She was now waiting for paddocks of oats and lucerne to grow, and hoping for more rain to avoid what little grass she has turning to dirt on her 140-hectare farm.

The jumpers, which were offered through Facebook, helped save the lambs, she said.

“The lambs are weakened from the extreme cold and the lack of feed available. The mothers have been rejecting the weakest lambs, so before the jumpers came I was keeping the weakest ones inside in a box next to the heater,” she said.

The jumper donations were started by sheep farmer Marie Knight, from Tannabar, a town south of Coonabarabran NSW, who saw firsthand the impact cold weather in combination with the drought can have on the lambs and on a farmer’s livelihood.

She soon became overwhelmed with orders from farmers, particularly from around Yass and Crookwell regions.

Canberra craft shop Crafty Frog is sending lamb jumpers to farmers around NSW and surrounding regions of the ACT to help protect lambs.

Crafty Frog owner Laura MacKinnon said she had been inundated with requests from farmers and had also received several donations of wool to make the jumpers, and quilts for the farming families.

“If farmers haven’t already requested the jumpers, we seek out farmers and offer them our knitting, crocheting and sewing services.

"These jumpers are helping to keep the lambs warm and alive,” Ms MacKinnon said.

The Crafty Frog is a collection and distribution point for the jumpers and is in need of donations to pay for postage to get the jumpers to the lambs. “We owe them. It’s time to support our farmers and show them that we love and care for them and their livelihood,” Ms MacKinnon said.

Ms MacKinnon said the team at Crafty Frog had helped others in need, providing quilts to families affected by bushfires and making comfort bears for local women’s refuges.

Keen knitters can find patterns to make jumpers on the Crafty Frog Facebook page or the Lamb Jumpers “Helping Our Farmers” Facebook page.