‘Auntie’ Faith’s fast fingers fly through the knitting

The Kāinga Ora tenant, better known as ‘Auntie Faith’ to the children she knits for, has been donating beautifully knitted slippers and mittens to Motueka schools for a number of years.

“The whole idea is every child in the classroom has cosy feet because they change into slippers in the classroom,” Faith explains.

“I ring around the schools in March to see if they need anything. I do it with my daughter and two to three friends and I get the schools to draw an outline of the children’s feet to give me an idea of what’s needed. I also get an outline of the children’s hands for the mittens. I can do two pairs of slippers in an evening,” Faith explains.

Faith with one of her handknitted tea cosies.

Faith has been knitting for about 80 years and has many memories of the important part the hobby has played in her life.

“I learnt to knit when I was five. It was during the war and Mum and I were living with a lady while Dad was overseas. She taught me how to knit, although Mum was a good knitter too. I was at school in Addington in Christchurch and Mum and I would go and buy skeins of wool. I was 10 when I knitted my first jersey.”

Faith’s lifelong love of knitting has seen her enter local knitting competitions and donate to many people in need over the years. She was Motueka co-ordinator for ‘Operation Cover Up’, which sends shipping containers full of donated knitted clothes and toys to Eastern Europe each year, for 10 years.

“I used to collect everything and then it went to Christchurch and on to Europe. We did about 300 blankets. I had peggy squares all over my lounge floor before we sewed them up,” Faith says.

“We got a video of the children getting the handknitted dolls, and the look on their faces! I really enjoyed doing that project.”

Faith and her husband raised four children in another Kāinga Ora home in Motueka, where she lived for 36 years. In August last year, with her family all grown up, it was time to move to a place that better suited her needs.

Her home’s central location means she is close to the Motueka District Museum and the Motueka Red Cross Shop, where she volunteers her time.

“When the weather is good, I can walk to the museum and the Red Cross. I have volunteered with the Red Cross for 32 years. I could not bear to not be busy,” Faith says.