We've Been Knitting!

We're past due for an update, but I kept forgetting my camera, and I did want to be able to show you what we've been doing.

There's an organisation called clickforbabies.org  Their goal is to educate new parents in Canada and the United States about the dangers of shaking newborns.  In the lives of newborns there is a period of time when they cry more frequently and cannot be comforted.  They call this time the Period of Purple Crying.  As part of their programme they seek to have every newborn that leaves the hospital in the month of November provided with a little purple cap.

I do test knitting in a couple of groups on Ravelry  and had the opportunity to test knit a Purple baby cap pattern, designed to be part of this programme.  The designer, Amy Wunx, gave me permission to share her pattern with our knitters, which I did.

We haven't been able to connect with our local hospital for this programme, but we have connected with Building Blocks for Better Babies, a group which meets at Lincoln Road United Church on Tuesday afternoons.  As part of the pre-natal and post-natal classes they include a session on the Period of Purple Crying, and are excited to partner with us to make sure that each mother will leave that session with a purple cap for their new baby, or their soon to be born baby.

And so, with a partner for the programme, we've been knitting purple caps, to have enough for November.

We'd love to have more!  And we'd like to thank everyone who has contributed a purple cap or two or three ... or twenty-something!

If we have any extras we plan to start building a stash for next November -- so it will never be too soon or too late to knit one.  They need to be machine washable and dryable (new parents really don't need the challenge of handwashing items for the baby!)

There are links to free patterns from the Click for Babies web-site -- or there are packages of patterns and information available at the church.

When we haven't been knitting purple caps, we've been knitting for preemies and new babies.  We've knit blankets and hats and booties and mitts.

After the purple baby caps, we'll be entering the time of cooler weather and will be looking for hats, mitts and scarves to help keep people in need warm.  The mitten tree won't be going up until December, but this is advanced notice for those who are looking for something to knit.

And of course, we will always have a need and a place for shawls of all sizes and descriptions (machine washable and dryable are preferred).  Or for Chemo caps.  Again, these need to be soft against sensitive skin, so wool is not preferred.

Whatever you like to knit, we can find it a home!  We are connected to a network that gathers and shares these gifts of love with those who most need them.  There are places that welcome knitted or crocheted squares, joining them together to make blankets for those in need.

So, if you'd like to join us on the first Wednesday of the month from 1:30-3:00, we'd love to have you.  If you want to knit in the comfort of your own home (or while you are travelling), we welcome your gifts.