Knitted Together project collaborates with Men’s Sheds to produce stools for charity

 

The crocheters and knitters participating in Knitted Together 2022 have joined forces with three Men’s Sheds groups across Kilkenny to create a traditional Irish dresser stool which will be sold alongside beautifully knitted and crochet blankets to raise funds for charities including The Jack and Jill Foundation, Enable Ireland, Irish Cancer Society, National Council for the Blind Ireland, The Samaritans and St Vincent De Paul.

The Kilkenny City, Graignamanagh and the Fen Men’s Shed groups have created 60 of the stools for which the knitters and crocheters have created beautiful seated tops. In addition, on the stools made by the Graignamanagh Men’s Shed a wooden box which sits underneath the stool has also been created in order to store wool and needles.

Speaking of this collaboration Kilkenny Arts Office Mary Butler says, “We are delighted to bring two diverse groups of creators together through Knitted Together. One of the ambitions for this project, when it began, was to ensure inclusion and community connections and this goal has most certainly been achieved.

Each of the Men’s Sheds groups has created a number of beautiful stools with each shed taking its own creative approach. A number of knitters and crocheters have created stunning covers to compliment the stools and the end result is gorgeous. We know that these will be very popular when all of the pieces created go to the charity shops for sale in September.”

The Knitted Together Project has taken place for the past two years. During this time the project has seen over 230 participants knit and crochet at home during lockdowns each year. Nearly 4,000 crochet and knit squares were collected from each of the annual projects, which resulted in hundreds of blankets being created and sold raising thousands of euros for charity. Since May this year participants have, once again, been knitting and crocheting both full blankets and granny squares. 

The ambition to foster community spirit has been further elevated in 2022 as it is the first year of the project where groups and individuals have been able to gather together to create without restriction. This has been facilitated by a number of very successful Maker-Meet-Ups over the last three months. These have taken place in the City and across the county and all have resulted in the creation of unique collective blankets. 

Following the completion of the Knitted Together project creations in early September all of the pieces will be exhibited and sold at the charity shops run by The Jack and Jill Foundation, Enable Ireland, Irish Cancer Society, National Council for the Blind Ireland, The Samaritans and St. Vincent De Paul across Kilkenny City and county.

Knitted Together is funded by Creative Ireland. Those who wish to send in their hand crafted items can do so from August  17 to 24, by submitting them into Knitted Together boxes at Loughboy Supervalu, Ballyraggett Supervalu, Thomastown Supervalu, County Hall on John's Street, Kilkenny or send them to Bernadette Roberts, Kilkenny Arts Office, Johns Green House, Johns Green, Kilkenny.

For further details see www.kilkennyartsoffice.ie