Hundreds of knitting and sewing enthusiasts have responded to the Selwyn Libraries offer of patterns and the use of its premises and machines so people can sew and knit items such as joey pouches and mittens for animals affected by the fires, a Selwyn District Council spokesperson said.
“We’ve been overwhelmed by the response locally and nationally.
"We’ve had people from all over the country contact us to help.”
More than 250 items have been made or collected by the libraries and are being stored ready to transport to wherever they are needed.
The idea came after library staff saw the response online from people wanting to support the Animal Rescue Craft Guild’s work and decided to offer the space and resources for them to help out in some way.
Any items which aren’t needed in Australia will be donated to other animal welfare groups who have a need for them.
