A new charity to knit for...

Wow! Another month has gone by since my last post. I have no excuses. Summer is always really hectic chez moi.

I recently discovered a new (to me) charity to knit for. It is called SiMBA which is short for Simpson's Memory Box Appeal. They are based in Glasgow, Scotland, and provide support to parents who lose babies during pregnancy or at birth. 

One of the things they do is to make memory boxes containing small teddies and blankets. The items are knitted in pairs because the idea is that one is given to the baby and one to the parents. Then they are swapped so that the parents can treasure something that was touched by their baby and something that the parents touched stays forever with their baby. It's a lovely idea. So how could I resist?

There are patterns on the SiMBA website for the bears and blankets as there are specific colours and sizes needed. My two bears fit in the palm of a hand. They were super quick to knit and a great way to use up scraps of yarn. Twenty grams of dk was enough to knit the pair.

I have a few more of these bears at various stages of completion. Then I might add a couple of blankets. But first I really have to visit all my favourite blogs again. Look out, here I come.....

Preemie items; off they go...

I have been busy knitting bootees and mittens for PreemiesUK. The pattern is a really basic one which is on their website somewhere. Each item weighs about 5g, so it's a great way to use up leftover yarn. I usually prefer to knit bigger items such as blankets and hats, but they are currently snowed under with them and have specifically requested bootees and mittens.

They have also requested items that could be sold at an Easter craft fair, so I threw in a bunny blanket and a couple of trinket bags that I knitted years ago.

Daylight is stronger today, so the yellow colour is showing up better than in my last blog post. I really loathe any shade of yellow. After knitting the bootees I had to force myself to sew them up just so that I could post them off. To prove that my heart was not in the sewing, I actually managed to sew across the top of one of the bootees. Duh! Luckily I was able to undo it. Phew! I wonder what daft mistakes other people have made...

Three preemie hats...

Here are three more hats that I have just knitted from the Andycrafts pattern which is fast becoming my favourite preemie hat pattern. That's because it is small but perfectly formed. You can find it on page three if you go to the above link and download the patterns. There are some lovely patterns for preemie cardigans, hats, mittens and socks.

This is very easy to knit and knitters who shy away from knitting in-the-round will be pleased to hear that this one is knitted flat. Personally, I like to knit in-the-round but have to admit that it wouldn't be very easy to do with tiny hats. These will eventually go off to PreemiesUK. This month they especially need:

Teddies

Octopuses 
Knitted blankets 
Crochet blankets
Hats

This pattern called for 4 ply yarn. I'm on a mission to use up all my 4 ply. I have very little left but, because it goes so far, it looks like taking me the rest of the year. Watch this space...

PS: I have lost count of how many times the words "knit" and "patterns" are repeated in this post. I must try harder to think of alternatives!

A preemie blanket and two hats...

The fairly atrocious photo above definitely does not do justice to my latest knits. I finished the preemie blanket that I blogged about recently. It measures 15" square which shows up the tiny size of the preemie hats that I knitted with the remnants of the same 4 ply yarn. 

The smaller hat is for a baby angel of 20 weeks gestation. The larger hat should fit an older premature baby. The pattern came from Andycrafts. There are some lovely premature baby patterns on the website. This hat is at the bottom of page 3 if you go as far as downloading them. My items will eventually go off to PreemiesUK.

All three items above are pale blue. The photo was taken in poor light on a cloudy day in a busy city. Look how it is put to shame by the beautiful photo I took last week. This is Port Gaverne in North Cornwall, England. It is very close to Port Isaac where the tv series "Doc Martin" is filmed. 

The scenery all along that part of the coastline is spectacular. The air is clean and the daylight has a quality of its own. No wonder artists make the effort to travel there for painting holidays or even to live there permanently. I could drink in these colours all day.

The Cornish hedgerows are currently blooming with an orange shrub that I later found out is Crocosmia. You can see it in the foreground of the photo. We had plans to plant some at home until I read up about it. Apparently, it is invasive and will even travel underground to come up through concrete. I don't think my neighbours would be too pleased with me if I planted it. Luckily, I took lots of photos.

The "little and littler" blankets...

I finally finished knitting the preemie blankets using the wool kindly sent to me by Jo of the Three Stories High blog. The yarn is Water Wheel Comfy 4ply and Jo confirmed after my last blog post that it is indeed vintage yarn and used to belong to an 83 year old lady. It must have been stored very well because it was in pristine condition. I'm glad I was able to turn it into something useful.

