Danielle Pears

Raised by a thrifty mother who stretched her shoestring budget by using what she had to hand, Dubbo-based Danielle Pears has inherited a passion for creating, mixed with a dash of utility. “Preserving what she grew was one way to save money and extend the shelf life of the things in her vegie patch and around her property,” Danielle explains. “Mum is also a very talented knitter.

She taught me the basics when I was about 12 years old, but it wasn’t until I had my second child, in 2016, and a local yarn shop opened up in Dubbo and I attended some classes, that my love for knitting took off. I’ve met some wonderful people through knitting, and Mum and I now regularly encourage each other to try new patterns – but I’ll need another 30 years’ practice to try to match her skills!”

From sewing, knitting and making her own swimmers, to gardening, foraging and preserving, being creative provides Danielle with downtime, opportunities to reconnect with friends and the chance to save her favourite flavours for meals to come. “I love that I can bottle the seasons. In the depths of winter we can enjoy peaches and custard, and be reminded of the tastes and smells of summer.”

As well as being creative and practical, preserving is the ultimate sustainable hobby, according to Danielle. She sources produce locally, growing her own food, foraging along roadsides and paddocks, and making the most of seasonal goodies. “I felt like an accidental doomsday prepper when COVID hit and people were struggling to get basic cooking ingredients, and I had a cupboard full of jars ready to go,” she says with a smile.

Now with three young children, Danielle is keen to impart her skills to the next generation, interwoven with timely messages about sustainability and self-care. “We’re the keepers of traditional handicrafts,” she says. “At four and six years of age, my two older boys love to grow and pick fruit, herbs and vegies, and peel, zest and chop ingredients on preserving days … Time will tell if they show an interest in learning to knit or sew.”

Dubbo-based Danielle has found knitting to be a very sociable activity. Above and opposite: Gemma’s ceramics took the fancy of the Duchess of Sussex, who commented on their attractiveness.