When we went to Crewe

We saw little Miss Phoebe, of course, and she is even more teeny tiny and perfect in person!

The jumper I made will probably not fit for a loooooong time, but it was always meant to be for when she’s older so that’s okay. I also took a lot of baby books down because I will always be the Aunty who gives books for any and all special occasions.

Speaking of special occasions, during one of the short breaks we squeezed in between visiting everyone I’ve ever met, The Boyfriend proposed and got upgraded to The Fiancé!

He was mean and started off sounding like he was going to break up with me, so when it took a turn and he got the ring out I didn’t quite believe him!  Obviously I got over the shock and said yes, and now I just need to get used to saying “my fiancé” when I talk about him. It’s a transition.

We’re going to sort out somewhere to live first because I’m so tired of renting (and having upstairs neighbours) so don’t be expecting too much wedding-planner chat just yet. All that will come later 😀  In the meantime – on to house hunting!

Hannah

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WIP Wednesday 25.07.18

Current WIP count: 5

The sun has been playing hide and seek in Glasgow so I’ve been able to work on my knitted blanket this week. It’s good to get back to it, but it’s not the most stimulating make in the world.

I’ve also made a start on the mini octopom for my friend’s baby.

Just think of all the things I can make between now and December. This baby is going to be so spoilt!

With my WIP list down to just five items I’m having strong urges to start something new, something a bit more challenging. I’ve had a thought for a blanket I’d like to make, but my skills are not up to designing it myself yet so I need to find a pattern that matches my idea closely enough. Time for a Ravelry dive I think. I’m looking for something involving roses, if anyone knows of a good pattern!

What’s everyone else working on? Are you having a good week? Let me know in the comments!

Hannah

xXx

FO Friday 20.07.18

I think I’ve finished my bunny blanket this week. I’m undecided about the lack of facial features.

Half of me thinks it’s cute, the other half is worried that it looks a bit scary.

But I’m so pleased I managed to sort out my maths and make it a ripple blanket rather than the 5-pointed star. And that the head is now exactly what I imagined when I started. Totally worth the frogging!

What do you think? Is the face cute or creepy? Let me know in the comments!

Hannah

xXx

What I’m working on Wednesday

Yeah I got bored of always having the same title!

Current WIP count: 5

Over the weekend I made a preemie octopus for someone I know, who was induced two weeks before term. While I was making said octopus, no less than three people expressed a wish to own one for themselves.

Good news: I now have gift ideas for some of the more difficult people on my list!

Bad news: I have now added 3 octopoms to my already-rather-long To Do list

But I can do this! I’ve put my list in order of priority time-wise and made a good start. Here’s my first non-baby octopus in progress:

This is wool rather than cotton, as it’s for an adult, and I can’t even tell you how much quicker and easier it is. I think I’ll stick with wool for all my adult ones, then I’ll have half a chance of getting everything done in time.

This is for a friend whose favourite colour is ‘rainbow’, so I hope she’ll like it!

What’s everyone else working on this week? How are you getting on with Christmas presents? Let me know in the comments!

Hannah

xXx

 

My first octopus

Photo from My Nomad Home

You may have seen or heard about these preemie octopi. Octopods. Octopussies. Whatever the plural is.

They started off in Denmark, where a study found that babies in incubators did a lot better with an octopus friend –  the tentacles remind them of the umbilical cord, and baby can grab onto them instead of pulling at any vital wires. They also help lower baby’s heart rate, provide companionship, and all sorts of other good things.

Of course I wanted to join in straight away. Combining crafts with helping people is one of my favourite things in the world! But at the time there were no UK hospitals accepting the octopoms, so I filed the idea away for later and got on with other things.

Fast forward to this week, and an email went round saying the wife of one of my colleagues had given birth 8 weeks early. Baby was okay, but would be living in an incubator for a wee while.

Ding! went the lightbulb above my head.

Enough time has passed that some Scottish hospitals will now allow an octopus in with incu-babies, and (I figured) even if this particular hospital won’t allow it, baby can still have it when he gets out.  So here we have my first ever preemie octopus, Oliver:

Isn’t he the cutest!

I had a brief look over this pattern, decided I didn’t quite like the shape of the body, and went off and did my own thing. I think it turned out pretty well, if I do say so myself!

Making friends

Oliver will be handed over to his new family next week, so I’ll have to wait and see what they think of him. In the meantime…. I’ve had a thought.

There are a few Etsy shops I like that offer a charity matching option, for example you buy a blanket for yourself and the shop donates a blanket to a hospice.

What do you all think of Quiet Water offering this with preemie octopodes (obviously I will learn the correct plural term before setting it up)? You get a cute little curly wurly octopus and I send one to a hospital that will accept them, to help a little baby feel better.

What do you think? Would you go for Oliver with an added bonus? Let me know in the comments!

Hannah

xXx