Jo suggested that I should knit some preemie items with this yarn. I was originally going to call these the "Little and Large" blankets. I knitted the smaller one first and then cast on about an extra 18 stitches to knit the larger one.  This wool is so fine that it is really difficult to tell them apart. The larger blanket is actually the one underneath. It is wider and longer; but not in an obvious way.

These blankets used up 160g of yarn. I still have 40g left and could knit some preemie hats or a cardigan. The charity I am planning to send these to (PreemiesUK) likes matching items. I am trying to finish something else at the moment and then I will be able to think more clearly.

The déja vu blanket...

The blogging world is a marvellous, friendly place. Jo who writes the inspiring Three Stories High blog contacted me a few weeks ago to offer some baby yarn. Of course, I said yes...what else? So I soon received 200g of  Water Wheel Comfy 4ply in a soft shade of green. I haven't heard of this brand before and there is no barcode on the labels. I might be wrong, but I usually take that to mean the yarn is vintage.

Jo suggested it would be suitable for preemie knitting. I looked through my patterns and eventually settled on an old favourite called Daphne's Blanket. Sadly, there no longer seems to be a working link to the pattern. Luckily, I printed it off a few years ago. 

I love this pattern because it is easy and gives a puffy lozenge texture to the blanket. I'm calling this one "Déja vu" partly because I have knitted it several times. The other reason is that it would now be twice as long if I hadn't had to rip back about 2 inches!  It was turning out very flat and it took me a while to realise why. I thought I could remember the pattern and ploughed on through it. But I was garter stitching instead of purling on some of the rows.  Eeek!

I tried to convince myself that it looked just as good flat. But my heart wasn't in it. So, after 3 honey sandwiches and some chocolate, I pulled out the needle and ripped back to where I had started to go wrong.  Taking inspiration from my new blog button, I managed to keep calm while doing it. I'm glad I did because Mark II is looking lovely. 

I think I will be able to knit 2 preemie blankets with this yarn and they will eventually go off to a Preemie charity. Thanks again to Jo. Her blog is well worth a visit.  She is a clever crafter who makes something every day and writes regularly about it.

Wrapped in a cloud...

Having recently knitted with a dk yarn that was more like 4ply, I have just gone to the opposite extreme and knitted with a dk yarn that was more like Aran.  This was the Peter Pan Cupcake yarn that was kindly donated to me by Loving Hands.  

It is listed on Ravelry as a dk yarn. But, very tellingly, it does not say that on the wrapper.  However, it does recommend needle sizes 3.5-4.5mm which would imply that it is a dk yarn. Believe me, it isn't.  So, for any project that has to actually fit, a swatch would be essential.

But I had already decided to knit a preemie blanket, so fit wasn't important.  I had 100g of white Cupcake which was enough for a 15" square.  This will eventually be going off to PreemiesUK.  Normally, a yarn this thick would be unsuitable for a newborn baby of any size. But this is so beautifully soft that it will be like wrapping a baby in a cloud.

I still have a lot of the Cupcake in other colours. Ravelry has some pattern suggestions for this yarn.  Many people seem to have made blankets and toys with it. A few brave crafters have knitted cardigans and hats.  I will probably err on the side of caution/cowardice!

Birthday bounty....

Today, I am another year older (unbelievable but true) and another year wiser (really?).  I noticed that it is a whole month since I updated this blog.  Summer is always my busiest time.  I have been knitting, but only have a preemie blanket to show for my efforts.  Here it is.  It is so plain and boring that I didn't open it up for the photo.  Just picture this multiplied by four and you get the idea.

This morning, I decided that the weeds and grass can party as much as they want to.  I went to the shops under instructions to buy a new blouse.  I don't need a new blouse.  But, if someone else is paying, I'll attempt to buy one.  The weather here is very warm and summery.  The shops, however, have brought in their autumn jumpers.  No wonder they struggle to get customers through their doors.  I eventually found a lightweight jacket, which I do need, and bought it.

My mind then turned to wool.  I don't need any of that either and have been very good about not buying any recently.  But a charity shop was selling balls of aran wool for £1 each.  I bought two grey balls which will make a lovely scarf as they are an acrylic and wool blend.  I was very restrained because I picked up and then put back two more balls.  They were a sickly mustard shade and even I would have trouble finding a use for them.

Then, I saw a wool stall which is normally only open on a Thursday.  I think it must be under new management because the prices are now very reasonable as opposed to jaw-droppingly expensive.  The range of wool has also improved.  It now resembles what most people would actually knit with.  Before, the wool was so specialist and expensive that I was almost afraid to touch it.

