A small but dedicated group of Dungog knitters is helping lambs affected by the drought to keep warm this winter.
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Maree Garland, Jan Hunter and her daughter Jacqui Too are behind the Facebook page “lamb jumpers Dungog” which describes itself as “a small group of friends trying to help out in a small way”.
Friends since high school, Jan and Maree are both keen knitters – although Jan admits to usually knitting just one item a year and she prefers to sew. That was before the lamb jackets project.
Maree’s hands are rarely without a crochet hook or a pair of knitting needles in them. She lovingly makes items for her six grand children and for her Dowling Street store, Hidden Valley Clothing Company.
The pair were both watching television one morning when a story on The Today Show ignited their desire to help.
See the Today Show video here:
“I saw the ladies from the CWA around the state knitting these little jumpers for the lambs and thought, oh that’s nice, I could do that,” said Jan.
Maree was also watching the program that morning.
“I thought to myself, don’t even look at it, and five seconds later the phone rang and it was Jan and I was saying “oh why not!”
They started the lamb jumpers Dungog Facebook page which has around 25 members and have received donations of both knitted jumpers and wool.
They are happy for others to join the group and have the simple pattern available to others which they sourced from the original story on the Lamb Jumpers Helping our Farmers.
The pair will soon take the little jackets out west to where they are needed.
With Jan’s husband Ross and Maree’s husband David, the couples are planning a roadtrip to Tamworth on the long weekend in October. They plan to spend money en route in the towns that need it most.
You can get more information from the Facebook page or call in and see Jan at her Hidden Valley store.
Knitting Pattern
8ply washable
Back
Cast on 48 stitches
Rib 20 rows
Stocking stitch 20 rows
Cast on 10 to each end of the next 2 rows
Rib 20 rows
Cast off
Front
Girls - same as back
Boys - stocking stitch 6 rows only
Sew up sides and shoulders
Adjust to make bigger or smaller where required
