Why me and my mum crochet for Little Village - and why I’m asking you to join me!

Hello, I’m Gemma, and I work in the referrals team at Little Village. Every day I speak with health visitors, midwives, and social workers who are desperately trying to get help for families in crisis. I hear the reality of life on the edge of poverty – parents forced to choose between heating and food, babies not having a cot to sleep in, and little ones outgrowing their clothes and shoes but still having to wear them. 

When I finish work, I’m often found reaching for my crochet hooks. My mum Trish taught me years ago and it’s a passion we still share together. We have a long family history of making blankets for the newborns in our lives. A tradition we inherited from her mother and my grandmother Ethel. We even still use Ethels hooks, passed down from generation to generation. We love the creative outlet it gives, but also the mindfulness of the stitch repetition. Most of all, we love pouring our heart into a blanket which will keep little toes and tummies warm.  

You’ll see we’re currently asking everyone to donate cosy items as part of our Winter Warmers appeal. We’ve jumped straight into the challenge and have been beavering away each day making blankets as sadly, we’ve pretty much ran out across all our baby bank hubs. 

My Mum and I believe in the nanny magic of hand crocheted or knitted blankets. That the love we pour in, will be felt by the recipient. It’s normally the kind of thing you’d be given by a friend or family member, but in the case of many on our families they have no community or “Village” to help. Thankfully, Little Village are here for those families passing on donations of pre-loved items and giving them a new lease of love to another family.  

Our shelves of blankets and bedding are running low. I hear the worry and exhaustion in the voices of the people who call me. It stays with me and that’s why me and my mum are doing our bit and are reaching out to all our fellow knitters and crocheters to lend us a hand!  Here’s a few examples of our handy work!

Here’s how you can help: 

• Knit or crochet a baby or toddler blanket. Around 150cm x 380cm is perfect, but any size or shape that’s soft and warm is welcome.
• We use a standard DK acrylic yarn, but any will do. It should just have no small parts like beads etc. We recommend checking your local charity shop for bargain yarn.
• Share this call with your crochet club, knitting circle or crafting friends to help spread the word.
• Drop off at your local Little Village baby bank or post your cosy blankets to our warehouse.

When a handmade blanket arrives at Little Village, all of our baby banks staff loved being able to hand them directly to a family. It’s not just the great design or the warmth it provides their baby – it’s a reminder that they’re not alone. 

Each blanket we make is a small act of love for a family we probably won’t meet, but whose struggles I know all too well from my day job. 

So please, join me and my mum by picking up your hooks and needles and let’s fill our shelves with love and yarn! 

Gemma and Trish