Seasonal gifts from the Knit and Chat ladies
All set: The Knit and Chat ladies ready for their annual sale
Eighty nine -year-old Miriam De Alwis broke both her arms after a fall but still makes her way to the Mount Lavinia Methodist Church every Thursday to share and learn knitting patterns from her friends who have become family.
Under the Methodist Church Mount Lavinia’s Board of Social Responsibility, the ladies of the Knit and Chat Group demonstrate good hand-to-eye coordination and a delicate touch to knit and crochet. They pay Rs. 350 to join the group which has around 30 active members who share knitting patterns and stories of their week.
There are only two rules that are strictly adhered to once entering the club: No politics and no gossip.
Miriam nostalgically tells the Sunday Times, “We all have our shortcomings and difficulties but we use this time to relax. It is therapy for us.” From 9 a.m. to 12 noon, Thursdays have become a day to look forward to, she adds.
The ladies laughingly tell us that even though they are old they are quite savvy when it comes to following crochet patterns on Youtube and getting printouts to share with the others.
On December 8 and 9, the ladies will hold a Christmas sale of their beautiful handmade crocheted and knitted items at the Mount Lavinia Hotel from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Decorative granny Christmas squares to bring in the festive season to your home, comfortable knit caps and socks for your little ones, beautiful table runners and doilies for your Christmas table will all come in handy as Christmas gifts.
This year, the group has collaborated with a number of unemployed women from the coastal villages of Sri Lanka to incorporate Beeralu lace (Bobbin lace) made by them into their designs as well as sell little crafts items such as pen-holders and toy elephants.