Meet The Knitters

Married with two children, Jane learned to knit only three years ago as a way of supporting her family but has showed amazing talent in such a short time. Jane enjoys picking up her knitting needles after her children have gone to bed, when the house is calm and she can be alone with her thoughts.

Susan is our pattern maker and has been knitting for thirty-eight years. She was taught by her mother and has picked up tips with the help of You Tube. Now living in Rondebosch, Cape Town, Susan was born in Pietermaritzburg in Kwazulu Natal. She has lived on the remote island nation of Sao Tomé and Principé on the Equator and also in Angola. Both these experiences taught her that it’s crucial to be able to make a plan when life doesn’t go smoothly, and also to appreciate all that we have every day.

Bahya was born in Cape Town and has been knitting for over forty years. Like so many of our knitters, she was taught to knit at school and knitting has remained an important part of her life – both as a hobby and now as a way to look after her family. Bahya is a wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. Since she started working for Chommies, Bahya has loved getting to know her fellow knitters and loves the special community they have created.

Cynthia was taught to knit at primary school when she was seven years old. Having mastered the stitches, she taught her sister, Nyasha, who now also knits for Chommies. Cynthia loves to knit, sew and crochet in the evening, when the world outside has slowed and stilled.

The first item that Leila knitted was in Primary School and it was a green snake doorstopper! Since then Leila has taught all her children to knit and still enjoys knitting, especially in the evening when her young twin daughters have fallen asleep. Born in Cape Town in 1979, Leila lives with her children in Mitchell’s Plain.

Nyasha and her younger sister, Cynthia, both knit for Chommies. Nyasha learnt to knit when she was twelve years old with the help of her sister and her grandmother. Her mother instilled in her from a young age that there is so much you can create with your own hands. With every stitch and with every jersey, Nyasha proves how true her mother’s words are.