Knitting and nattering – to help children in hospital

A GROUP of nimble fingered Warrington residents are making a difference to children in hospital by producing hundreds of hand puppets for young patients.
Now they are looking for more knitters to boost their group.
The group, called Knit and Natter, meet every Tuesday morning at Stockton Heath Library and have produced hundreds of hand-made puppets for young patients in Warrington and Halton Borough hospitals
They natter as they knit – and the results of their weekly get together are helping children in hospital
Handing young patients a knitted puppet to play with while in hospital has created a great response and as well as providing endless fun it can also help staff engage with the children.
Lisa Espin, lead advisor for LiveWire’s Lymm and Stockton Heath Libraries, said: “LiveWire wanted to do something different to bring more people into the library, so the Knit and Natters group was formed.  Since they started in March last year, the knitting needles have been working ferociously.
“Everyone is at a different level and has different reasons for knitting, but they help each other to create their own little masterpiece in wool.
“The puppet creations have proved to be really successful. It’s really amazing how something as simple as a handmade toy puppet can bring such comfort to a child.”
Now the group is looking for more knitters to boost their output and residents interested in joining should visit Stockton Heath Library at 10:30am on a Tuesday morning or call the library on 01925 261148.