This Welsh lady knitted a hat a day for the homeless

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At the beginning of 2024, 47-year-old Susanne David from Wales set herself the challenge of knitting 365 bobble hats, one for every day of the year.

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How freezing temperatures sparked a creative idea

It was on a freezing cold day at the beginning of the year when Susanne found herself sitting outside waiting for her car to defrost in order to make her way to work. As she was listening to the radio, she found herself feeling both perplexed and angered by a proposal announced by Suella Braverman, the then Home Secretary, to criminalise homelessness and hit rough sleepers with fines of up to £2,500.

As a Gower College Fashion and Art lecturer, Susanne is no stranger to creativity, and she quickly realised that knitting a hat a day for the homeless would be something that could genuinely make a difference to a person’s life.

Susanne garnered plenty of support along the way

Susanne put up a post on her personal social media accounts to share the challenge she was embarking on, not knowing that she was about to be inundated with support from her family, friends and local community.

Inspired by Susanne’s own kindness, it wasn’t long before people were finding ways to lend support, from sharing the message online to donating free wool that would eventually be made into hundreds of cosy caps. In fact, Susanne received a whopping 37kg of wool from her supporters.

A personal touch highlighting community spirit

A detachable tag was added to each hat featuring a message to the recipient and the name of the person who had given Susanne the wool that was used to knit the garment.

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While Susanne found the challenge tough at times, the sense of community spirit that was ignited as a result of what she was doing kept her motivated and she completed her challenge in just 318 days.