Warning: new craze taking hold in Enliven Southland retirement village

Little did Peacehaven Retirement Village resident and knitting enthusiast Val Ronald realise a simple click on a Facebook page would open up a whole new world to her and ignite a new passion.

Val joined the popular international Izzy Doll Initiative in March and is now totally hooked.

Val said she had always enjoyed needle crafts.  Her mother and grandmother had both had a talent for various needle arts, including embroidery.  For Val it was knitting, crochet and cross stitch.

One day the 83-year-old was scrolling through Facebook, as she does each day, and came across a photo of a small knitted leprechaun.  She thought it was cute and clicked on the page to find out more.

The Facebook group called Random acts of knitting and crochet kindness is an international group with more than 200,000 members passionate about the Izzy Doll Initiative.

Participants knit little dolls, called Izzy dolls, place them in a plastic bag with a note and leave them in a public place for a child to discover.  The note reads: “I am not lost but all alone.  If I make you smile, please take me home.  Yours to keep or give away.  To bring some joy along the way.”  The doll’s new owner is encouraged to post a photo on the Facebook page to confirm the doll had found a new home.

Val started making the Izzy dolls on St Patrick’s Day and has since created about 100 little characters, including a chef, nurse, policeman and cowboy. She also made some ANZAC-inspired dolls for ANZAC day.

As she is not mobile enough to be able to leave them in public places, Val gives her creations away to friends and family.

“I love the giving. I would never charge [for them],” she said.

She also really enjoyed the creativity involved, the joy the dolls brought to others and the sense of community of being part of the Facebook group.

“I’m totally addicted.”

Her addiction was spreading.  Peacehaven care home resident Relda Watson recently took up the craft and has several creations already underway.

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History of the Izzy doll

Izzy dolls were first created by Canadian peacekeeper Master Corporal Mark “Izzy” Isfeld’s mother Carol. 

On a tour in Croatia, Mark noticed a child’s doll lying on a pile of rubble from a bombed house. He thought of the joy a doll could bring. After discussing this with his mother, she crocheted some small dolls, and Mark distributed them to children he encountered in war-torn areas during his duties to bring them comfort.

Mark was killed in a mine detonation on 21 June 1994. After his death, his unit gave the name “Izzy” to the little dolls and continued Mark’s mission of distributing them.

After her son’s death, Carol kept knitting the dolls for over a decade. Several friends and other mothers across the country learned of the initiative and helped with knitting while Canadian soldiers distributed them during their missions. 

- sourced from the Izzy Doll Initiative