Simply Knitting Magazine

 Delighted to have my little preemie baby jacket and hat in Simply Knitting!  I love this design - I can see me knitting it many times in the years to come!  It is so simple but looks fabulous.

In June I finished a portrait doll of my friend Pauline, who very sadly passed away last year from cancer.  Her daughter asked me to make it as a gift for her father as a reminder of his late wife.  I was nervous as I wasn't sure if I could do it justice but agreed to give it a go.  I was so glad I did, as it allowed me a lot of time to recall the many times we spent together, often laughing till my jaw hurt!  I  chose the photo - it was a favourite of mine from a time when Pauline's family and friends got together for a special anniversary meal.  I used a pattern from Louise Crowther's "My Knitted Doll" as the basis, just changing the head as I'm not keen on the flat look of the heads in the book.  Pauline loved her fur-lined boots so I had to include them.  I swiss darned the details on the top - it took me a whole day!  I used DROPS baby merino yarn but had wished that there was a colour more suitable for the flesh tone.  I was happy with the finished results though, as was Pauline's family!

Santa hat preemie to newborn

I'm really excited to have finally finished this pattern and publish it in my online shops!  I started it long before Christmas, but because I wanted to make the hat in 5 different sizes from micro preemie to newborn, and because I wanted to write the instructions using dpns and straight needles, it has taken much longer than anticipated.  Mmm ... I did also want the traditional red as well as some pink and blue Santa hats!  I aim to have a number of them knitted to donate to my local NICU for Christmas this year.

Woolrobe

Last year I finally got a place to store my yarn - a wardrobe!  Well, I call it my woolrobe.  Since the majority of my knitting and designing is for babies, the cubbie holes are filled with good quality baby acrylics.  I do love knitting with natural yarns but find it safer to create garments in acrylic in case babies are allergic to wool, especially in the case of premature babies.

For toys I tend to use cheaper acrylics, which is really cost effective if your toy knit has a lot of colours!  I normally do not buy yarn for toys (unless I'm making a gift for someone) - as a designer I get the yarn delivered to me, arranged by the editor of the magazine.

I also keep a selection of my favourite knitting books, some tools and buttons here too.  The Scheepies yarn is on display because I just love looking at it!  I am collecting ideas for how I'm going to use these mini balls of yarn for when I finally decide to use it.

Easter Bonnets for Preemies

New preemie pattern, this time knitted flat for knitters who don't like using dpns.  These beanie hats are inspired by bright and colourful Easter eggs.  There are 3 different designs, one to fit 2lb-3lb preemies, the middle one fits 3lb-5lb and the largest is for 5lb-6lb.  It uses Sirdar Snuggly DK (UK) yarn, which is soft to the skin and machine washable too, which is very important if the hats are for the NICU.  I think I might try some more colour schemes ...

Simply Knitting Magazine

I'm pleased to say that 2 of my designs have been published in this month's issue of Simply Knitting! My little Easter chick and bunny rabbit are included.

Tilly and Tom Knitting Pattern

Hello everyone,

I had a message from Jo in Australia today asking for me to publish my Tilly and Tom Dollies knitting pattern.  It was published last year in Love Knitting for Baby and came on the front cover as a kit.  They are only 22cm tall and so quick to make!  What I like most about them is that they only require small amounts of different coloured yarns so are perfect for using up scraps of yarn.

I hope Jo enjoys making the little dolls for her 'Little Ones'.

Ultimate Baby and Kids Knitting Collection

My premature baby cardi has been put on hold for the time being, as I begin a new commission for Love Knitting for Baby.

In the meantime, you can find 6 of my designs in the new Ultimate Baby + Kids Knitting Collection.  It is a lovely magazine, one that you will definitely want to keep!

Baby Shark

Hello,
I spent time this morning formatting my shark seaside collection pattern, ready for putting up for sale on Ravelry, Etsy, amazon kindle and Lovecrafting.com.

I am really fond of this little fellow!  I took him to Prestwick Beach to photograph.  He got a few looks from visitors!

I'm still working on the premature baby jacket I started last weekend.  I had a bit of a cold over the last week, and I'm now just getting round to picking up my knitting again to finish it.

Keep posted to see the photograph of the finish jacket!

