Knit, Crochet and Sew for Charity

Latest Update on Lou - 30th October
Hi everyone - I am writing this update myself for Pam today so you will all know I am very much back in the land of the living.  It has been a very rollercoaster three months but I am here and in good spirits (as the local members will tell you - my jokes haven't got any better and I certainly haven't lost my sense of humour)!   Progress is very slow as I am not a fast healer, at the moment I am going to the hospital twice a week to get the dressings changed and waiting to be taken in for the next stage of reconstruction (which will hopefully be soon as I am to go to St Johns in Livingston next week to see the specialists there).  Once they have compared notes with the surgeons at Queen Margarets I will probably be taken to Livingston to have the next operation done (probably to make a new cheek from the muscles in my shoulder - I am becoming an expert in flap surgery as I have been researching it so I will not get any nasty surprises when the time comes).
I have bought some wigs from a great store in China on ebay - just £10 each and they look fantastic - it looks so much better if I put a wig on over the bandages before I drive the car as I was having a lot of men 'rubber knecking' as they went past me!  I have also lost over 3 stones now and am under 17 stones for the first time in 28 years!  Not the sort of diet I would recommend to anyone else but at least I have had one good thing come out of this!
Loving Hands is going from strength to strength even in my abscence - my heartfelt thanks goes out to my lovely daughters Kelly and Roxanne who were determined to keep it afloat and working normally till I got back to it.  Kelly is even coming to meetings with me now and knitting has helped her give up smoking as well!  Also to my band of wonderful local helpers Suzanne who was like a rock to my family breezing in with her no nonsense attitude and making them all feel better at the same time.  Kate who helped with parcels and came to visit me in the hospital, Gladys and her daughter Isobel who became my treasurers and made sure both meetings were running fine and my dear Stella who got roped in to help count and wrap all the things at the end of the challenges and who faithfulloy came to see me even though she was also having to visit her own mum in hospital after a heart attack. Finally to our wonderful Pam who kept the site updated with news of my progress - she always finds time for us even though her own talents are keeping her ever so busy with tv appearances, cd on sale and commisions for her paintings!  Without you all things could have been in an awful muddle by the time I got back - thank you all so much.  Thanks too to every one of my fabulous members - you kept on working and sent your cards and prayers to keep me going - the nursing staff had never seen one patient with so many cards and lots of them were hand made too which was great!
Looking forward - I will be absent for spells when I am in hospital for many months to come yet but in the end I will be like new - even better than I was before - every morning when I wake up I smile as each day is a gift and I am a very lucky lady indeed.
God Bless you all
Lou xxx
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Welcome to Loving Hands charity knitting, sewing and crochet group.
Loving Hands Charity Knitting Group was formed by Lou Jaap after a very succesful 24 hour Charity Knitathon which took place in the Volunteer Centre in Kirkcaldy, Fife to celebrate National Volunteers Week.
The event went so well it was decided to start up a group to continue the great work started during the Knitathon. We now have a blog site and forum.
We have members from all over the UK who knit and crochet for our various charities.

We have a group who meet up every Monday afternoon. We meet in the Community Centre,  Main Street, Kelty from 1pm to 3pm - all welcome!
The Kirkcaldy meetings are now at The Staff Club, Victoria Hospital, Kirkaldy - Monday nights from 7pm to 9pm.
Meeting fees are the same as Kelty, every member attending the meeting pays £2
As well as the main charities, we make blankets for the local animal shelters and prem baby clothes for the local hospitals. New members are always welcome as are donations of yarn, needles, patterns, toy stuffing etc.