Did you know?

Most of you will know that the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society is a charity focused on gardening and horticulture in Scotland.  We seek to deliver our charitable objectives in a range of activities that encourage, promote and support gardening in Scotland.  BUT did you know that some members use the winter months, when they cannot do much in their gardens, to use their time to help deliver charitable objectives by KNITTING!  (Only a limited number of the output can be displayed at the Spring show as the contrast in the two pictures demonstrates!)

At the show –

A bed full perhaps?

Gill Anderson who co-ordinates the Caley Challlenge has sent this message:

From knitting single bed sized blankets in 2012 ‘The Caley’ rose to the challenge in 2013 to “Knit for Africa”. The story of the “Fish ‘n Chip babies” touched everyone’s hearts and just about everyone you spoke to knew someone who was knitting these little jumpers and matching beanie hats. Even the East Coast Train Ladies joined in. By the end of the project we were knitting cot blankets, teddy bears and larger jumpers to suit the healthy babies. These all made an eye-catching display at the Spring Show and quite rivalled the beauty of the Spring flowers. In all we knitted 775 items which have gone off to Malawi with The Raven’s Trust.

For 2013-14 we are again knitting for Mary’s Meals. They have a residential school for the deaf in Liberia, The Oscar Romero School for the Deaf, where our single bed sized blankets would be more than welcome. As before the instructions are easy, cast on 48 stitches using double knitting wool and ‘old size’ 8 needles and knit a 24inch strip of any colour or stripes. Once you have enough strips they can be sewn into a blanket. If you don’t knit perhaps you can sew. If you can’t do either then perhaps you would like to take part in Mary’s Meals Back Pack Project. There is plenty of information on their website about what goes into the Back Packs, you don’t even have to fill a whole one, just supply some of the items. And if you can’t do that then perhaps you would like to donate some 50p pieces as each item shipped abroad costs 50p to send.

A huge thank you goes to all our knitters, I know that your items will be well loved.

Gill Anderson