Young people from Five Lamps’ Youthy have spent the past 8 months learning to knit.
The young people have been supported by Youthy staff, to knit blankets to donate to the neonatal unit for premature babies at the James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough.
The young people aged between 7 to 10 years are from the Youthy’s ‘Allstars’ Youth Club.
There were a lot of dropped stitches, extra stitches, wrapping wool the wrong way, dropping it all completely and having to start again, but the young people persevered, kept their humour and were absolutely brilliant.
The young people have worked extremely hard and they have knitted a total of 22 blankets consisting of 308 small squares, 22 centre pieces and crocheted edging. We are very proud of them.
Staff and volunteers at the Youthy have been a huge support, teaching the young people to knit, brushing up their own skills, taking knitting home to produce centre panels and correct mistakes, and have even roped in friends and family to make some squares too!
The blankets had to be very carefully made and put together to ensure there weren’t any tiny holes that the little babies could catch their fingers in.
The young people showed a lot of commitment and enthusiasm for the project and dedicated 2 nights a week solely to knitting their squares for the blankets.
The blankets were taken to the hospital on Wednesday 4 May 2011 and received with big thanks, huge smiles and the assurance that they would be well used.