The stall holder was very chatty and told me he was selling 100g balls of King Cole Country Tweed for £2 each because they are now a discontinued line.  He had a huge range of colours and choosing what to buy was difficult.  Eventually, I bought 2 variegated pinky balls and two maroon balls.  Again, these are an acrylic and wool blend.  I am going to look through my patterns and start something today with this lovely yarn.  Decisions, decisions!

PreemiesUK...

This little quartet was posted recently to PreemiesUK.  Sometimes I hear about people who struggle to find homes for their preemie items.  Well, I love this group because it has a very active website that is regularly updated with photos of donations received and news of deliveries to premature baby units all over the UK.  I knitted the angel pockets with them in mind.  I added the blanket and hat to the parcel at the last minute.  I was saving them for family and friends' future babies. But, although they are newborn baby size, I decided they would be outgrown very soon.

I still remember happily knitting a little jumper when I was pregnant with my daughter many years ago.  She wore it ONCE before she outgrew it. That is one reason I now prefer to knit things with a longer shelf life.  Blankets and hats meet that criteria.  

I couldn't bear to part with the little jumper. So, it is now in the loft which might or might not be a complete waste depending on whether or not Daughter has a baby of her own one day.  No pressure then!

Angel pocket...

When summer arrives, I tend to feel more inclined to use up my 4 ply yarn.  It is a dwindling supply mainly made up of odd balls.  It barely fills a carrier bag.  But, as it goes a long way, it takes me a long time to even make a dent in it.  I'm very aware that most of the things I knit or crochet are the opposite of delicate.  The word "clunky" comes to mind.  So, I occasionally relish the opportunity to make something more refined.

I decided to knit an angel pocket and found what I thought was the perfect size ball of pale blue yarn.   Anyone who has knitted one of these angel pockets will know that you first knit a diamond shape. Then you pick up the stitches along two sides and knit a triangle shape to form the pocket.  When I finished the pale blue diamond, I knew that I would not have enough yarn to knit the triangle.  I have other blue yarn but the shades didn't look good together.  

As I couldn't match the blue, I decided to use white instead.  But I used up all my 4 ply white yarn last year.  So, I had to go out and buy a ball.  I can't remember the last time I bought yarn, but it definitely wasn't in the past twelve months. I like the way the white looks with the blue though, so it was all a happy accident.

The pattern I used was this one from Ray of Hope.  I knitted the third size which, according to the pattern, should have used 40g of yarn.  I don't know why but I actually used 60g.  I have made a note on my pattern as I will knit this again.  When I have enough for a small parcel it will go off to one of the Preemie charities. 

Meanwhile, my 4 ply collection has grown by an almost complete 100g ball of white yarn.  Hey ho.

More preemie items...

 

This little collection of preemie items went off to PreemiesUK.  I was really trying to use up all of my white and cream 4 ply yarn. When I finished the last two sleepsacks and weighed them, my knitting mojo rose up on its hind legs and refused to jump the last fence.  They weigh only 16g each which I think is amazing. But that left me with enough 4 ply yarn to knit another three.

• I really want (and need) to clear the decks of finished items this week
• I don't want my knitting/crochet to turn into a race or a chore
• I had the perfect size box available

So I posted these yesterday and set aside the remaining 50g of white yarn.  I already have plans for it and might actually start today.  But, for now, I am finished with preemie items.

I have previously blogged about most of these preemie patterns before.  I have never mentioned the little hat pattern but it deserves a mention.  It is one of those hat patterns that I usually avoid as it is knitted on straight needles and has a seam. But I kept the seam very small by careful sewing.  Sadly, I forgot to weigh the hats. But I know they used very little yarn.

I liked the fact that staff in a special care baby unit have actually requested this very hat pattern.  Here is the link. Scroll down and look for "Hat for premature babies (As requested by St. Mary's Special Care Baby Unit, UK)."

                                                                                                                           
PS:  I have had a request for a link to the pattern for the little sleepsack.  It can be found at the very end of the list on this Cuddles page.                                            

Preemie blanket....

This blanket looks bigger than it really is.  In fact, it measures 15.5" x 16.5" and will eventually go off to PreemiesUK.  I used just 73g of Patons Baby Fab which is machine washable and can also go into a  tumble dryer.

This pattern is called Daphne's Blanket and the end result is rows of puffy lozenge shapes.  It used to be on the Wye Needlecraft website together with a lot of other similar blanket patterns.  Sadly, the patterns are no longer online.  But, luckily, I printed the pattern pages some time ago.  

