Knitting Monsters!
When church member, Janice Stephen’s first heard about the Knit-for-Nowt charity, she felt called to bring a group of knitters together—and so, Let’s Knit was born!
In April 2020, during lockdown, a small but enthusiastic group started meeting on Zoom, needles in hand, ready to make a difference. Their mission? To knit Worry Monsters, each one carefully crafted to bring comfort to vulnerable children. Of course, Zoom’s show and tell sessions were always a challenge—holding up our latest creations to the camera, hoping the wonky angles did them justice! But the laughter and camaraderie made it all worthwhile.
Five years on, Let’s Knit has become a thriving group, meeting every other Tuesday in Wesleys. Their handmade Worry Monsters and hand puppets continue to be donated to Knit-for-Nowt, where therapists, social workers, and teachers use them to help children communicate after trauma, loss, or neglect. Sometimes, a child finds it easier to share their worries with a soft, friendly monster than with an adult.
As one group member put it:
"I have really enjoyed doing something which is of such benefit and feeling useful. I'm so glad this group was started five years ago!”
To date, the group has lovingly crafted over 600 Worry Monsters, 75 hand puppets, and lots of pants—an incredible achievement!
The charity sends a quarterly newsletter featuring photos of Worry Monsters made by crafters across the UK, along with heartfelt feedback from therapists. This feedback truly inspires the group to keep going! We love spotting one of our own monsters in the newsletter—or better still, seeing a photo of one with a child or therapist. One therapist recently shared this powerful feedback:
"One child was finding it very difficult to work through her emotions in the first person, and the Worry Monsters helped her to put her feelings into the third person. She used the puppets to describe scenarios and how each of them was feeling, and what she could give them to help them re-regulate.”
Making a Worry Monster does require some knitting or crochet experience, but don’t worry if you're a beginner! There are simpler items to get you started and build your confidence. For example, the charity often dresses the monsters in little knitted pants—used to help explain to children that "privates are private." So even if you’re new to knitting, you can still contribute in a meaningful way.
We’d love for you to join us for a cuppa, a chat, and some knitting fun! Interested? We meet every other Tuesday in Wesleys between 2 and 4pm —get in touch through the church office to find out more!
Janice Stephens
