Knit it Forward reaches hundreds through community generosity

What began as a simple community idea has grown into something that has touched hearts across the Sunshine Coast and beyond.

As donations from the Knit it Forward – The Cartel Community Drive 2026 reach local organisations, the true impact of the project is becoming visible. Handmade beanies, scarves, shawls, gloves and winter items have been delivered to groups including Wish List, Sunshine Coast University Hospital wards, SunnyKids, CAYAC, It’ll Take a Tribe and ComLink, with more distributions continuing throughout winter.

The response from the local community has been extraordinary. Donations of yarn, hooks, needles and handmade items arrived from across the region, with contributions coming from as far as Gympie. Every basket filled told a story of time, care and generosity.

Fabric Cartel owner Virginia Price praised Cartel Crew member Red for coordinating many of the deliveries and ensuring the handmade items found their way into the hands of those who needed them most.

Along the way, there were tears, gratitude and heartfelt conversations.

“One local lady saw our community call-out for donations and asked if she could receive some items for an interstate friend undergoing cancer treatment,” Red said.

After receiving the package, the woman responded with a message that captured the spirit of the entire project:

“I am so glad there are people like you in the world. I am overwhelmed by your kindness.”

The handmade items were received not simply as winter accessories, but as visible reminders that someone had thought about another person they may never meet.

Virginia said the project was created to offer warmth where it is needed most, but also to acknowledge something deeper - that there are people in our community living with challenges many of us never have to think about.

“Whether facing homelessness, illness, hardship, family violence or isolation, every person deserves to feel seen, supported and valued,” she said.

“The care with which these items were created was impossible to miss. Every stitch represented time freely given. Every beanie, scarf and shawl carried with it a simple message: you matter. That kind of support and care is invaluable - money can’t buy that.”

More than a donation drive, Knit it Forward became a reminder of what community can look like when people come together with a shared desire to care for one another.

As winter begins, warmth is now making its way into the hands of people who need it most - delivered by the Cartel Crew and created by a community that chose to connect, create and give.

Fabric Cartel owner Virginia Price (right) with a ComLink representative.