Hillside Care Home Resident, Doll, Shares her Passion for Knitting
Doll has been a resident at Hillside Care Home in Sudbury, Suffolk, since July but has stayed for respite care on previous occasions, so her love of knitting is well known. Doll was taught knitting aged 7 with the other girls at school while the boys did woodwork. Over the years, Doll’s passion for knitting grew as she honed her skills and discovered how much pleasure she got from creating handmade items. This became Doll’s way of expressing love and care, connecting with her family and bringing warmth and comfort to those in need.
Doll has lived in Sudbury for 34 years having moved to the area from Enfield, and was followed by her daughter, Brenda. Granddaughter, Kelly, also developed Doll’s passion for knitting, and the three of them often spent evenings together, creating beautiful blankets and baby blankets.
Supporting Ukrainian Families Through Knitting
Last year, as news of the war in Ukraine spread, Doll and her family felt strongly that they wanted to help. They decided to use their knitting skills to make a difference and began knitting and crocheting blankets and baby blankets for the displaced families in Ukraine - a small gesture of solidarity with those whose lives had been disrupted by war. Every few months, Doll, Brenda, and Kelly would travel to Calydon in Ipswich, delivering their handmade items to a collection point to be sorted and prepared for shipment to Ukraine. The thought of their creations providing warmth and comfort to people far away gave them a real sense of purpose and fulfilment. Knitting was a way of channelling their compassion into something more tangible.
Comfort Bears And Cardigans
One of Doll’s favourite projects is knitting comfort bears. These small soft bears are designed to bring comfort and joy to residents at Hillside and visiting children. Each bear has its own personality, with different colours, patterns, and sometimes even little accessories like a scarf. Doll has donated some of her comfort bears to the Hillside team’s children, including Home Manager Khala’s twin girls who love them so much they will not go to bed without them and even try to take them to school. Doll has a picture of the girls with their bears on the wall in her room.
Doll’s knitting hasn’t stopped at comfort bears. She also knits cardigans and jumpers for her friends and family, each cardigan a unique creation, which reflects the recipient’s favourite colours and styles. Doll’s own wardrobe is full of knitted cardigans and jumpers of different colours and patterns that she has created over the years.
Knitting Inspired By Creativity And Kindness
Through her knitting, Doll has done more than simply create beautiful items. Her tiny bears bring smiles to children’s faces, her cardigans bring warmth, and her presence at Hillside is felt through her passion - not just in the skill behind the items she creates, but in the kindness and creativity she puts into her knitting. Doll still knits blanket squares for Ukraine, is an enthusiastic participant in Hillside’s fortnightly Knitting Club, hosted by Hillside carer, Hannah, and continues to inspire those around her with her enthusiasm.
Our Friendly Care Home in Suffolk
Hillside Care Home is located in the picturesque village of Great Cornard on the outskirts of Sudbury in Suffolk, and is part of the Caring Homes Group. To find out more about our Home, including our award-winning dementia training, please visit Hillside's homepage. You can also find information on our other care homes, as well as similar articles and celebrations, by exploring our site. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions or would like to learn more.
