Visitors to Alexandra Library between 11am and 1pm on a Thursday are likely to see a group of women bonding over yarn and patterns, often knitting tiny singlets, delicate cardigans or elaborate fairisle or cabled jumpers in children’s sizes.

The weekly meeting is known as Yarn Together, and brings interested parties together to share stories and their skills with each other, with many also contributing to the Knitting for Plunket and Communities Project, crafting warm garments to be distributed in the community.

The garments are beautifully crafted by skilled knitters

The project was started by Christchurch woman Barbara Aitken in 2009 under the umbrella of the Kiwi Family Trust to fill a need she saw in the community.

“I knew a few Plunket nurses and I’d been a nanny and I met up with people and their children were in acrylics and they didn’t have any warm clothes or blankets,” Barbara said.

The project had only a few knitters when it began, mainly staff from the trust.

“I started in Christchurch and it blossomed, and now we have knitters all over,” she said.

The Alexandra group came into being because the daughter of knitter Robyn McGregor was part of a knitting group in Christchurch, and Barbara asked her if Robyn would be interested in starting a group here. 

That was at least eight to 10 years ago, Robyn said, and they asked if they could meet at the library, a central spot that sometimes attracts other knitters or crocheters to join them.

Robyn & Barb:Robyn McGregor hosts Barbara Aitken during a visit by the Knitting for Plunket and Communities national project coordinator to Central Otago

“This is the core group that meets at the library but there are other people out there in the community who come and pick up wool and knit it,” she said.

The wool is provided by Barbara who seeks funding from local organisations to buy it, and the garments are gifted within the area.

“If we get funding in an area, we keep it in that area,” Barbara said. “We try to buy locally as well.”

Robyn Marshall, who also knits with the Alexandra group said initially the garments they made were for Plunket but it had grown.

“We drop it off at Community House and the ladies there allow people from different agencies to come and pick it up and take it to the families they know who need warm clothes.”

This was the main objective of the project, said founder Barbara, to help keep children and babies warm when many people are struggling.

“Every year, there is always need, but last year started to get a little harder for people and this year I think winter will be harder.”

PHOTOS: The Central App