Angela and Len Creber have made more than 125 woollen hats and 25 teddies for the Rotary Shoebox Appeal this year.
Mrs Creber started knitting for the appeal two years ago, after the company her son works for launched an initiative to sponsor its staff to make their own donations.
‘Everyone at work learned to crochet, learned to knit and make hand-made stuff to put in the shoe boxes,’ said her son’s colleague Tracey Cordingley, who came to pick up the Crebers’ donations this year.
Mrs Creber, a lifelong knitter and crafter, did not hesitate to offer her efforts. She decided to carry on making her hats and teddies even after the company’s initiative ended, with Mrs Cordingley, who has given to the charity herself for three decades, continuing to help her manage her donations.
This year, however, marked the first time Mr Creber had been able to join in, with the help of a thoughtful birthday gift from the couple’s daughter, Sue.
‘He wanted to have a go as he’d seen me with my knitting. He said, “Do you think I can do that?” So we tried him on crochet, but he couldn’t get his fingers around it. So then Sue went and bought him a knitting machine for his 95th birthday in March, and he’s been doing that ever since,’ said Mrs Creber.
Mr Creber uses his machine to churn out long tubes, which Mrs Creber then finishes by hand, so the pair can make hats far faster than Mrs Creber could on her own.
‘This is way more than they had last year,’ said Mrs Cordingley.
‘I mean, if you crochet it by hand, it’s about eight hours to make an adult hat, and he just whizzes them out on his machine. He’s done two hats today.’
Mr Creber also helped his wife with the teddies, making sure each one was stuffed after she had crocheted its shape.
‘Oh, I’ve enjoyed it,’ said Mr Creber. ‘And I know it’s going to go to children, so I’m happy with that.’
The appeal’s collection centre opens at 10am today at Sigma, Braye Road Industrial Estate, Vale. The organising team will be accepting shoe boxes filled with Christmas gifts for needy and disadvantaged children in Romania, Moldova, Montenegro and, via Poland, Ukraine.