Runaway Girl on the slopes
Karen Walker has designed a one-of-a-kind hand knitted sweater featuring the iconic Runaway Girl’s black run on Coronet Peak to raise funds for 10,000 native trees to be planted there this spring. Words Hannah Brown
The one-off piece was designed by Karen Walker, who commissioned Auckland based knitting expert Kurt Payne to handcraft the special sweater.
Taking more than 30 hours to produce, the sweater was made exclusively with 100 percent New Zealand merino wool, generously gifted by Perriam and grown just a stone’s throw away from Coronet Peak, in the Central Otago High Country.
“Who knew that Runaway Girl was also an Olympic level skier?!” says Karen in an Instagram post.
“I have been snowboarding on Coronet Peak for 25 years and I love it!” she adds.
Karen says the one-off hand knitted sweater was created to help the ski field celebrate their 75th anniversary, and raise money to plant 10,000 native trees there.
The full amount raised from the Karen Walker auction, which closes on Saturday August 20, will go to the national charity Trees That Count.
Trees That Count will work with Te Tapu o Tane, Soho Property, the Department of Conservation and the local community on the 10,000 plant project.
To check out the auction, click here.