The knitters are then required to answer the “wishlist” requested by the organisation in need.

As of July the group had 948 members knitting, crocheting and sewing for charities.

“Either it grew with me or I grew with it because before I knew it the group was huge,” Mrs Tatt said.

Mrs Tatt said she only had face-to-face contact with a handful of the charity members.

“Now, with our 10th anniversary almost upon us, I have a membership of more than 900 and we have distributed more than 160,000 recorded garments – with many more unrecorded,” she said.

Individual member donations have increased steadily since the charities first donations began in 2006.

The organisation has three designated charities per month who receive the donations.

The donations have increased from 5413 in 2006/2007 to 17,264 in 2013.

The organisation has donated a total of over 165,000 individual donations since 2006.

So far in 2014 members have donated more than 9100 individual items across the country.

July’s charities are Knitting for Brisbane’s Needy in support of Grant the Polite Guy (QLD), Animal Rescues Appeal (VIC) and Animal Welfare League (SA).

Mrs Tatt said members of the community were welcome to nominate charities for the group to support.

“No charity is too big or small for us to help,” she said.

“In fact, the smaller the charity the better because they are the ones who struggle and survive mainly on the goodness of others.

“Whatever you like to knot, crochet or sew I can find a needy body be it human or animal.”

Mrs Tatt also released a book titled The Gift of Giving in 2007.

The book looked at techniques used for different charity groups ie. premature babies at a hospital ward.

She is now working on another book of techniques titled The Gift of Giving Revised.

It is intended to support the members of the charity by teaching them new techniques.

The charity concentrates solely on giving to Australian charities.

“There is so much need in Australia,” she said.

“There are a lot of charities that need extra support.”

Mrs Tatt said one of the largest benefits for members of the organisation was the feeling they were contributing to something greater than themselves.

She said a lot of the members were house-bound because of illness, age or disability.

She said doing something philanthropic greatly added to their lives.

“It has actually given them a new lease on life,” she said.

“They’ve got a purpose.

“It is very special for both the giver and the receiver.”

All materials are donated by the volunteers for the nominated charities.

Mrs Tatt said the biggest problem the charity encountered was the cost of postage.

The charity has a raffle fundraiser once a year to pay for the cost of postage.

She said it was a frustrating aspect of the organisations nature.

Mrs Tatt said she hoped to gain more contact with charity organisations in Bendigo.

“I would like to have a contact person at the women’s shelter, the homeless shelter and a foster carers organisation,” she said.

“We really just want to help them.”

For more information, visit knit4charities.webs.com