‘Winter warmer’: kind-hearted China grandma, 84, knits 1,500 jumpers in 15 years for country’s poverty stricken children
- Octogenarian knits for kids of migrant workers, disabled, disaster victims
- Even asks that hospital drip be attached to foot so she can keep knitting
An 84-year-old woman in eastern China has been affectionately dubbed “sweater grandma” due to her hobby of knitting jumpers and donating them to poverty-stricken children across the mainland.
Han Cuiju, a resident of Ningbo in the eastern province of Zhejiang, has hand-knitted more than 1,500 sweaters over a period of a decade and a half.
Her caring efforts began in 2005 when her daughter read about children in poverty stricken areas who were freezing in winter because they could not afford warm clothing.
“These kids are too wretched. There is some wool left at home. Let me knit some sweaters for them,” said an emotional Han.
She spent the next few months knitting 36 sweaters, then asked her daughter to send them to a primary school whose students are the children of migrant workers from hinterland regions.
Since then, making the sweaters has formed a major part of Han’s life. It is reckoned she has churned out around 1,500 items since she started.
When she is at home, the kind 84-year-old knits while watching television. When she goes out she takes her wool and needles with her and knits whenever she has a free moment.
At one point, she was in hospital and required a drip, so she asked the nurse to put it in her foot, so she could finish making a jumper.
Another time, she went on holiday to South Korea with friends and sat on the beach knitting.
“As long as my body allows, I will keep on knitting,” said Han.
Her sweaters have also been donated to disabled people and victims of disasters such as earthquakes, reports said.
Han’s kindness has earned her a flood of praise on mainland social media, with many dubbing her “sweater grandma”.
“This grandma makes winter warmer. Her kindness is touching. I wish her good health and longevity,” said one online observer.
“She is full of positive energy. I salute this grandma,” said another.
Another wrote: “She is a genuinely good-hearted person for sticking at this charitable endeavour for so many years. Very few people would carry on doing it for such a long time. Thank you ‘Sweater Grandma’!”
