KnitterlyNotions

I've posted about Helping Hands for Our Children in the Chippewa Valley before, and about a week ago they posted this on their Facebook. It loads small, I wish I could get it bigger! Basically they're already searching for donations for winter. Hats, coats, mittens, boots, snowpants.. you name it. Shauna plans her first winter gear distribution for September, with subsequent ones in October, November, and December, plus she still gets requests for gear throughout the winter. Last year she was out of hats, mittens, etc by the end of January. This is where I come in. :) I am holding a Hundred Hats for Helping Hands Challenge over in the Charity Knitting group I help moderate on Ravelry. I'm trying to get at least a hundred warm hats for Helping hands in sizes from baby up to adult, with special focus on school age kids. I'm working on my third and fourth hats right now (one is knit, one is crochet, so they're going simultaneously). Here are my first two: ...

Yesterday we had a WIC appointment. Antoinette has gained a pound since she was born: her weight was 9 pounds, 8 ounces. Length measurement was slightly off, but we didn't end up redoing it. I'm 21 pounds less than I was the day before she was born! I've been knitting on a pair of slippers for  The Bridge to Hope  here in town. It's the local domestic violence shelter. I called them on Monday and they expressed interest in washcloths and slippers. I'm making these slippers,  Alice's Booties pattern . It's a piece of cake. Here is the first one. I have it seamed and ready, and have two more decrease rows for the second one and then the cuff. I *think* these are women's size 6-8 (stretchy, you know) but I'm not 100% on that. There is only one cast on number/size in the pattern, but I think it should work to adjusts the size by varying the cast on number as long as I keep it a multiple of 4. I haven't decided if I will make the next pair bigg...

I discovered a new charity. Well, I knew about it, but I hadn't paid too much attention to it. Recently though, I read through it all and I now have Tiri's little froggy bank repurposed as a postage saving bank. :-) Here is the  Matthew's Gift Facebook page  and the  Matthew's Gift Ravelry group . Matthew's mom is putting together memory boxes for lost babies, with gowns and hats for the babies and keepsakes for their mothers. The photos of her first donation are lovely. I would have loved to get a box this beautiful and personalizes when Freddy was born. I've been knitting and crocheting, of course. I'm working on a  Knitted Burial Bunting . Adorable little thing! I made one that I plan to take to Rochester at some point, and now some for M'sG. If you have the heart for it, please check out Matthew's Gift and contribute what you can. <3

I mentioned in a previous post that I was working on a donation in memory of Freddy. The name evolved a few times, but ended up being  The Freddy Project Memorial Donation 2015 . On December 10th, Jerek and I went to Eau Claire, WI and I delivered 72 hats to two hospitals and a crisis pregnancy care clinic. 72 hats, divided by 3, equals 24 hats per place. Each place for 24 because Freddy would be 24 months. Sacred Heart Hospital got this set: Luther Middelfort Hospital, part of Mayo Clinic Heath System, got this set: And Apple Pregnancy Care Clinic got this set: 72 babies will wear my hats in Freddy's place. I hope their mothers love them as much as I love Freddy.

Tiri and I went to the Bundles of Love meeting in Winona yesterday. :) It was fun! There were several lovely ladies working there and it was such fun to just sit and knit with them. Tiri enjoyed herself too.  I took 13 items altogether: And while I was there, I made a simple little red knitted hat.  Annette, the leader, asked me to make some mitts and booties, or perhaps sweaters, since the get a lot of hats. I might be the Queen of Baby Hats, but I can adapt. :) I've made a pair of mitts so far! I love this yarn!!!! It's Cascade 220 Superwash Sport. It's deliciously soft and squishy.  I'm pattern searching booties right now.