A NEW group for those who enjoy knitting and crocheting over a cuppa will help keep the homeless warm.
Yarn and Yap meets each Wednesday at the Andalucia Cafe, in Galgate, Barnard Castle.
Anyone is welcome to bring their needles and hooks along to work on their own project.
However, those looking for something new can help produce blankets which will be donated to good causes which support the homeless.
Organiser Nessie Logan said six or 12 inch squares could be made which would be stitched together to produce a blanket, or a completed 6ftx3ft6in cover could be produced individually.
The finished articles will be donated to Blankets for the Homeless, an organisation based in Kent which operates throughout the country.
“I used to run the East Fife area in Scotland and we delivered to Edinburgh, Kirkcaldy and Glenrothes,” said Mrs Logan.
“There is a Blankets for the Homeless here, covering Durham and Tyne and Wear and I am going to do this area in support of Durham and Tyne and Wear.”
She said that while the widespread notion is of people on the streets being addicts or alcoholics, homelessness could affect anyone.
“It could be people who have lost their jobs and can’t pay the mortgage or rent. It could be those whose landlords have sold the property and the new owner doesn’t not want to let.
“There is not enough social housing to accommodate all these people.”
Mrs Logan said she was also keen to support the Influence Church, in Barnard Castle, which also supplies blankets to the homeless.
While helping the homeless keep warm is where the inspiration for the group came from, she is keen to stress people are welcome to bring their own knitting and crocheting project along to the group.
“Not everyone will want to knit squares and blankets, but we do want them to come along and bring their own projects,” she said.
The group meets between 10am and noon. Anyone requiring further information can contact Mrs Logan on 07730 477772 or 01833 638303.
