Knitting is a popular pastime at Dovecote Manor Care Home in Bletchley. Residents love the opportunity to get creative and make a useable item they can keep or gift to a loved one. Knitting afternoons also provide an opportunity for people to socialise, make new friends, and share knitting tips and tricks with one another.
During a recent knitting session at Dovecote Manor, Micky who lives at the home said how she learnt to knit from her Grandma Bodenham when she was just 6 years old. Grandma Bodenham said it was a very useful skill to have, as you could make many useful items that were expensive to buy in the shops back then.
Micky really enjoyed learning to knit, and the more she practiced, the better she got. She would frequently challenge herself to make new items and see how they would turn out, helping her to improve her skills and become a more confident knitter. Her friends found this particularly useful and would frequently ask her to make toys and other items for their grandchildren, which Micky was always happy to do.
Micky also used her knitting skills to support people on the other side of the world! She used to attend an over-50s club and whilst there, one of her friends told her about the difficulties faced by some children in Africa when they are born. Some parents were too poor to afford clothes, so they would leave the hospital with their baby wrapped in newspaper.
Micky was heartbroken when she heard this and knew she could help, so she spent the next few months knitting brightly colored baby grows and sending them over to Africa. Knowing the items she made from her home were bringing joy to others was always fulfilling for Micky and made the time spent hand-crafting them well worth it.
Micky’s love for knitting is still going strong to this day. She regularly attends knitting activity sessions and continues to amaze people with some of the items she makes. One of her favorite items to knit is clown dolls, as they make a change from knitting everyday items like jumpers and blankets.
Micky’s colourful knitted creations can be found in her bedroom, and her friends at Dovecote Manor are always excited to see what she is going to make next!