WIP Wednesday

After participating in NabloPoMo (a post every day in November) most of you have heard that I am working on NICU hats.

The hospital I give them to usually has around 25 babies in the unit. I want to get them done early so I can get them to the nurses in plenty of time before the holidays.

I decided on snowmen hats. They are working up really fast cute, but I am not happy with the faces. The pattern calls for them to be set at a jaunty angle, but I am just not loving the way they look.

I think they look a little deconstructed.

I am going to sew the faces on straight to see if I like them better. Meanwhile, I used the pattern from day #1 of the NICU challenge it is the Waffle Stitch Strip Beanie pattern by Bonnie Potter at Sunset Crochet.

Here is the pic:

These are the hats that I have finished so far this December, a few have the carrot noses sewn on waiting for eyes and mouths to be added.

NICU Charity Challenge 2015

An email popped into my mail this morning announcing this year’s Christmas Charity Challenge. This is the sixth year for the challenge, and will be my second year participating.

The challenge is to knit or crochet 12 hats for your local NICU unit in 12 days. The yarn police do not knock on your door if you only finish one or two. I know you are busy. Tomorrow is December 1st and you have at least 3 months of things to do in the next 3 weeks. But think about this. I completed 2 NICU hats today on my break & the last 1/2 of my lunch at work. While watching a bit of TV yesterday, I finished 5 of them. They are tiny and work up quick.

Last year when I decided to do this challenge, I contacted 3 local hospital in my area, and neither one even answered me. Then I remembered my best friend’s sister is a nurse in a NICU unit! Duh – I attribute my airheadedness to the Christmas season of craziness, but it was probably just an every day airhead moment. She quickly responded that they would LOVE to take them, and I’ve been making  hats for them all year.

I always use acrylic yarn because it is easily washed and dried. There are no strings or buttons that might fall off or get in the way of treatments or cause a choking hazard. This is a great way to use bits of yarn you have left from other projects.

If you are interested and want to know more, please go to Sunset Family Living’s blog. http://www.sunsetfamilyliving.com/christmas-charity-challenge-2015/ . As an extra bonus, when you sign up for the challenge, you will receive a free pattern for an adorable baby hat in you email each day. If you really want to warm your heart, once you go to the website, you can follow the link to her Facebook page to see all of the hats current and former participants have donated. 

 

WIP Wednesday

Greetings!

This has been a busy week, but it looks like I don’t have much in the way of knitting and crocheting done. I’m completed 1/2 of the 4 Christmas presents I’ve been working on, so that is good. I can’t post pictures of those until after the New Year.

The other project I completed this week is the dinosaur hat for my son’s godson. He hasn’t modeled it yet but i am super excited to see him in it.

I am going to start working on another Christmas present this week, so no pictures of that either.

Tonight is our knitting group, so I’ll have updates and info on any tips that may help you.

Last, but not least, I found a great new blog about sheep and yarn: Wovember.com (http://wovember.com/2015/11/10/many-hands-collaborating-in-wool/). There are great posts and pictures and links to farms to purchase yarn straight from the shepherds. I’ll be sure and post the pictures of the yarn I ordered as soon as it arrives. 🙂