Premature Baby Knitting Pattern 1224

Hello,
It is half way through February, and the weather is rather wild!  I did a bit of decluttering/organising of yarns yesterday, which felt good.  And I started a new premature baby knit pattern that I'd bought a few years ago but haven't had the opportunity to knit till now.  I'm using the lovely MillaMia 4ply merino yarn in 'ice' instead of the recommended Peter Pan Baby Merino 4ply - which should work out the same.  It is the long sleeved cards that I am working on.  It has a delicate lace pattern with stocking stitch above.  It is lovely to knit, and so far I've not had any problems.  I'm a little unsure of using the merino yarn as some babies can be allergic to wool, so I might make another using Sirdar Snuggly 4ply.  Keep watching to see the finished result.

A Quiet Week

I can't believe it's almost February already!  Time goes by so quickly.  I've had a quiet knitting week.  I've just started updating my baby hoodie pattern.  I knitted it in blue merino yarn a few years ago and  added a zip fastening to the front.  This was for my little nephew.  I was happy with the results but never quite got round to typing up the pattern for it.

Top Tips when Knitting for Preemies

If you are looking to knit for premature babies, here are some of my top tips.

1.    When babies are born too soon it can leave parents unprepared and finding baby clothes that fit well can be a challenge.  Select a good premature baby knitting pattern that will create a little knit that fits snuggly and will help keep the little one cosy and warm.  Keep away from designs that are for dolls – the proportions on the sleeves are not correct for babies, and parents don’t want their new baby to feel like a toy!

2.    Choose your yarn carefully.  It should be a good quality machine washable acrylic - avoid pure new wool as some babies can be allergic to it.  Feel the yarn to ensure it is soft enough for a tiny baby.

3.    When buying yarn choose a 4ply or similar thickness.  Double knitting stitches look lovely on a full term baby but can look and feel bulky on a little one.

4.    Colour is very important when creating a tiny knit.  Go for pastels or white/cream.  If you want to use darker colours, keep them to a small amount and use as stripes or a motif.

5.    If knitting for your local NICU contact them first to see what knits are most needed – it can vary a lot from hospital to hospital.  Where possible include the yarn label so that staff can see washing directions.

6.    Don’t be afraid to design a knit yourself if can’t find what you are looking for. Look at full term babywear in shops or online for inspiration.  Some shops such as George, Asda offer a small range of preemie babywear.  You could pick up a bodysuit and design a cardi or hat that ties in with the colour scheme and style.

7.    Try to make clothes that are easy to put on delicate babies.  Sleeves should be wide (or stretchy so they can be widened) and seams kept to a minimum for the comfort of babies.  Stocking stitch makes the flattest – and therefore most comfortable – fabric for babies to lie on.  Other stitches can be used for the front of garments.  Be wary of designs that are lacy as tiny fingers can accidentally get caught in the holes!

8.    Buttons or plastic fasteners tend to be the best for closing garments.  Metal fasteners can heat up in an incubator and ribbons can irritate the skin.  Some premature baby clothes use a very fine Velcro fastening but this is difficult to source.

9.    Go online and look at charities for premature babies to get a sense of what is available. Sites like Ravelry.com have groups devoted to knitting premature baby clothes, and you can keep in touch with what is going on via social media, eg. @apreemiething, @PreemieProject or @EmilysStar. Some groups offer free knitting pattern downloads, and even if they are not exactly what you are looking for, they will give you a feel for premature baby knits in terms of size and special features. 

10.  If tiny clothing seems daunting start off with small blankets (about 18 inches x 18 inches  upwards) or bonding squares.  This should give you the confidence to go on to try hats or mittens, then cardis and bodywarmers if you wish.  Whatever you decide to make remember that putting the time and love into knitting for premature babies will be much appreciated by the parents, the hospital staff and the babies themselves!

I'm back!

Hello again,
I've had some technical problems but I'm glad to say that I seem to be up and running again.  I've been very busy lately with commissions for Love Knitting for Baby.  Tonight I finished the samples for the Spring issue.  It's always a good feeling when you finish a project you have been working on for a long time, and always a relief when the commissioning editor says she loves it! 

If I have enough time before the next commission I'll try to upload one or two of my newest patterns.  It takes quite a long time to format the pattern for posting online, some places like Ravelry use pdfs and others like Amazon work better with MS Word.  But it is worth the effort. 

My next post will focus on some of the storage solutions I have employed recently.

See you soon,
Angela