back a few weeks ago I was given a new stash.  I have been through it and ended up with two large bags that I knew I wouldn't knit with.  To that end I took it along to Medway Craft Group yesterday afternoon and asked the ladies to take what they wanted.  This yarn will be going to lots of new homes.  One lady knits for her local church charity, another for an African baby charity.  Another is taking yarn to the local KnitLit group as the ladies there are knitting scarves for charity.  Yarn will be going to the Fusion Holiday Activity Scheme in Huntingdon, so as you can see it is all going to good homes.  So thank you Cherry

I'd like to share with you something that the Group is working on

MEDWAY CRAFT GROUP - Links with Jack CECUP School. Lusaka

Back in July 2012 Medway Craft Group (MCG) had a stall at the Unity in the Community day at Huntingdonshire Regional College. At this event we met with David Bale who told us about Wiseman Banda, who is partner to Cambridgeshire’s Worldwide Connection Project. He also told us about Wiseman’s intentions to set up a sewing group for teenage mothers. After some discussions at our next meeting we decided that this was something we would like to learn more about. We then got back in touch with David Bale and invited him to one of our meetings to tell us more about the project.

Education in Zambia is compulsory, yet there is no funding for vulnerable children. The school has just five classrooms for its 500 pupils who attend in shifts according to age and whose teachers work a ten hour day. Mr Banda and his volunteers work tirelessly, without pay, for the benefit of underprivileged children. It was this selfless dedication that has drawn us to developing links with his school.

During his recent visit to Huntingdon, in January, Wiseman kindly visited MCG to enlighten us further regarding his “teenage mums sewing project”. He told us that his aim is to set up a teenage mothers sewing group which would provide young mums with a skill that would enable them to support themselves and their children. Initially the project would involve making school uniforms for both their school and others.

photograph courtesy of David Bale

We are in the process of making a quilt for each of the teenage mother’s children. These will serve a dual purpose – to keep them warm on cold nights and to give them ideas as to what they could perhaps make to sell. We would also like to include knitted items as the group has a number of experienced knitters. These could also provide them with ideas for things they could make for themselves and to sell. Everything we send will be accompanied by simple instructions.


If you would like to help us to encourage this group to become self-sufficient we are collecting the following items:


* PINS
* NEEDLES
* SCISSORS (Embroidery and Cutting Shears)
* TAPE MEASURES
* KNITTING NEEDLES
* CROCHET HOOKS
* THIMBLES
* THREAD (cotton etc)
* UN-PICKERS
* PENCILS
* TAYLORS CHALK
* SEWING MACHINES (electric or hand)
* COTTON FABRIC
* WADDING
* SAFETY PINS
* DONATIONS TOWARDS POSTAGE
* BUTTONS
* PRESS STUDS

Please contact Mary Adlam on 01480 453219 or Helen Hollington on 01480 456505 for further details – you may like to pop into one of our twice monthly meetings at the Huntingdon Medway Centre, Medway Road, Huntingdon, PE29 1SF


We were pleased to meet two new ladies yesterday, If you would like to join us at Medway Craft Group these are the upcoming meeting dates:


2013

7th and 21st March
4th, 18th and 25th April. The Medway Centre is in use as a polling station on 2nd May.
16th and 30th May
13th and 27th June
11th and 25th July
No meetings in August
12th and 26th September
10th and 24th October
7th and 21st November
5th and 19th December


2014

9th and 23rd January
6th and 20th February
6th and 20th March

I am working on a gift for a friend as well as the Ten Stitch blanket.  Its the Childry Shawl, I am using King Cole Riot, which is double knitting yarn in 30% wool and 70% acrylic.  Its extremely thin double knitting yarn, so is working out fine for this shawl!