Whether it’s animals or French fries, Hope-based Melissa Gallagher has crocheted 70 items since 2021 to give visitors to public spaces a random act of kindness.
Waimea Weekly recently printed a photo of a crochet ladybug that was found by a Hope resident in a local playground, which a reader recognised as Melissa’s work.
The Random Acts of Crochet Kindness NZ Facebook page has more than 490 members in stitches, crocheting or knitting small objects with a note, and placing it within their local communities for a lucky stranger to find and hopefully make their day.
Melissa intertwined with the group after volunteering at a charity which made comfort packs for children, and says with the help of her stepson, Connor Suttie, 11, and stepdaughters, Georgia Suttie, eight, and Amelia Suttie, 10, they have placed crochet items all over Nelson, and as far away as the Maruia Falls.
“It’s really nice to get the messages on the Facebook page, and it’s nice to see that [the crocheted items have] gone to a really nice home, especially when the children are sleeping with them or turning them into keyrings and putting them on their school bags,” she says.
“It’s a bit of a spin on the painted rocks we see around the gardens, so I thought it might be quite nice to have something comfy to take home.
“I put on mine, ‘I’m not lost, I’m just alone, If I made you smile, please take me home’, and I reference one of the random acts of crocheted kindness websites on there so they can go and see what we’re all about.”
Melissa says the items are kept in clear plastic bags as they await their new owners.
