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Marcus Butler

16 September 2016

You may struggle to hear the clicking of knitting needles at the weekly catch-up of the Knitting Project at the University of �ֲ���ý, with constant chatter and laughter taking over.

That’s not to say the small group isn’t industrious and productive, churning out lengths of coloured knitting which will eventually become teddy bears for needy kids.

The Knitting Project is the brainchild of architecture student Rebekah Heritage, and comes from her love of knitting and a desire to help kids through tough times.

“I met a female police officer in Redfern years ago and she was giving out ‘Trauma Teddies’ to kids that police were interacting with, often at very emotional or scary times for these children.

“She shared with me a dream to have enough teddies to provide one to every child that New South Wales Police interact with, and I sort of adopted that dream as well, Ms Heritage said.
She’s recruited a small group of knitters who get together each Tuesday to catch-up and get to know each other, all while trying not to lose count of their stitches.

The small knitted bears they are producing will be donated to the Red Cross which also has a ‘Trauma Teddy’ program.

Ms Heritage said knitting is an easy skill to pick up and a hard one to put down.

“I’ve been knitting for many years, producing clothing and the like for myself, friends and family. I admit though, socks are up there with the hardest things to knit,” she said.

Psychologist and counsellor from the University’s Medical and Counselling Centre Margaret Chua, said the group is an important community building exercise.

“One of the most common issues we see among young people is helping them deal with feelings of loneliness, which seems in contrast with how ‘connected’ we are supposed to be.

“We are creating a group where people can come together, to work towards producing something for others that goes to the very core of mindfulness, which is an important technique in addressing some of these issues.

“For people coming together where they can just be, or chat with others if they like, that’s going to help ease those feelings too.

“It’s a great opportunity for students and staff to learn patience, to slow down and focus on something aside from studies or work. That’s important in a world where we are finding it harder to switch off,” she said.

PhD candidate in cultural studies Rhonda Nichols, who helped to provide the first group with their knitting needles and enough wool to get them started on their own teddies, also reflected on the historical significance of group knitting. 

“If you look back through history, knitting was originally a solitary undertaking. However you would also see women coming together to knit in groups, to reinforce friendships and to pass along a bit of gossip all while providing clothing for their families or products to sell. 

“Then knitting actually became a male profession, something which was regarded as work rather than an industrious pastime. So while our group has largely been made up of women, with just a single male member, we’d be very welcoming to anyone else who might like to get involved in the project.”

The Knitting Project meets every Tuesday between 10:00am – 11:30am at Inclusion and Welfare, Building 1, Level B, Room 156.