P.E.I. Syrian refugees to receive hand-knitted mittens

Some Syrian refugees are getting a warm welcome from a P.E.I. grandmother who has spent much of 2015 knitting mittens in preparation for their arrival.

Gail Charman, who lives in Charlottetown, has 65 pairs of mittens ready for Syrian refugees arriving on the Island. She has donated them to the Association for Newcomers' Welcome Project, which is gathering household and personal items in preparation for the refugees' arrival.

• Syrian refugee donation centre taking stock

Charman, who has been knitting all her life, said she is ready to knit more mittens if they are needed.

"They don't have very much and I know kids are always losing their mittens. I love to knit, so when I'm watching TV I just keep knitting," she said.

"I knew they were coming and it's winter here They were going to need mittens."

Charman got the idea to donate to the refugees this year from her daughter Amy MacLean, who works for the P.E.I. Association for Newcomers to Canada, which is running the Welcome Project.

Charman donated handmade mittens to the Salvation Army last year.