A couple of really sweet knitting stories have come out of the UK in recent days.
First there was Nicola Congden and her mum Ann, from Cornwall, who estimate they’ve knit 150 sweaters for chickens oven the past six months. The project was prompted by Nicola seeing a story about battery hens, who often lose or pluck out their feathers in the cramped and stressed living conditions they are under. When they’re rescued they can’t acclimate to the cold.
Nicola says she also uses the jumpers on her own chickens, and they love them, but she doesn’t leave them in them long if she’s not around. She says their behavior is the same when they have the sweaters on.
She says she’s had requests for jumpers from locals and as far away as Canada. They’re happy to share, and ask for people who want jumpers to donate to Project Primrose, a charity that gives money and support to an orphanage in Africa for kids affected by AIDS.
And Jan Brown of Sunderland says she’s spent about 4,000 hours making sweaters for abandoned dogs. She’s come up with about 300 different designs for different kinds of dogs, and she donates the sweaters — as well as hats, snoods, scarves and antler hats — to shelters around the country.
She also sells knit items for dogs and uses the proceeds to buy supplies to make more items to give away.
I just love these stories! It’s so great when people find a way to use their creativity to help others, even when those others aren’t human!
[Photo via Yahoo News UK.]