The Wye Needlecraft patterns are intended to use just one 100g ball of dk yarn as the blankets are for special care baby units.  However, they are easily adaptable for any ply yarn and any size.  I am going to knit a couple of these in 4 ply yarn.  If I really like them, I will then knit some larger blankets in dk yarn.

REMINDER:  there is still time to enter my Big Birthday Giveaway.  For more details see my post here.

More preemie items....

I'm still on a mission to use up my 4 ply yarn and decided to knit these two preemie knitting patterns.

On the right is the Angel's Pocket.  This pattern includes instructions for 4 different sizes and 3 different ply yarns.  I was able to knit the 9" size with just 25g of 4 ply yarn.  It is a simple project.

On the left is the "Sleeping Bag With Hood" which can be found on the Cuddles UK  patterns page.  This weighs just 27g.  It is a top down knit and very easy as there are no arm holes.  So, after the increases, it is just a case of 8 inches of stocking stitch. The hood is picked up and added later.  It is another simple project.

These will be going off to a preemie charity eventually.  I have knitted many angel pockets in the past and have managed not to think too much about the sadness behind them.  The sleeping bag, on the other hand, is tugging at my heart strings and I don't know if I will knit more of these.

More preemie items...

I couldn't resist knitting another of these baby kimonos.  This one should fit a 5lb baby and used just 50g of dk yarn.  I love this pattern because it is knitted in one piece.  It requires concentration in some places, but is otherwise a very easy pattern.  If knitting it for a baby not yet born, it is just a case of sewing the buttons on the correct side as soon the baby arrives.  The unused buttonholes then become places to tie little bows inside the top.  Here is the Ravelry link.

I also continued my mission to use up my 4ply yarn and knitted 2 simple 16" diagonal blankets which used just 86g each.  Like the preemie kimono, these will go to PreemiesUK who distribute clothing, blankets and teddies to hospital maternity units.  PreemiesUK has a very active Facebook page with news, photos and patterns including this absolutely gorgeous crochet cardigan. That has definitely been added to my "to do" list!  

Their Facebook page is open to everyone.  It's not necessary to be a Facebook member to read it.  It's worth checking before starting a new project because the type of items that are required often changes.  Sometimes they need more cardigans.  At other times small blankets are in demand, etc etc.

The little and large preemie tops...

After crocheting five Aran wool scarves, I have gone from one extreme to the other and turned my hands to knitting with 4 ply acrylic.  I had 4 complete balls of white/cream and a few oddments.  This is exactly the yarn requested by hospitals as it is suitable for small preemie babies and is easy to wash.

The pattern for the sleepsack came from the Cuddles website.  I altered the pattern slightly.  As written, it does not produce the garter ridge across the chest.  I corrected that by knitting what should have been a purl row.  I then ran out of  yarn just before the end.  I had a remnant of cream that was more banana in tone.  The difference is only obvious in a really good light, so I didn't actually realise when I started knitting that I had 2 shades of cream.  There was a timely flash of sunlight just before I joined the new yarn.  I added another garter ridge and it looks absolutely fine.

I can't remember where the other pattern came from, but it was lovely to knit as it is a seamless top-down pattern.  The only sewing was to sew in the ends and attach a button.  I chose a lovely pearly button from my recycled collection.  I also had the same buttons in the perfect shade of cream for the sleepsack.  I have been saving these buttons for years and can no longer remember where they came from.  But I am glad I saved them.

I don't know why I am surprised at the huge size difference in these two items.  Preemie babies come in all sizes, so they will fit someone.

These items were a great way to use up what looked like quite a small amount of yarn.  The sleepsack used 30g or yarn and the sleeveless cardigan used 36g.  These will eventually go off to PreemiesUK for distribution to hospitals in the UK.

Now, what to do with the 4 complete balls of 4 ply........watch this space!

A Cuddles crochet blanket....

I am still on a mission to use up my 4 ply yarn after deciding it is perfect for preemie baby items.  This week I sorted out the white yarn.  I have a few small oddments that will probably become hats.  I also have 3 or 4 larger balls that will have to be used for different projects as they are either different shades of white or different textures.  

I found the pattern for this preemie blanket on the Cuddles website here.  It is the pattern imaginatively called "Crocheted baby blanket".  It is very easy as every row is the same.....my type of pattern!! It was quick to make as it required very little concentration and could be done with various family distractions going on around me.  

The great thing about tiny blankets is that they give you a chance to try a new stitch before committing to a huge project.  This pattern could be easily adapted for a larger baby blanket.  It is also a great stitch for lap blankets and scarves in any ply with the appropriate size hook.

