A group of generous crafters have been hard at work making donations for tiny tots at Paisley’s special baby care unit.
The club of knitters, who are known as the Nifty Crafters Club, have spent weeks creating the collection of handmade blankets and hats for babies receiving special care at the RAH and the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.
The club, which was launched in May 2021, started with just six members, and now has a following of almost 300 people who spend their free time knitting and crocheting for good causes.
The growing group was started by The Hidden Wool Shop, which is located in the Renfrew’s Canal Street.
The wool shop was started by shop owner David Shan 26 years ago when it featured a small section of wool in the long-standing card and gift store.
Over the years, the collection grew and it has now become a secret treasure trove for crocheters and knitters.
David and his colleague and knitting enthusiast Jane Stickley-Woods wanted to start the club with the hope of creating a community of crafters in the area.
The club - which has its own Facebook group - has proved to be such a hit that people from all across Renfrewshire and beyond have travelled to the long-standing shop to hand in donations.
David told the Express: “It really just keeps growing and growing.
“It started out with just people in the Renfrew area and now we have people from Greenock, Newton Mearns and other places in Glasgow.
“There are roughly 300 people in the Facebook group now and everyone enjoys taking part in the knitting projects which are organised for charities.
Jane added: “It is a really lovely sense of community.
“It has continued to grow since we launched it and now we have a fantastic group of people who love to come together and knit for the benefit of other people.”
This is not the first time the group have had their knitting needles at the ready for a good cause, with members previously making donations to the baby unit at the RAH, as well as knitting hats and scarves during winter for those affected by homelessness.”
Some of the winter woolies were also sent to Refuweegee - a Glasgow-based community-led charity which supports refugees who arrive in the country.
David added: “We are always looking for different projects to take on, and we are hoping to send some donations to homeless charities this year.”
The Nifty Crafters are looking for more people to join the club and carry on their efforts to make even more items for babies in the neonatal unit.
The Hidden Wool Shop is willing to provide free yarn to anyone who would like to make something for the cause.
David added: “We are still putting a call out for anyone who would like to join the club. We would love it if it just continued to grow and get more people involved.”
Head to The Hidden Wool Shop Facebook page for more information.
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