Sorry but tiny penguins in sweaters? I couldn't resist this story.
Alfred AKA "Alfie" Date is Australia's oldest man at 109 years old and he's been knitting for over 80 of those years. When he heard that the Penguin Foundation was looking for tiny sweaters for penguins after a huge oil spill that injured hundreds of birds, he got to work.
The nurses left Alfred some heavy wool (because, he says, "if you're using a light wool you're wasting your time") and he was soon ticking away at "easy single-rib and double-rib" stitch jerseys for the foundation based on Victoria's Phillip Island, home to a large colony of little penguins.
The sweaters (or "jumpers") help prevent further damage to the animals from
the negative impact of the oil:
The knitted sweaters actually prevent the injured penguins from preening and swallowing the toxic oil, according to the foundation.
Little oily penguins aren't
the only creatures Alfie Date knits for.
Alfred has passed his craft down through three more generations and still knits scarfs for friends and little beanies for premature babies, despite his centenarian hands losing some of their dexterity.
"I like to make it without mistakes and I don't excuse myself for doing it," he said. "(But) I think there is an excuse for a person who's gone beyond the normal span of life."
Before you bust out your knitting needles,
the Penguin Foundation has stated:
"We do not need any further jumpers," the foundation's Lauren Jones said.
"We are incredibly grateful for the donations we have received and the time and effort creating them."
What a wonderful man. Kudos to Alfie Date! Watch a video interview with him
here.