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Kind-hearted Inverness residents donate wool so grandmother can continue making clothes for premature babies


By Ian Duncan

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Marie MacIver is grateful to Courier readers for their donations of wool.
Marie MacIver is grateful to Courier readers for their donations of wool.

A former Inverness nurse was delighted to be flooded with donations of wool after she put out an appeal for donations.

At least seven bags full of wool of all different colours arrived after the Inverness Courier reported on Marie MacIver's work volunteer work creating clothes to keep premature babies warm.

The 81-year-old, of Esk Road in Hilton, contacted the Courier again recently to say thanks to everyone for their generosity.

“Oh my goodness – it might save my sanity during the coronavirus lockdown,” she said.

“This will give me something to do for the next wee while. The response has been marvellous.

“It should keep me going until the end of June, when I will be 82.”

Mrs MacIver knits hats, cardigans and blankets for premature babies who are cared for at the Queen Elizabeth hospital in Glasgow. Every month for the past year-and-a-half she has sent a box filled with eight jackets, eight hats and a knitted blanket to the maternity unit.

However, she appealed for donations of double knitting wool as her monthly good deed was proving quite costly, both in terms of yarn and postage.

She said: “I’ll use anything, but I like the double knitting wool because it is cosier for the babies.”

Because the tots are so tiny, she uses patterns for making dolls’ clothes.

Mrs MacIver, who learned to knit at her mother’s knee when she was very young, produces jackets in three different sizes starting at very tiny, and gradually getting bigger.

Her own daughter, Ashley, who is now 41, was born prematurely after a car accident.

She also has another daughter, Sylvia (54), and a son, 56-year-old Ray, five granddaughters and three grandsons.

And, after she sends her monthly parcel she receives a thank you letter from the hospital addressed to Granny Marie.

Related article: Inverness gran's big appeal to help tiny newborns


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