100-year-old grandma helps Mater’s tiniest patients keep warm
Tuesday 1 August 2023
A 100-year-old Queensland grandmother with a passion for knitting is helping hundreds of tiny newborns keep warm at Mater Mothers’ Hospital at South Brisbane.
Joan, who turned 100 in May, started knitting when she was just 10 and hasn’t stopped.
Joan said she felt compelled to help Mater’s tiny patients after purchasing Mater Prize Home tickets and learning about the Mater little miracle babies whose lives had been saved thanks to around-the-close specialist care.
“Every time I buy tickets, I read about how these tiny babies have been saved thanks to life-saving treatment at Mater. I thought ‘I have to do something for these little babies’.”
Gold Coast resident Joan, who has five children, nine grandchildren, 15 great grandchildren and four great great grandchildren spends much of her time knitting baby booties.
Mater Mothers’ Hospital Assistant Director of Clinical Services Kathleen Goldsmith said Joan’s hand-made booties had made a big impact to families welcoming a new baby.
“To receive a package with something so sentimental is priceless,” Ms Goldsmith said.
Joan, from Merrimac, enjoys knitting each day and said over the years she had made thousands of baby shawls and booties for other hospitals around the state.
“I just love knitting. It’s nice to see the result of my work – in no time I have something that takes shape,” Joan said.
“I was young when I started knitting. When I was 12 my mum taught me how to make booties and I still use the same pattern.”
Mater Volunteer Senior Manager Judy Johnson is calling on volunteers to join an army of knitters to donate more beanies for newborns, including premature babies at the hospital.
"About 40 babies are born each day at Mater Mothers’ Hospital," Ms Johnson said.
“The beanies are used in birth suites and theatre recovery wards to maintain the temperature of babies when they are first born,” she said.
“We have a shortage on beanies at the moment and any help we can get to warm little heads and hearts is greatly appreciated.”
Ms Johnson asked knitters to follow a specific pattern which can be found below.
Baby Beanie Pattern
General Instruction: Read through pattern carefully before you start any knitting.
Stocking Stitch: Knit one row and purl the next row alternately.
Single Rib: K1, P1
Double Rib: K2, P2
Seaming for Baby clothes.
Place two pieces of fabric evenly together, right side to right side and sewing stitch by stitch, taking care that the stretch is the same as the fabric, ie, insert needle from right to left through centre of knob (formed by knitting stich at beginning and end of purl row) in front piece of work, then insert needle from left to right through centre of knob at back of work, You should have an almost invisible join.
Pattern 1 Using 3 or 4 ply baby wool 3.25mm needles
Cast on 100sts
1st Row K2, P2 to end of row (double Rib)
Repeat 19 times (20 rows) Work in stocking stitch for 20 rows
With right side facing decrease for crown
Row 1. K10, K2 tog to the end of row
Row 2. Purl
Row 3. K9, K2 tog to the end of row
Row 4. Purl
Continue until 10 sts remain, break off yarn, leaving enough to seam garment, run thread through sts and sew up seam as per instructions.
Delivery Details
Beanies may be delivered or sent to:
Mater Mothers’ Hospital, lvl 5
Raymond Terrace
South Brisbane 4101
Ph 3163 8000