PORTLAND’S Gwen Smith has just turned 90-years-old and is busy most days knitting squares to keep her hands occupied.

Mrs Smith enjoys knitting when she watches sport on the television or if she has free time.

“I don’t have to do it, I just do it,” she said.

“I’m not a reader, and I can’t sit there and do nothing.

“I just think it helps keep the arthritis out of the hands.”

As it comes so naturally to her, Mrs Smith doesn’t need to look down to see what she’s doing.

The knitted squares will be delivered to Bupa Aged Care Portland to be put together, mostly as rugs for the residents.

Apart from knitting the squares for rugs, Mrs Smith has also knitted clothing for premature babies and animals.

Mrs Smith is a long-term knitter, who first took up the skill when she was in high school, and with the help of her mother, knitted her first jumper as a teen.

Mrs Smith said she records how many squares she knits each year, and showing she also has a brain for figures said: “The year 2021, I did 984 squares. 2020 was 1142 and 2022 I did 1164.”

And this year’s pile of squares is already building up.