A CHARITY supporter has ‘knitted together’ a novel way to raise money by creating woollen chickens.

Anita Knagg’s hobby has given her an opportunity to help East Lancashire Hospice.

For the past five years, Mrs Knagg, has been knitting chickens to sell at the hospice to raise funds.

The 65-year-old, from Gloucester Avenue, Rishton, said she finds the hobby relaxing.

She said: “I make five or six chickens every evening while I’m sat watching the television.

“Each one takes me around 20 minutes from start to finish. I find it very therapeutic.”

Mrs Knagg has been knitting for 60 years after picking it up from her mother.

She started by stitching teddies and by the time she was eight she was reading patterns.

About 18 months ago the former carer and teacher broke her wrist in a fall.

She said: “I was given lots of exercises but the thing that helped the most was the knitting. It’s helped me regain full movement in my fingers.”

As well as Easter chicks that hold chocolate eggs, which are donated to the hospice, she also knits teddies for the hospice raffle and Christmas puddings that also hold goodies.

Mrs Knagg is part of a group of friends who raise money for the hospice while doing things they enjoy.

The group, consisting of Anita, Chris and daughter Sarah Knagg, Heather and Jim Wilson, and Sue and Alan Poyner, formed after the death of Sue and Alan’s niece Natalie, who was cared for at the hospice before she died five years ago.

Mrs Knagg said: “This is the fifth year I have been making chickens. The first year I made about 20, and then 100 the following year, 150 the year after and 200 for the last two years using wool donated to the hospice shops.

“The chickens are made from whatever colour yarn I have. Some are the traditional yellow chickens, and others are multi-coloured.

"I’m entertaining myself in the evening, and the hospice is making money it didn’t have before. It’s a win-win scenario.”