Newsletter

Our first newsletter will reach you by the end of this week. Gerard has been battling with flu for over a week now, so our timescale has needed to shift a little.

In the meantime thank you to those who are signing up, expressing interest, downloading the Core Pack and emailing us. We have an exciting time to look forward to together.

A new specialist pack 'school-based groups' is currently being circulated to teachers and those with experience of running groups and knitting groups with children and teenagers. The feedback has been positive with some great comments added. The pack should be finalised this week and be on the specialist packs page to download early next week.

Don't forget, if you currently run a group or attend one which you'd like added to our network, please let me know and I'll add it to our website so everyone in your area can find you.

Betsan

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Knitting in School

Don't you wish you had knitting lessons in school? Research evidence shows that children benefit hugely from crafts. Anecdotal evidence collected by Stitchlinks suggests that people may learn more effectively when knitting. Teachers in the States use knitting in the classroom to constructively occupy kinaesthetic learners (those who tap and fidget whilst taking in information) and those with ADHD. People with dyslexia and dyspraxia say it helps them become more coordinated, improves hand/eye coordination AND helps them organise their thought processes. It's also used to manage disruptive behaviour.

But can knitting actually improve memory? A project based at Cardiff University, which is currently looking for funding, will look at whether knitting affects memory span and recall and we'll be working closely with them.

We'd like to encourage more school-based knitting groups. Whether it be a social group set up to improve communication between governors, teachers, parents and the wider community or one for pupils only. If you're interested in running one you'll find 'Setting up and Running a School-based Group' on our Specialist Pack page early next week. You'll receive a link to this page when you download our Core Pack - and it's free!

Betsan

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iknitlinks out and about!

Thank you to those who have responded to the last post via email and the forum.

We had a great day at Lewisham College on Wednesday - we were followed all day by a photographer from Take a Break magazine which was a bit different too! We'll keep you posted on when the article is due to appear!

Yesterday I was back up to London to spend an afternoon with Gerard at Ally Pally and there could be exciting developments afoot, but that's all I can say for now! Darn it!

Meanwhile we're looking for volunteers who would be willing to be 'roving teachers' of knitting to give group leaders an initial boost and support in teaching knitting to those new to the craft. Please email me if you're interested.

By for now

Betsan

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Help needed please

I'm getting together an iknitlinks specialist pack on setting up a knitting group in a school/other formal area and would like to hear from anyone not living in the UK. Do you have any special legal requirements? Here in the UK we need to have a police check or CRB - do you have an equivalent? I would like to include information for group leaders in other countries, particularly the USA and Australia. If you can help, please email me through the contacts page of the iknitlinks webiste. www.iknitlinks.org

Thank you

Betsan

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Ally Pally

Is anyone going to Ally Pally this week? I'll be there on Thursday so please stop me to say hello if you see me. I'll be wearing my Stitchlinks t shirt so will be easily recognisable.

It's a busy week ahead for us. We have a stand and knitting group at Lewisham College on Wednesday. They're having a Mental Health Open Day - we're really looking forward to meeting the staff and students for a day of knitting! Then off to Ally Pally on Thursday!

Might see you there!

Betsan

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