A lockdown gift for southern babies

Julia Clarke sewing a daisy on to her last baby's bootie. 10 June 2020 Northern Advocate Photograph by Peter Jackson NAG 11Jun20 -

Julia Clarke has made very good use of her Covid-19 lockdown time at Kaitaia's Switzer Residential Care.

A long-time and very skilled knitter, who has also been known to turn her hand to all manner of other creative pastimes, and the rest home's fundraiser extraordinaire, she has knitted a collection of booties, hats and jumpers for 'fishnchip' babies, infants who begin life with very little in the way of a wardrobe.

Yesterday she was sewing a daisy on to the last of the booties, "and I won't be making any more in a hurry."

The collection had been knitted with merino wool, gifted to the Switzer Home by the family of the late Barbara Crombie, and were about to be despatched to the birthing unit at Dunedin's Otago Hospital.