Winter Woolies

The start of winter  in Zululand is really quite welcome.  Gone are the humidity and heat  and the days are still warm and the birds and flowering shrubs are a joy to behold.

As the nights become cooler its time to get out the knitting needles and the knitters at the Homes have been busy already creating kids' sweaters, beanies and cosy fingerless gloves and scarves.
These fingerless gloves are great for those rather chilly days when one's hands are cold but one needs one's fingers free. Knitters are prepared to take orders and very generously donate the proceeds to the Homes.

Sweaters

Beanies

Someone has even requested a sweater for her little dog!

Sandy modelling the gloves and scarf

The Craft Workshop is ongoing and the fabric stash in the cupboard is gradually being replaced with baby quilts and play mats, table runners, cushion covers and bags.

We will be having jewellery and card making demos in the near future and anyone who would like to join us is very welcome.

Two stonecutters were asked what they were doing. The first said, 'I'm cutting this damned stone into blocks' The second replied, "I'm on a team that's building a cathedral". Anon

While we are not exactly building a cathedral we are working towards helping to finance the new administration block which will provide a much needed extension to the Frail Residents diningroom, offices for the executive staff, a restroom for the nursing staff and maybe even a small activities room and storeroom.
So watch this space!!!

Upcycling and Renewing.

 They say a picture paints a thousand words so I have used a few  to illustrate my theme of "upcycling" and renewing.

We receive donations of all kinds at the Homes and do our best to make use of every single item. Fabric, habby and all sorts of hobby items are thrown out by family when an elderly person moves into the Home or passes away which is a good lesson to all of us who hoard "stuff"! 
Our Monday morning group has had a lot of fun reworking some of the fabric into quilts and here is Jan with an African themed creation.

Doilies are another popular item to be thrown out  and I am happy to say that most of the hundreds we receive have found new homes, some have even been taken by visitors back home to Norway.
A precious finely knitted doily arrived in a sad condition and was lovingly laundered and pressed by Debra and will be framed as a now trendy piece of art.
A china doll will receive a new body and clothes, knitted bears have been stuffed and had new faces embroidered on them. Costume jewellery is repaired and cleaned and sold or the beads reused.
Knitting yarn is turned into items for sale or blankets and cosy beanies for the needy.
Our Grannies, bless their hearts, were experts at reusing and making do and mending and this skill is as much needed  in todays world as it was then.

Sunbonnet Sue

I have been loved before, please love me again!!

The annual Easter Tea takes place this Thursday 29th at 10.00am and we are hoping we will have a good turnout. In addition to the scrumptious tea there will be needlework, vintage clutter and preserves for sale.

Patchwork Pieces

Gussie displays a pretty pink quilt.

Needlecases in progress

The Homes Garden

Yesterday I visited the Homes with my camera and took some pictures of the newly established garden path, which was generously donated by the relatives of past residents of the Homes.
The path meanders from the front of the building down the side, past the aviary and down to a minature rose garden complete with a charming figurine and fountain.
The aviaries are maintained by maintinence manager  Des Coetzee who has received all sorts of furry and feathered  creatures from various members of the community.

The aviary with rabbits and all sorts of foreign and local birds.

Figurine and Fountain

Rose Garden

Looking down towards the rose garden

The garden has been superbly revamped by passionate gardener Mary v Tooren and frail  residents can enjoy a stroll  with the help of the safety rail and the even path makes wheelchair riding a pleasure.
One resident told me that the  benches at the end of the path are a favourite spot in the evenings for relaxing after dinner.

Craft sessions have started again and this year the emphasis will be on patchwork so we are looking for cotton remnants. Some of our ladies are also keen on handwork so we are stitching items in felt .

Quilts in progress

Anyone is welcome at our Monday morning meetings at the Homes, the only qualification needed is a love of sewing and handwork. If anyone would like to come and demonstrate their own particular craft they will also be very welcome. Our patchwork is very simple so I would welcome an expert to come along and get involved.
Don't forget the sale of crafts at the Homes is ongoing, choose from a extensive variety of useful gifts and household items, all at very reasonable prices.

Christmas is coming!

The Annual Fete was an amazing success! The whole town turned out to support us and visitors came from all over Zululand to share the day with us. We were so fortunate that the weather held and people were able to mingle and shop and socialize over breakfast or a scrumptious tea.
On offer was something for everybody. The white elephant stall was a runaway success as was the craft and jewellery stand.
We raised R36,666.00 and credit must go to the staff led by Manager Linda de Lange who worked so hard for so many weeks to make the fete the success it was. The event was a triumph not only for the money raised and the community spirit it fostered but also for the positive exposure it gave The Zululand Homes.

Visitors were able to view all the improvements made during 2011 and the new walkway, aviary and rosegarden were greatly admired. All these were achieved through generous donations from the families of residents and ongoing sales of crafts and jumble.





