▁re h abil itation ▁of ▁p engu ins ▁cont amin ated ▁by ▁expos ure ▁to ▁oil ▁s lick s . ▁ ▁The ▁project ▁is ▁now ▁complete . ▁ ▁Ch icken ▁swe aters ▁were ▁also ▁kn itted ▁to ▁aid ▁battery ▁h ens ▁that ▁had ▁lost ▁their ▁fe athers . ▁The ▁organization ▁is ▁not ▁currently ▁accepting ▁don ations , ▁but ▁maintain s ▁a ▁list ▁of ▁volunte ers . ▁ ▁S we ater ▁cur se ▁ ▁Kn itting ▁especially ▁large ▁or ▁fine ▁gar ments ▁such ▁as ▁swe aters ▁can ▁require ▁months ▁of ▁work ▁and , ▁as ▁g ifts , ▁may ▁have ▁a ▁strong ▁emot ional ▁aspect . ▁ ▁The ▁so - called ▁swe ater ▁cur se ▁express es ▁the ▁experience ▁that ▁a ▁significant ▁other ▁will ▁break ▁up ▁with ▁the ▁kn itter ▁immediately ▁after ▁receiving ▁a ▁cost ly ▁hand - kn it ▁gift ▁such ▁as ▁a ▁swe ater . ▁ ▁A ▁significant ▁minor ity ▁of ▁kn it ters ▁claim ▁to ▁have ▁experienced ▁the ▁swe ater ▁cur se ; ▁a ▁recent ▁poll ▁indicated ▁that ▁ 1 5 % ▁of ▁active ▁kn it ters ▁say ▁they ▁have ▁experienced ▁the ▁swe ater ▁cur se ▁first hand , ▁and ▁ 4 1 % ▁consider ▁it ▁a ▁possibility ▁that ▁should ▁be ▁taken ▁seriously . ▁ ▁Although ▁sometimes ▁l abeled ▁a ▁" super st ition ", ▁the ▁swe ater ▁cur se ▁is ▁not ▁treated ▁in ▁kn itting ▁literature ▁as ▁anything ▁par an ormal . ▁ ▁Psych ological ▁and ▁med itative ▁aspects ▁ ▁The ▁or al ▁histor ies ▁of ▁many ▁kn it ters ▁have