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Local knitters have the chance to do something to help the growing refugee crisis in Europe, thanks to an initiative to knit and send socks to Sweden by a Warkworth wool shop owner.Karen Caulfield, of Robyn Egge Yarns, is providing patterns, plus free and discounted wool for the scheme, and is hoping to send at least 100 pairs of socks by December.
She says the idea came from a friend, North Shore yarn dyer Helene Dehmer, who is currently living in Sweden, where around 1000 refugees have been arriving daily.
“Helene has started a knitted socks campaign for the refugees being taken in by Sweden. Most literally have nothing on their feet when they arrive,” she says. “So we are putting out a call to our local knitting community to help the cause.”
Karen has free printed sock patterns for 4- and 8-ply wool, plus a free first-come-first-served supply of possum mix yarn donated by Naturally Yarns and a quantity of Patons Patonyle 4-ply at $12 a ball (both yarns normally retail for around $20). Other Robyn Egge sock yarns will have a 15 per cent discount for the project.
Karen says anyone who wants to take part and knit some socks simply needs to supply their contact details and commit to finishing their pair (or pairs) by the end of November. Finished socks need to be tied to one another with a piece of scrap yarn and returned to Robyn Egge Yarns in Elizabeth Street by December 1, so they can be sent to Sweden in time for Christmas. Any unfinished socks also need to be returned to the shop by that date with the pattern and remaining wool, so someone else can finish them.
Karen says that knitters who want to help, but don’t feel quite up to tackling socks, can take part, too.
“If people are unable to knit socks, hats and hand warmers would fine,” she says, “though the free wool is just for socks.”
Helene Dehmer, who is staying in Gothenburg for six months, said she was grateful for the help being offered by Karen and her customers, as the refugee situation in Sweden was pretty chaotic.
“Approximately 1000 arrive every day, mainly from Syria, but also from Afghanistan, Lebanon and other countries in that area. They are all ages – families with young children and babies, young men, elderly and also a lot of children on their own. How they have made it, I don’t know.”
Info: Karen Caulfield, 425 7246, robyneggeyarns.co.nz/blogs/news
