August 2026 Report

Meteorological autumn begins on 1 September, but our weather has been so out of the ordinary this year that even the equinox later in the month may struggle to produce those early autumnal temperatures.  However, September heralds a new academic year, the start of school for many four year olds and the imminent transformation of sixth form pupils into freshers at university.  The Papworth Craft Group has been meeting for our bi-monthly sessions throughout the summer, despite the heat.  Sue has made great progress with her cardigan that is knitted in one piece.  Sarah is knitting a beautiful traditional baby shawl in white 3-ply yarn, admired by us all.  She says that she has knitted quite a few for grandchildren over the years.  One was put in the washing  machine by one son-in-law directly after jeans had been washed!  The beautiful white shawl emerged with a slightly grey tinge!  Sarah’s daughter asked if she could make a replacement.  The response was not positive, but Sarah knitted another when baby number 2 was on the way.  This generated a discussion about the time invested in handmade pieces, with many people unaware of the number of hours that it takes to knit, crochet, embroider or sew articles.  Even using modestly priced materials, these items would be unaffordable, even calculating the time on the statutory minimum wage!  Sarah has not stopped making the shawls and most of us continue to make gifts for family and friends - they are labours of love!  On that subject, Rosie has finished the blanket in various shades of pink for her daughter.  It is very beautiful and anyone would be over the moon to receive one.  Rosie also crochets blankets for each grandchild as they begin university.  With a total of ten grandchildren, that will be an ongoing project for some years to come.

There has been mention of Christmas as some Christmas magazines have slipped in between other crafting titles in some shops – and the summer is not even over!  That said, Carole has already made a start on gifts that she intends to crochet for Christmas.  The first is a delightful doll using a pattern from the book ‘Lulu’s Crochet Dolls’ by Sandra Muller, @luciennecompotine on Instagram.  Carole has already crocheted one of these, a boy doll for her granddaughter. This companion is a girl doll and she is almost finished it.  These dolls are made using the amigurumi method, not in miniature as shown in the book, but scaled up using a slightly bigger crochet hook.  This produces a better size for small hands to grip and is slightly easier on the maker!

Our pile of squares for our charity blankets is growing fast and some members are producing them in numbers at home, but also at the sessions.  Helen, Andrea and Siobhan have been most productive.  Some months back, instructions for knitting squares corner to corner were included in this column.  If you are not online, go to the library and there will be help to access back editions of the News & Views.  Going forward, the library usually has an amount of the printed copies.  A quick recap about the squares: they should measure 20 cm x 20 cm, (8 inches x 8 inches), all the ends sewn in please.  They can be knitted or crocheted.  Squares can be brought to any of our sessions or left with our librarian, Charlotte.  If you need yarn, contact Rosalind Parnell at parnellrh@aol.com.

Rosie has been organising ‘cross stitch a kneeler’ sessions for Rainbows, their mums and others to help complete a kneeler for the church. The kit was found by Jenny Wilson during a decluttering session. The design is Noah’s Ark and it is a challenging piece, as the gauge of the canvas is smaller than that of the other kneelers in the church.  It is difficult to work with the pure wool thread.  Members of the Craft Group have popped in to Rosie’s, sat at her huge kitchen table and taken it in turns to stitch.  Linda J had never cross stitched before but persisted until she had the hang of it, a new skill acquired in a calm and supportive space!  There is no deadline for the completion of the kneeler, but there are likely to be further drop-ins over the coming months

A final word about our author, Siobhan Costello.  She is giving an author talk on her book, ‘The Sun Inside the Storm’ at the Printworks on 8 September at 18:30.  There will be a Q and A after her talk.  Please come and support our local author!

In anticipation of autumn, have a wonderful September! Stay safe and well – and above all, be kind. ❤️