BUSY FINGERS

There has been a bit of a knitting marathon going on just lately.

May heard about a project to knit vests for AIDS babies in Africa....so she obtained the pattern and got busy. This was in spite of the fact that May and George have recently had their home dismantled (literally) around them, and have been forced into temporary accommodation in two tiny adjoining flats some distance from the church where George is the Pastor.

May tackles everything with enthusiasm, and has a prolific output, whatever she turns her busy hands to. She produces an individual quilt/rug for every baby born on the island, and in between other projects, she tackles the large number of unfinished quilting and embroidery projects that her lovely daughter left behind when she died a few years ago..a somewhat bittersweet task for May.

But just now it is the knitting that occupies much of May's time and attention. When her wool supplies begasn to run out, she thought she may take a break, but donations of fresh wool supplies meant that she returned to the project with renewed vigour!

Meanwhile, Annette has joined in, mainly using the copious supplies of carpet wool that Joy gave her. Annette's mother Audrey(who is 90), and Ina and Jillian from Rocky Point, have also produced some very colourful additions to the pile.

Not being much of a knitter myself (the counting bit gets to me!) I was delighted to find this jumper in the Op Shop. I do not actually know anyone skinny or free spirited or cold enough to wear such a garment, so I thought it had great potential for unravelling. The idea was to produce some splashes of colour to go with the neutral wool that Annette is working with. The deconstruction process has taken longer than I bargained for, because the seams have been sewn with two lines of close machine stitching and overlocking. Nevertheless, some of it has already been transformed into some colourful stripes that should please a little African baby.

The first batch of some 30 vests has already been sent away, to join the 56 000 that have already been sent to Swaziland. Downunder ladies are very generous with their time and skills!