Knitters
If you are interested in Knitting for Ronnie, you are most welcome to contact her.
She is always looking for advanced knitters to who are able to work to the high standards that are required to create these wearable works of art.
Ronnie does not impose strict time limits on knitters, as she believes that quality is more important than quantity.
Here are
Dorothy’s Knitting
With about 60 years knitting experience behind her, Dorothy jumped at the chance to knit for Ronnie Avery when she noticed the advertisement calling for knitters about 15 years ago.
“I enjoy working for Ronnie. She is a lovely lady who works awfully hard.” Dorothy has enjoyed knitting many different garments over the years and has fond memories of learning to knit her very first jumper as a child. “I learnt to knit from a lady who lived up the road and I would go there each day after school”, she says. Dorothy has since taught both her daughter and granddaughter to knit.
These days, Dorothy enjoys swimming, gardening, cooking and knitting during the day. It takes her approximately 10 hours to knit a small garment for Ronnie. “I do some knitting during the evenings as I don’t watch that much television”, Dorothy says.
Ronnie provides her knitters with the opportunity to choose colours for the garments she designs. Dorothy likes working with bold colours, “I like colours like red and purple, but if the colours I choose don’t look right together, I will undo the garment and redo it”. Her favourite wools are mohair and angora.
Dorothy sees knitting as an art form, but one that is slowly dying. “These days there aren’t as many young ones knitting, I think it needs to be taught in the schools” she says.
Dorothy’s tip for other knitters? “Take care, don’t rush and most importantly enjoy it”.
Daphne’s Knitting
Daphne attributes her length of employment with Ronnie Avery to her enjoyment of knitting and her respect for Ronnie herself. Daphne has knitted for Ronnie for approximately 8 or 9 years.
“I have been knitting for Ronnie for probably the longest, hopefully because I am reliable but also because of Ronnie”, Daphne says. “Ronnie works very hard, she has so much to organise and has done so well. I am amazed at the work she has to get through, I am nothing but impressed!”
Daphne, like Ronnie, has been knitting from a very early age. Taught by her mother, she knitted her first doll’s clothes at 7. “My mother taught me and my brothers to knit, even my father used to knit. We were certainly a family that never had idle fingers”, she says.
Daphne has mostly knitted for family members until her skills were called for by Port Arthur (a Tasmanian tourist destination). Port Arthur was short of knitters, so Daphne began working for them. “It all started from the Port Arthur work, a friend told me about Ronnie and suggested that I knit for her. I have never looked back since”, Daphne says.
Daphne initially started knitting vests but soon moved onto jumpers of different designs however; she enjoys knitting the lamb design on jumpers the most. It would take Daphne a little under a week to complete one of the small jumpers. Daphne prefers to work with colours that are a little unusual. “Ronnie knows that I like colours that are a little bit different, I like to take wools that are a little unusual, like a speckled wool. I like a real mixture of colours”, Daphne says.
Daphne completes most of her knitting during the evenings but will also take her knitting with her in the car with her. “Even if it is a short drive, I will always get a little done and it all makes a difference. I like to knit at night while I read or watch television, sometimes I do all three at the same time!” Daphne comments. “I like to be busy with my hands, I need to be doing things”, she says. Daphne also enjoys crochet and swimming.