IT MAY be the middle of summer, but keen knitters from Lime Tree Retirement Village in Cawston have already planned ahead for a colder weather by donating their own blankets to St Cross Hospital.
Four members of craft group – Dot Curtis-Clarke, Joy Marshall, Liz Hunt, and Twig Zeffert – have been keeping their needles busy making blankets for hospital patients.
Eighteen beautiful handmade blankets of different sizes and colours have already been donated to the hospital, with more on the way in time for autumn.
Liz Hunt explained: “We have the time, and we have the skills. It keeps us mentally, physically and socially active. Often people donate the wool to us too. We chose the Hospital of St Cross because as a retirement village, we know many people who use the hospital.”
Twig Zeffert added: “Knitting keeps us busy and we get together for a natter, so it’s nice for us as well as helping people.”
Nicky Mathew, from University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, said: “We’re so grateful to the residents of Lime Tree Village for donating these beautiful blankets to the hospital.
“We know that our patients will love them and that they’ll bring a bit of home comfort to them when they’re on the wards in the winter months.”
The UHCW Charity and Friends of St Cross are keen to hear from other knitters who would like to make ‘twiddlemuffs’ for patients at local hospitals.
Twiddlemuffs are knitted hand muffs with textured items attached inside and out, which have been shown to be stimulating and soothing for patients with dementia and other memory conditions.
Email Arts Coordinator Emma Linnane at [email protected] to get a pattern or find out more.
