Grandmothers in Vancouver are making it their business to teach knitting skills to the next generation as part of a new project.
Vernon's Knitting Grannies have been helping local high school students knit one purl one in order to bring joy to patients at the Children's Hospital in Vancouver and also to children around the world, The Daily Courier reports.
The group are making dolls and last year donated a total of 500, claims VSS Family Studies teacher Maija Daughtry.
"Some of those were knitted by the students, but others were dropped off by staff members, family and friends. We also had donations of yarn and stuffing," she added.
As well as learning more about turning balls of yarn into comfort dolls, the pupils have the chance to chat to the Grannies and get to know them better.
This is a great opportunity for socialising and is helping to foster community relations between the generations.
The group had previously started by teaching children in primary schools but have since expanded their operations and moved on to help coach high school pupils.
It is also connected to a chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star in Vancouver, which has helped to supply cancer dressings for patients since 1945.
Betty Henderson, director of Cancer Activities for the organisation, said: "Our members make quilts and lap rugs for patients at the BC Cancer Agency, along with sending boxes of toys to Children's Hospital, which we deliver at Christmas."
The cancer group was very pleased to see that other knitted items were being donated to the hospitals by the Grannies.
Knitted animals have so far proved to be the favourite items, especially some of the more unusual ones like whales.
As well as being donated to Vancouver centres, nurses regularly send dolls abroad, with 200 dolls recently sent to young girls in Nepal and other dolls making their way to Uganda.
More are expected to be sent to Burma and Colombia this year.