Note to self:

I used 4 ply yarn and a 3.5mm hook.  73 chains gave me a finished width of 18".  I had approximately 85g of yarn and kept going until it was used up.  That gave me a length of 16".

A tiny baby sleeping sack....and a mystery project

I am used to knitting preemie items, but the size of this sleeping sack surprised me. The pattern gave no indication of the size, so I was quite surprised when the finished item weighed only 20g and barely made a dent in my ball of 4 ply yarn.  

Some knitters find it upsetting to make these small items, but I find it strangely uplifting.  I suppose I am happy to be making something useful that is hard to find in the shops.

I found the pattern here.  It is the "sleeping sack" pattern at the very end of the list.  It was fairly easy to knit and involved minimal sewing.  It also let me use up some of the many buttons that I have saved over the years.  I will definitely knit more of these.

I find it amazing that I could, in theory, knit 5 of these from one ball of yarn. I probably paid about £1 for this yarn.  So one sleeping sack costs 20p to make.  What else can you buy for 20p these days?

......and now here is a sneak preview of something that I will be working on for several weeks/months.  I am combining these 2 coned yarns to make a mystery project and I'm already loving how it is turning out.  The pink really is that bright and I'm relying on it to cheer me up during the grey winter months ahead.  Watch this space!

Preemie hats and an old memory........

Free time is at a premium at the moment and I felt the need to make things that I could finish quickly.  I have also been in denial for too long that I have a large bag of 4 ply yarn.  Most of it has wended its way to me hidden among bargain lots of other more user-friendly yarn.  I have decided to make serious efforts to use it up.  So I sorted out the pastels and knitted some preemie baby hats.  

I always remember an elderly lady who stopped me in the street when I was pushing my daughter in her pram.  She told me her granddaughter had no clothes small enough to fit her premature baby and she wondered if I knew where to buy them.  We were outside a major babywear shop at the time and even their smallest baby clothes were too big.  This elderly lady was quite upset and was prepared to trudge the streets until she had found some tiny baby clothes.  This was in the days before Internet shopping and she had no other realistic option.  I hope she was successful.  

Sadly, I wasn't much help on that occasion; but the memory has stayed etched in my mind.  One ball of yarn and a few hours work can produce preemie hats and clothes more valuable than the sum of the effort and materials that went into them.

In no particular order, here are the patterns I used:

Tiny Knitted Preemie Hat by Bee Rowert

Hat for Premature Babies and Bonnet for Premature Babies from Andycrafts

Three Hats from Cuddles

PS: the bobble hat and scarf that I gave my daughter for Christmas were a great success.  She wore them all day indoors!!

My latest preemie items...

I'm amazed at what I was able to knit from one largish ball of wool.  Here's a simple baby blanket measuring  approximately 20" square with matching preemie gowns and bonnets.  The wool was white with little flecks of pink, blue, lilac and yellow.  I combined it with some very fine pink yarn that I am trying to use up.  The white wool is now finished, but I still have miles of the fine pink yarn on a cone!

Continuing a trend, both yarns came from a bargain buy.  Yet again, someone's unloved yarn has been put to good use.  I often wonder what the original purchaser intended to make with the wool and how they would feel if they saw the finished items.

I added little bows to the dresses and small ribbon ties to the bonnets.  The dresses are only slightly bigger than the average adult hand, so they are probably angel size.  I like to think that they will be worn by 2 little princesses one day.  It will be a sad day, but hopefully made slightly easier by treating the babies with respect and dignity.

The patterns for the gowns and bonnets came from the Heavenly Angels In Need website.

Preemie knitting.....

I went through a phase of knitting for preemie babies and angels a while ago.  I count myself very lucky that I have no personal experience of premature birth or losing a baby.  But I enjoy (if that's the right word) knitting for these babies.  Apart from being a worthwhile cause, these items can be knitted in as little as one hour and are a great way to use up scraps of yarn.

This collection has been ready to post for some time.  I used to send my preemie items to a London based organisation.  But the lady who valiantly tries to run it on her own is having a rest at the moment.  I belong to the Loving Hands group and could send them there.  But I am always aware that sending parcels all the way to Scotland involves a lot of road miles and so I only do that as a last resort.  

This morning I came across the Preemies UK website.  This organisation is based in Droitwich and is much closer to where I live.  It seems to be a thriving group and they are currently in need of blankets and other preemie items.   That was music to my ears.  I packed a parcel and trekked out into our unseasonal snowy weather to post it.

The little lilac cardigan was knitted from the following  pattern and I can recommend it because it is knitted in one piece with very little sewing required.