Local community group Yarning Bundaberg has embarked on a journey to help keep people warm with its new charity Project Square.
Yarning Bundaberg organiser Jenni Laing said Project Square would entail like-minded community members coming together to create small sections of a woollen blanket known as a granny square.
The granny squares will each be 25cm square and be made from knitted or crocheted eight-ply wool, these squares will then be weaved together to form a large woollen blanket for the needy.
“Project Square is about giving community groups in the Bundaberg Region crochet/knitted blankets, which in turn they could give out to those in need, use as a raffle prize or however the community group feels it best suit their needs,” Jenni said.
“You don’t have to have a certain skill level to take part, it’s open to beginners, and people are welcome to come along to our Yarning Bundaberg meet-ups to get help.”
In order to make Project Square successful, Jenni said they needed help from not only the talented craftspeople who would weave their magic and create the granny squares but also from anyone who was able to help assemble the granny squares into a blanket.
The more granny squares made the better
When it comes to squares, the more the better as Jenni said it would take 16 squares to make a lap blanket and 48 squares to make a blanket to fit a queen size bed.
Jenni said the first step in Project Square would take place between now and June, and she was amazed 40 squares had already been donated in the first few weeks.
“Between January and June, we ask that you make and donate as many granny squares as you can,” she said.
“They can be all different colours and/or patterns remembering that a blanket could end up in the hands of a child or adult, male or female.
“We are also getting help from the Ladies Sewing Circle group from Bribie Island, which is amazing too!”
Once the granny squares are made, they can be dropped at a number of locations in the Bundaberg Region including Fabric Pallette on Targo St, the Bundaberg Library or at one of the Yarning Bundaberg catch ups.
The next step would be to assemble the granny squares to form the warm blanket, this will take part during July and August, before the blankets find new homes with charity groups and community groups in September.
Yarning Bundaberg continues to grow
Yarning Bundaberg is a social group that was started in May last year, it is open to anyone who would like to sit, knit and chat, meeting at Bundaberg Library.
“We are always so grateful for the support given to our group by the library,” she said.
“Each meeting we consistently have between 15 and 20 people turn up, and new members are coming along all the time too!”
I am needing to know that these blankets and rugs will not be wrapped around trees like last year’s winter. Don’t want to do all that work to keep a tree warm.