Residents at a Central Coast nursing home are doing their bit to help drought-affected farmers, one row at a time.
The knitting group at Woy Woy’s Bluewave Living is creating jumpers for orphaned lambs to help keep them warm at night.
So far, they’ve made 32 woolly warmers in different sizes and colours.
Sue Dalziel, who regularly helps out at the Bluewave group with husband Rod, heard about the idea through a local physiotherapist.
Our Coast Physio receptionist Danielle Eldridge is helping to organise a delivery of goods, including food, water, stock feed and the lamb jumpers, to Wee Waa and Cuttabri in the state’s north-west on September 13. It’s part of a drive to help relieve farmers living through one of the worst droughts in years.
Danielle’s 10-year-old daughter Phoenix came up with the idea of jumpers after she heard of lambs freezing and the lack of food.
When Sue heard of the plan, she immediately told the knitters.
The group was making tea cosies, but jumped at the chance to help farmers doing it tough.
“In some places it's -7 degrees. Farmers are bringing orphaned lambs into their homes to keep them warm,” Sue said.
“I thought we could help. We put the pattern on the newsletter and it snowballed from there.”
The project is also giving the residents a boost.
“It keeps everyone busy and gives them a real buzz,” Sue said.
“You know you can make a difference to someone else’s life.”
She said the pattern itself is fairly easy.
“I’m a patchworker, but I can knit one in two days. Some ladies can knit two in one day.
“It doesn’t matter what the jumpers look like, as long as they keep the lambs warm. And it’s a great way to use up wool scraps.”
The group hopes to make at least 50 jumpers.
Jumper pattern
- 8ply washable wool and number 4 needles
- Cast on 48 stitches
- Rib 20 rows
- Stocking stitch 20 rows
- Cast on 10st end of next 2 rows
- Rib 20 rows
- Cast off
- Front: Girls same as back. Boys stocking st only 6 rows
- Sew up sides and shoulders
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