Meet the Guelph mother-daughter duo knitting hundreds of hats for newborns
A mother-daughter duo are working together on a special labour of love.
Alison Dunkley and her mother Janet Dunkley knit and crochet hats for the newest arrivals at Guelph General Hospital.
They started knitting together four decades ago. In recent years, they’ve been taking their talent and paying it forward.
“I like it because a little bit of yarn and two bits of wood and you’ve got some thing. It’s marvellous really,” said Janet.
The pair have made more than 500 wool hats for newborns at Guelph General Hospital.
This year, they made hats for babies born on New Years Day and embroidered “January First 2023” on the toques.
“I sewed some of those onto mine,” said Alison. “Mom actually knit a little hat with the words ‘2023 Baby’ right onto it. So we took them down and we had really good reception from it.”
April Chan’s daughter Ivy, who was born on Jan. 1, was one of the recipients of the hats.
Chan said it was a nice surprise, as they weren’t expecting Ivy to be born on New Year’s Day.
“We didn’t really have anything of our own to sort of celebrate the New Year or celebrate a New Year’s baby. So when they brought in the ‘January First 2023,’ it was exciting because now we have a little keepsake,” Chan said.
The Dunkleys also make and donate blankets for patients undergoing chemotherapy.
“It’s just nice to have a comforting blanket,” Alison said.
In a statement to CTV News, Guelph General Hospital’s CEO and President Marianne Walker said the hospital is grateful to Alison and Janet for donating their time and talents
“Last year, there were nearly 1,730 deliveries at Guelph General Hospital. Our families are so appreciative of gestures of kindness, such as being offered these beautiful knit hats or blankets for their newborn,” Walker said.
Alison and Janet said not only is making the wool items rewarding, it’s also a good way for them to spend quality time together.
“It is nice because we don’t have a television, so we sit and listen to audio books or tapes and chat,” said Alison.
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