A stitch … in time for Mandela Day

22 April 2021

The City’s Library Service hopes to create a buzz that attracts as many knitters as possible to participate in its ‘bee’-nie knitting initiative.

The City’s Library and Information Service is challenging all knitters in the library community to put their heads together for a special beanie knitting project.

The beanies will have a bee design, in honour of the Library Service’s mascot, LiBee the Bee. Patterns are available for collection at libraries, or knitters can find and use their own patterns, as long as it is done in the yellow and black colour scheme.

The service hopes to amass as many beanies as possible by Mandela Day on 18 July 2021.

The beanies will be donated to City clinics for distribution to babies who visit these facilities for their health checkups.

‘The link with our clinics is no coincidence. It is actually part of a bigger project that we are launching later this year, in association with City Health, so the beanie project is the first step in that direction. Not only are we hoping to keep babies warm with the beanies that our patrons will hopefully contribute through our knitting initiative, but we also have plans to turn them into library patrons from a very young age. All will be revealed when we are ready to launch that particular project.

‘For now, I want to challenge all of our library patrons who know their way around a knitting pattern, and even those who are still figuring out their plain and purl stitches to come together and help us knit as many beanies as we can by mid-July. I am told there is already a bit of friendly competition on the go, with the Wynberg Librarians (pictured) and their knitting patrons challenging their fellow libraries to a match or to beat their progress,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Councillor Zahid Badroodien.

The Wynberg Library’s knitting circle has already completed more than 60 beanies.

‘We hope that the library knitting clubs, youth clubs and craft clubs can get involved in contributing to the beanie knitting project. Completed beanies can be dropped off at your closest library,’ added Councillor Badroodien.

End

Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office