Nattering knitters in Wigan community create animal magic

A knitting group has been busy creating bunting and animals to decorate a Wigan village to spread some cheer during the pandemic.

The colourful delights, made by members of Aspull One House Knit and Knatter, include honey pot bees flying around the postbox at the village’s Fingerpost.

Caterpillars, ladybirds and butterflies are among the other hand-crafted creatures dotted in various spots to brighten up the area.

Kathleen Marsh, a member of the group, said the response from the community had been wonderful.

She said: “Everyone has been so enthusiastic about what we’ve done.

“There are so many comments on the Aspull One House Facebook page from people saying it’s been so uplifting and positive during the pandemic.

“It really has been wonderful.”

The group first started around three years ago with Linda Hayes and three crochet hooks.

Slowly over time, lots of other women started going and getting involved.

Kathleen said: “A lot of them were stuck in the house and not socialising and mixing with people .

“Some had depression and other mental health issues.

“So they would come and join us every Monday night.”

Comprising around 25 to 30 women ranging from as young as 16 to as old as 90 and another who is blind, the group usually meet at Aspull One House Community Centre, but have not been able to because of the pandemic.

This has not stopped them from knitting and nattering though and the group hope they can resume meetings next month when it is hoped restrictions will finally end.

Initiatives the group have been involved in include the children’s shoebox appeal and the Poppy Appeal in November, which saw one lady make poppy masks to raise money for the Royal British Legion.

As well as this, the group has knitted blankets for Wigan Infirmary and Royal Bolton Hospital neo-natal unit, which were all washed and bagged up.

Their kindness does not stop there, as they have also crafted dementia dolls for people in Platt Bridge and made lap blankets for elderly people in the community and to Blackrod nursing

home.

And the group has even gone worldwide, knitting items for people in Kenya, New Zealand and Canada amongst other countries.

One soldier in Kenya even posted a picture to the group of him wearing a poppy face mask.

Kathleen said: “We get donations for our wool and we sell what we make.

“We also post things out to people and advertise what we knit on Facebook and local buy and sell groups.

“In Easter we also did a knitted theme around the village.

“We decorated the post box and put bunting up and designed Easter chickens and bunny rabbits for kids to find.

“It’s all about random acts of kindness.

“We’ll probably do another poppy theme next.

For more information on the group, visit Aspull One House on Facebook.

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