Close-knit ladies crochet the day away for a good cause
“Wherever it goes to an elderly lady seeking warmth or a baby who was abandoned – love and blessings are carried within. You know that your creation will touch someone’s heart and bring comfort to those in need.”
In a small and peaceful corner of Pierre van Ryneveld, seven compassionate women met for tea on Thursday morning, pooling their talents for a greater purpose.
What began as a simple gathering has blossomed into the Pierre van Ryneveld “Kuns en Klets Klub” (Arts and Gossip club) – a close-knit group of 10 friends, united by their love for helping those in need and determined to inspire others to do the same.
The group recently celebrated their anniversary, marking a year of knitting and crocheting various items with a profound impact.
From premature baby vests, hats and booties, to blankets for children and the elderly and even pushy toys and bags filled with essentials for survivors of sexual violence – the ladies have been channelling their skills towards making a difference.
Rinda Gerber said that the club started from a chance encounter.
“We were discussing how to be useful during our pension years.
“We realised that there were many elderly ladies sitting alone in little flats, in need of something constructive to do.”
This realisation sparked the idea of bringing these women together to create a supportive and productive community.
Through a Facebook group, Gerber and her friend connected with the Butterfly Crafters, two sisters with similar goals.
Joined by eight more like-minded individuals, the Pierre van Ryneveld Kuns en Klets Klub was born.
The group comprises Petro Ball, Janet Viljoen, Helen Weaver, Rinda Gerber, Elsa De Jager-Fourie, Nelie Venter, Helena De Jager-Rossouw, Lindandi Barkhuizen, Petro van Rensburg and Joan Buddle.
Meeting every second Thursday, the group pour their hearts and creativity into crafting an array of items required by charitable organisations.
Supporting their efforts are donations of wool, materials and other essential items, to make all kinds of necessities including fiddle mittens for dementia patients. Also called fiddle mitts or fidget blankets, they give sensory stimulation and calms down the owner. It usually has random zips, buttons and beads on it.
The generosity of the PVR community and Westview Friendship Club has provided the club with an abundance of previously loved resources.
The women of Pierre van Ryneveld Kuns en Klets Klub want to inspire others to initiate similar community groups.
“We have been enriched beyond our expectations, and lifelong friendships have been formed,” Gerber said.
“Oh yes, and we do not talk that much,” she joked.
The members, each a skilled artisan in their own right, are wholeheartedly dedicated to the cause, going so far as to successfully complete a remarkable 30-hour non-stop crochet marathon.
Elsa De Jager-Fourie said: “We started on Friday at noon and finished on Saturday at 18:00.
Over the past year, each member has tirelessly contributed to creating over a hundred blankets each.
Helen Weaver, a club member, said that she had been asked many times how others could join.
She urged others to take up initiative, saying: “Start a group! Even if you don’’ know how to knit or crochet, there are people in this group willing to join a second group just to help you get started.
“Many of us had no experience with crocheting when we joined.”
Janet Viljoen said that they are always in need of donations of wool, old knitted items and raw materials they use to make the truckloads of blankets shared across the country.
“We often receive donations from individuals who have passed away, including old knitted items or half-done projects,” she explained.
The ladies take pride in taking the materials and giving them new life for a worthy cause.
Viljoen said the work had a deeper meaning than just providing items to those in need.
“When you receive a bag of [knitted] blocks, whether it’s nine or 16 and you put them together it becomes something special,” she said.
“As I work on it, I feel like I’m bestowing a blessing upon it. Wherever it goes to an elderly lady seeking warmth or a baby who was abandoned – love and blessings are carried within. You know that your creation will touch someone’s heart and bring comfort to those in need.”
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