Nottinghamshire crafters knit thousands of care squares

Crafters across Nottinghamshire have come together to create thousands of knitted and crocheted Care Squares and hundreds of blankets as part of Inspire’s 2024 Charity Knitting Challenge.

All 226 colourful blanket designs are on display now at Mansfield Central Library!

The annual challenge, which has run at Inspire libraries since 2016, encourages crafters to pick up their knitting needles and crochet hooks for a good cause.

This year’s challenge asked crafters to make and donate Care Squares - knitted or crocheted squares - that could be transformed into warm, comforting blankets for people in care and hospital settings.

Inspire partnered with Your Health Notts, Newark and Sherwood District Council, Dementia Action Nottingham and Nottinghamshire and Creative Lives to support this year’s initiative.

The blankets will be given to settings and groups that work with people living with dementia and other memory conditions this autumn.

The response to the challenge has been as phenomenal, with local craft groups and hundreds of people donating their time and skills to help support the charity challenge.

nspire Libraries also engaged customers and groups that regularly meet in the library with ‘blanket-a-thon’ events to inspire people to make a square or stitch together a blanket and enjoy getting collaboratively creative with wool for a good cause.

The Care Squares campaign also involved Nottinghamshire knitwear designer Jane Withers, who designed a striking blanket pattern to inspire crafters – many of whom have added their own decorative edges and beautiful embellishments, which you can see showcased at the exhibition.

Jane also created step-by-step video tutorials which are still available to access and view on the Inspire website at inspireculture.org.uk/knit.

In addition to the completed blankets, Inspire has also received over two thousand loose knitted and crocheted squares.

Many of the loose squares have been grouped into ‘stitch up’ bundles which library visitors can take home and sew into finished blankets. Any extra blankets the library receives will join the display and then be donated at the end of the exhibition – anyone is welcome to ask a member of staff for a bundle at the main help desk at Mansfield Central Library.

Peter Gaw, Chief Executive at Inspire, commented: “What an amazing response to our knitting challenge this year! We believe these blankets will offer comfort and warmth, while also engaging the senses through touch and sight for people that need them. We work alongside some amazing charities and groups who go above and beyond to support each challenge.

A huge thankyou to our partners and everyone that got involved, our exhibition is a vibrant showcase of woolly creativity and community spirit”. The Care Squares Exhibition will be on display at Mansfield Central Library until September 24th.