Loving Hands Charity Knitters

Knit, Crochet and Sew for Charity

STOP PRESS!! Update on the 2009 Spring challenges.
Click HERE for details and to see our NEW Summer 2009 challenges

Latest News!!!!

As we move on through 2009 Loving Hands continues to grow every day - we now have over 400 members and four groups that work away making the items we need for our charities. New groups have now formed in Carrickfergus in Northern Ireland (meets monthly) and in Portsmouth in Hampshire (meets twice a month) with the posibility of some more forming in other areas very soon. This is very exciting for us as we can see our group growing and getting stronger all the time

For those looking at this website who would like to know more about what we are doing either email me - charityknitters@yahoo.co.uk or give me a call on 01383 830277 - you can also click on the Forum tab at the top of this page and see what fun we all have there (there are also lots of photos and pattern ideas there as well).

My health is improving and I am currently still waiting for the next stage in my reconstruction - shouldn't be long now till I am back in the local hospital for another operation. The staff there have been wonderful and I feel they are all now part of the family. I have been busy making cardigans, scarves, hats and other items for each and every one .of the team who have been giving me such excellent care - just a small gesture of thanks but they have all loved their gifts (the ladies on the forum enjoyed seeing my surgeon Mr Lyall in his new aran cardigan - he was looking so pleased with himself in the photo).

We have now added a new charity Algerian Action to our list of those we help - several of the members asked if we could do this and I contacted the young lady who runs it for the address to send our donations. Looks like another very worthwhile cause - we have just sent off a couple of boxes of baby clothes to them as Lynn tells us that a lot of new mothers in the area she goes to have nothing to clothe their babies in so she takes packs of items and gives one to each mother who needs it.
Thanks to all who have joined us and to those who have donated wool, fabric, wedding or bridesmaid dresses, toys etc. Every item is gratefully received and we always make sure to find the right place for everything we receive - this is the beauty of working with a diverse group of charities :0)
Lou xxx

We have recently had a donation of wool from Abakhan Wool company which we are really pleased about. They have lots of offers on their site if you want to buy some wool.

Here are some of their recent offers

Credit Crunch Offers at Abakhan.co.uk include Buy 1 Get 1 Free on Sirdar Bigga, Frenzy, Fizz, Funky Fur, Illusion & James Brett Vixen.
SIRDAR – All 500g packs ONLY £5 & All 1000g packs ONLY £11.
WENDY - Racy Lady, Shimmer & Cosmic – All 500g packs ONLY £6.99
PATONS – Spirit, Flower Garden, Coast, Zig Zag, Lush & Spritz – All 500g packs ONLY £6.99
TIVOLI – Ripples, Splendour, Plush, Gusto & Florence – 500g packs from ONLY £6.99
Shop Online - click on the logo
Latest Update on Lou - 30th October
Hi everyone - I am writing this update myself for Pam today so you will all know I am very much back in the land of the living. It has been a very rollercoaster three months but I am here and in good spirits (as the local members will tell you - my jokes haven't got any better and I certainly haven't lost my sense of humour)! Progress is very slow as I am not a fast healer, at the moment I am going to the hospital twice a week to get the dressings changed and waiting to be taken in for the next stage of reconstruction (which will hopefully be soon as I am to go to St Johns in Livingston next week to see the specialists there). Once they have compared notes with the surgeons at Queen Margarets I will probably be taken to Livingston to have the next operation done (probably to make a new cheek from the muscles in my shoulder - I am becoming an expert in flap surgery as I have been researching it so I will not get any nasty surprises when the time comes).
I have bought some wigs from a great store in China on ebay - just £10 each and they look fantastic - it looks so much better if I put a wig on over the bandages before I drive the car as I was having a lot of men 'rubber knecking' as they went past me! I have also lost over 3 stones now and am under 17 stones for the first time in 28 years! Not the sort of diet I would recommend to anyone else but at least I have had one good thing come out of this!
Loving Hands is going from strength to strength even in my abscence - my heartfelt thanks goes out to my lovely daughters Kelly and Roxanne who were determined to keep it afloat and working normally till I got back to it. Kelly is even coming to meetings with me now and knitting has helped her give up smoking as well! Also to my band of wonderful local helpers Suzanne who was like a rock to my family breezing in with her no nonsense attitude and making them all feel better at the same time. Kate who helped with parcels and came to visit me in the hospital, Gladys and her daughter Isobel who became my treasurers and made sure both meetings were running fine and my dear Stella who got roped in to help count and wrap all the things at the end of the challenges and who faithfulloy came to see me even though she was also having to visit her own mum in hospital after a heart attack. Finally to our wonderful Pam who kept the site updated with news of my progress - she always finds time for us even though her own talents are keeping her ever so busy with tv appearances, cd on sale and commisions for her paintings! Without you all things could have been in an awful muddle by the time I got back - thank you all so much. Thanks too to every one of my fabulous members - you kept on working and sent your cards and prayers to keep me going - the nursing staff had never seen one patient with so many cards and lots of them were hand made too which was great!
Looking forward - I will be absent for spells when I am in hospital for many months to come yet but in the end I will be like new - even better than I was before - every morning when I wake up I smile as each day is a gift and I am a very lucky lady indeed.
God Bless you all
Lou xxx
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Welcome to Loving Hands charity knitting, sewing and crochet group.
Loving Hands Charity Knitting Group was formed by Lou Jaap after a very succesful 24 hour Charity Knitathon which took place in the Volunteer Centre in Kirkcaldy, Fife to celebrate National Volunteers Week.
The event went so well it was decided to start up a group to continue the great work started during the Knitathon. We now have a blog site and forum.
We have members from all over the UK who knit and crochet for our various charities.

We have a group who meet up every Monday afternoon. We meet in the Community Centre, Main Street, Kelty from 1pm to 3pm - all welcome!

As well as the main charities, we make blankets for the local animal shelters and prem baby clothes for the local hospitals. New members are always welcome as are donations of yarn, needles, patterns, toy stuffing etc.