On December 1st the Homes will be hosting a special Christmas tea and all friends of the Homes are invited.

Do telephone 0354742636 if you would like to come.

Save the Date!! Annual Fete 29th October.

Isn't Spring gorgeous! Its amazing how in the first week of September everything starts to grow again. How lovely to feel truly warm again after such a cold winter.

With winter woolies and blankets no longer necessary its time to start knitting toys and novelties for the annual fete. The Fete last year was a great success and this year promises to be even better. The ladies of the sewing group a.k.a "The Recycle Company" have been turning all the piles and piles of donated fabric and notions and yarn into new and exciting items for the home and gifts for the family. These include peg bags, laundry and shoe bags, pencil cases, baby quilts, pot holders, oven gloves , shopping bags, needlecases and kiddies toys. All the things one used to find at fetes and bazaars in the good old days when women didn't go out to work and had time to bake and sew for Charity.

We have been given a huge quantity of pristine household items to sell and these will be on display as well as the usual "white elephant" stall, plants and bakes and breakfast and teas will be served.

On the Home front there are lots of new developments e.g. the new covered verandha and the walking path which the Garden Club ladies have offered to plant with sweet smelling herbs and flowers.
Furniture and pictures received been used to enhance the Homes public rooms and passages.
We have a resident Handyman now. Des arrived in a wheelchair as a result of a stroke and true to form Linda had him up and about in no time. He is one of those people who have the knack of being able to fix anything and he has proved himself invaluable in a place like the Home where there is constant maintenance to be done. The outhouses were turned into a comfortable cottage for Des made possible by a donation from BBS Eshowe and the Homes Fund.

"Age is opportunity no less than youth itself,
though in another dress.
And as the evening twilight fades away
the sky is filled with stars,

Invisible by day. " Longfellow

Easter Fair

A special Easter Tea was held last week in the gardens of the Zululand Homes which was well supported and visitors were treated to a delicious spread. Paul's carrot muffins were outstanding. (See Paul's recipe below)

The craft table was a great success and the sum of R1800.00 was raised.

These Thursday mornings mean a lot to the residents as they have the opportunity to socialize with people they would not normally see and Thursdays are eagerly anticipated at the Home.

It is all too easy to feel abandoned once someone enters an institution as families are often too busy with their own lives to manage visits to the Home especially when they live some distance away so if you are not busy on a Thursday morning around 10.00am , pop in for a cuppa and make someone's day! You are assured of a warm welcome!

The sewing project is ongoing and gaining momentum as more volunteers join in and we have a lot of fun on Monday mornings making attractive household items like aprons, shoppers,peg bags, covered coathangers and childrens toys etc.

Paul's Special Carrot Muffins

80 ml cooking oil
100g Brown sugar
2 extra large eggs
125g grated carrots
35g seedless raisins
200ml milk
2ml vanilla essence
280g cake flour
15ml baking powder
5ml bicarbonate of soda
5ml allspice
5ml cinnamon
2ml salt

Beat oil and sugar together, add eggs and beat until light and fluffy. Add carrots, raisins, milk and vanilla essence.
Sift flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, allspice, cinnamon and salt together.
Add wet mixture to flour mixture and until flour is moistened, the batter should still be lumpy.
Spoon into muffin pan and bake for 20 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius until brown.

Icing

100g soft butter
250g icing sugar
5ml vanilla essence
30ml milk

Beat all ingredients until mixed and fluffy.

Ice muffins and decorate with chopped nuts


Happy baking and enjoy the holidays.

.

Creativity and Health

I have been interested in craftwork ever since at the age of nine I watched my grandmother crocheting squares and asked her to teach me and so I was interested to read in an Ideas magazine that repetitive crafts such as crochet and knitting are good for your health.

The magic is in the rhythmic repetitiveness of the movements, which is a lot like yoga and meditation.

Scientific studies have shown that knitting has a calming effect and can even help to manage pain. The action of knitting it seems can alter brain chemistry and decrease the release of stress hormones.
This is nothing new to the residents of the Zululand Homes who belong to the generation that were taught that one's hands should never be idle. These women have always knitted not only for themselves and their families but also for the troops in World War 2 and now in their senior years they are knitting for orphaned children and to raise funds for the Home they live in.

The funds raised by the Craft Group at the Homes were used in January to purchase a pergola and new garden furniture. These have been well used already and residents now spend many happy hours outdoors enjoying the beautiful weather and garden, and of course knitting!

We have been working towards the Easter Fair and there are always cards and handwork on offer on Thursday mornings and the Knick Knack Shop still has lots of interesting old things to sell.

We are also making attractive shopping bags and aprons with an African theme which are proving very popular.

We are looking for volunteers to join our group on Monday mornings or to sew in their own time at home. Contact us at 0354742636/2402

Until next time then, Happy Knitting!!