Grab your needles, Nambour and knit it forward for people in need
Cartel yarners Ilana and Virginia are excited to welcome you in store at The Fabric Cartel, 3/20 Ann Street, Nambour.
Nambour’s Fabric Cartel is urging locals to pick up their needles and knit for a cause, launching Knit it Forward – The Cartel Community Drive 2026. The community initiative invites locals to knit beanies, scarves and shawls for people in need across the region ahead of winter.
The idea was born last year during the Queen Street yarn bombing, when a simple but powerful realisation emerged. As trees were dressed in colour and texture, people experiencing homelessness walked past - highlighting that the same yarn could be transformed into something far more practical: warm items for winter.
“Knit it Forward came from a moment of reflection,” said Fabric Cartel owner Virginia Price. “Yarn brings beauty and connection, but it can also create warmth where it’s needed most. This initiative is about community - people coming together to quietly care for others.”
The drive aims to mobilise the community to knit practical winter items, which will be distributed through local organisations supporting a range of needs - from the homeless to compromised families with young children, and people managing medical conditions that impact their temperature regulation.
To support the initiative, Fabric Cartel will be offering:
• A welcoming in-store knitting and crochet area for you to create your pieces, starting Saturday January 18, and every Tuesday to Saturday thereafter during opening hours. You can start a piece and complete it, or you can leave it for another Cartel Yarner to complete.
• Beginner-friendly in-store workshops for those wanting to learn to knit or crochet facilitated by Amanda from Learn to Create Workshops. The next knitting workshop is on Saturday, February 7.
Virginia said she was grateful to The Gazette for supporting Knit it Forward through yarn, needles and crochet hook sponsorships and community coverage, helping spread the word and encourage broad local participation.
Residents are also welcome to create at home and donate items. In particular, The Cartel is asking for knitted shawls, adult and kids’ beanies (in local school colours), scarves, plus infant beanies and booties. You can also donate your unused yarn, knitting needles or crochet hooks directly to the store.
About Knit if Forward
Knit it Forward - The Cartel Community Drive 2026 focuses on one simple goal: creating warmth where it is needed most. Cartel Yarners are invited to donate their items by May 31 directly to The Cartel. For further information, contact Fabric Cartel on 0424 385 990. Book your knitting and crochet workshops via www.learntocreate.com.au.