The Needle and Thread Group's Projects Keep Them Active and Social

In Largs Bay a group of women gather every week for a chat, a cuppa (of course) and some purposeful knitting.

The Philip Kennedy Centre Health & Wellness Centre’s Needle and Thread Group has been meeting like this for more than five years, and the number of charity projects they have knitted donations for in that time can’t be underestimated.

Group member Pauline Garner said it all started when the group began to look for a cause to set their needles to.

“They need an outlet for what they’re doing; they’ve knitted for family - children, grandchildren they’ve all grown up - and they still want to keep active, they still enjoy doing their knitting and crocheting and sewing so they’re looking for somewhere for it to go,” she explained.

Pauline is part of another group called Knit4Charities, which works with the Adelaide Knit and Natter network of knitting groups to complete and donate whatever items local charities need. 

Projects have included knee rugs and twiddle muffs for people living in Residential Care, comfort teddy bears for ambulance officers to give to patients, and beanies for school children attending breakfast clubs.

If the local charities’ requests are covered they look further afield for projects, such as making enrichment toys for the Aussies Knitting for War Affected Kids group.

Pauline said having a cause has only increased the enjoyment the Needle and Thread Group gets from meeting up each week.

“It gave them incentive that what they were doing was really needed so it was a win-win situation for everybody,” she said.

The benefits for group members don’t stop there either.

“For me, to be able to go and crochet in good company with people and enjoy a couple of hours where we can have a chat, we can have a coffee, we can have a laugh and it’s just a good feeling for everybody and at the end of it you’re producing something that’s going to help people,” Pauline said.

“And it’s also helping us by exercising our hands and our brains.”

Not only does the group share a laugh and chat, but also their many years of knowledge and skills in knitting, crocheting and sewing.

Each new project is a chance to draw on the experience of one or more group members, and at times these skills are even shared with interested Health & Wellness staff.

“In their lunch break they’ll come in and say ‘can you show me this?’ and they’re watching what we’re doing, so we’re not just sharing our skills with each other we’re sharing them with the staff,” Pauline said.

It’s no wonder group numbers are starting to bounce back since the dip during the COVID-19 pandemic to around a dozen members.

Anyone who attends The Philip Kennedy Centre Health & Wellness Centre can join the Needle and Thread Group, just ask staff on site for more information.