Inspired by a US organisation that provides crocheted wigs for chemo children, multi-talented Ponatahi local, Christine Warner has created her own beautifully crafted, crochet wigs for children in New Zealand.

By Susan McLeary. Photos by Lucia Zanmonti

“It’s a new idea here, so although the wigs are donated, it was difficult to find children who would benefit from and enjoy wearing these wigs. I’m keen to spread the word”.

She has had some success lately. “I sent six wigs to Waikato Hospital and was thrilled to hear they had put a smile on the children's faces, and their families and nurses too!”

Her wigs include a Jack Sparrow (Pirates of the Caribbean), Elsa and Anna (Frozen), and Rapunzel.

“The blonde Elsa wig delighted one youngster so much she wanted one for her bone marrow-donating sister. So I quickly made an Anna wig.”

Some premature babies also benefit from Christine’s crochet skills. She makes little octopii in pure cotton because, “Grasping the curly tentacles calms and comforts the babies; it’s thought this reminds them of the umbilical cord.”

Christine studied art in the UK, and paints replicas of well-known pieces of art in fine detail. She admires Goldie and Lindauer’s portraits, and her series of the Henry V111 and his six wives hang in Hever Castle, Ann Boleyn’s family home.

In 1990 Christine and her husband Randal took their 11 and 13-year-old daughters out of school in England and bought Pacific Eagle, a 102’ pilot house ketch yacht. With his parents, two teachers and two friends with pre-school daughters, they set off.

Spending most of their time cruising in the South Pacific, their adventures included a “perfect storm” near Tonga, seeing strange “alien” lights in the Bermuda Triangle sky and rescuing 32 Cuban refugees.

“With teachers on board, the girls became very motivated. They both went straight into top UK universities, and became a lawyer and teacher,” she says.

After ten years of sailing adventures, Pacific Eagle was sold and Christine and Randal settled in New Zealand.

“My Florida-based daughter, Amanda, introduces me to ideas. She teaches high school students and came up with my most unusual project so far: knitting an anatomically correct, complete set of “innards”, including brain, to go inside a full-size human skeleton.

“It had to be anatomically correct, and it was fascinating working out how to knit something so complex. Imagine knitting a brain!

“Many of her students were uncomfortable with dissections. This way they could study each system – respiratory, digestive, heart, renal, reproductive, nervous and eyes – in detail. We were both delighted when they all passed the exam.”

Among her many interests, Christine has also developed a passion for running in later life. “I was 56 and didn’t know I could, but running quickly became a big part of my life,” Christine celebrated her 60th birthday with a 67kms Ultra Marathon in a more-than-respectable 8 hours.