Blankets for Babies

[TMKA]

Hello, everyone!

 

I don't know if any of you were following along with this thread:

 

http://www.crochetville.org/forum/showthread.php?t=74175

 

But let me give you a quick backstory here to explain why I'm posting.

 

I live in Denver, Colorado. Our primary "general" hospital in the area, providing Level 1 care, is Denver Health. Recently, Denver Health was featured on Oprah's Big Give. During that show, the hospital administrator told a story about how the hospital has so little funding and so many babies are born there, that they can't afford to send the babies home with even the cheapy little pink and blue striped blankets most hospitals send home with their newborns. They send them home wrapped in a towel.

 

For most of us, that's not near tragedy level. It'd be a bummer, but we'd just head over to Babies R Us and snag a few more blankets. No biggie. But...consider briefly that this is a major metropolitan city, and that the women who give birth here are not able to choose a private, more well funded hospital. 88% of the babies born at Denver Health are sent home to families that are either just below, or significantly below, the poverty line.

 

To me, that's sad. This hospital cannot even afford to send a blanket home as a little welcome present to a new life. And as any Mom knows, those cheap-*** hospital blankets ROCK for swaddling. It's not the most important thing that you'll ever have for a baby...but it's important. My daughter's baby box has the blanket she came home from the hospital with. It was the first thing she was ever wrapped in. The first comfort she had--even before she had ME to hold her, she had this blanket that we were able to bring her home with.

 

I don't know if that means anything to any of you out there....but it means a lot to me. And even though I'm far from what anyone would call a bleeding heart, I've got enough softie in me to want to cry and shake my fist and yell "It's not FAIR!"

 

But. That rarely produces any decent result. I want to help. I want to collect blankets and take them into Denver Health for the new babies. Does anyone have the means/ability/interest to help me? (Look who I'm asking. Y'all have such big, open hearts I know some of you are going to jump at the chance. ) We're looking for washable, safe baby blankets, standard 25in X 30in or so. If you're a Mom or a Grandmom or have crafted for kiddos, you know what to do--just make it something you'd be OK with any babies in your life using. And if you don't want to crochet or knit something, I'm going to be making a bunch of simple 22in X 35in flannel squares edged in bias tape, too. Anything that would be a good blanket is totally welcome.

 

If you'd like to help out and send me some blankets to take over to these new little babies, please PM me and I'll get you my address and whatever information you need.

 

And if you don't have time right this very minute, please keep me in mind--this is an ongoing need--thousands of babies are born at Denver Health every year, and even with Project Linus helping and a few other organizations, the need is just staggering.

 

Thanks for reading this! I can't wait to see what some of you wonderful people come up with!

[2kute]

PMed you

[TMKA]

Thank you!

[Needle Arts]

Just sent you a PM.

[TMKA]

Thank you, Darlene!

[yarnaholic214]

PM'd you luv just now.

[TeaLady]

TMKA, I have a completed little variegated pastel baby blanket that I can drop in the mail this week. I'll PM you for your address. Bless you for your loving heart.

[Crocus58]

PM'd you

[RainbowAzalea]

i'm assuming this to be an ongoing project? I have a blanket now that I could send, but not the postage, so I will have to wait a while.

Also, are giant grannies okay? They're easy for me to make, and I would use them with kids, but I'm not sure other people's opinions.

[TMKA]

i'm assuming this to be an ongoing project? I have a blanket now that I could send, but not the postage, so I will have to wait a while.

 

Yes, it is an ongoing need. I know that thousands of babies are born there every year, and I know there are some great efforts going on now....but that doesn't mean they don't always have a need, you know?

 

And if I can help with postage, let me know. I know that gets spendy!

 

Also, are giant grannies okay? They're easy for me to make, and I would use them with kids, but I'm not sure other people's opinions.

 

Absolutely!! I'm leaving the designs completely up to the artists. I think mostly we're just looking for non-choking hazards and washable. These are going to low-income families, so wool and other non-washables are just not going to get the care they need. Just use common sense...beads are obviously out, but warm fuzzy comforting blankets? Always in.

[TMKA]

Linda, TeaLady and Crocus--got your PMs, responding now!

 

You guys are the bestest. I've got warm fuzzies just reading these.

[Super Granny]

Azelea, I'm sure a granny would be okay if it was a closed one...( ex. dc in each dc across 2dc ch1 2dc in corners ) that way there are not a lot of hole and they work up rather quickly...

I PM'd ya too

[TMKA]

Thank you so much, Shelly!

 

Azalea, you got me thinking--if there are people who want to help but cannot afford postage on an entire afghan (because those things are heavy and expensive to ship)--OR, who don't have time to commit to a whole blanket, please feel free to send me a square or two! I am more than happy to join them into blankets and take them over.

 

I'm open to suggestions on what size squares y'all like for baby blankets...I've tried to find some ideas on the 'net, and I'm seeing maybe 6 inch square might be the best? Feedback?

 

There's a list of patterns at the bottom of this page for various sizes, if anyone needs them! http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/grannies.html

[2kute]

For baby blankets I'd say 6" are the best size.

I don't know about size, maybe 30 squares per blankie, 30" x 36"?

[2kute]

Usually the "rules" the hospitals use are:

 

no cotton, no wool, acrilic only

no pattern with big holes in case the baby needs an IV or O2 canula and so forth

baby colors, nothing too bright

and nothing that can become a chocking harzadous

[TMKA]

Usually the "rules" the hospitals use are:

 

no cotton, no wool, acrilic only

no pattern with big holes in case the baby needs an IV or O2 canula and so forth

baby colors, nothing too bright

and nothing that can become a chocking harzadous

 

I'll have to double check with Robin, but she didn't tell me anything about colors, materials or patterns. I do think it's a good idea not to use wool or any yarn or fabric that is NOT washable--just because these families aren't going to be able to dry clean a blanket, you know? Plus, babies are messy! So, definitely nothing hard to care for.

 

But, I think some brighter colors would be nice. I had someone offer some orange and white squares--I think those will be awesome joined and edged in blue--we are in Bronco country, after all!

 

And I think that the instructions Super Granny posted about the closed Granny afghan is a good idea. Not just for the things you mentioned, Rose, but because we don't want little fingers and toes getting caught in the holes, right? Safe blankets are a priority!

 

Those are all good things to think about, though, for sure. I know Robin just told me to do what I would be OK with using on my baby--washable, no choking hazards (so I'm thinking probably no fringe or beaded embelishment).

[TMKA]

For baby blankets I'd say 6" are the best size.

I don't know about size, maybe 30 squares per blankie, 30" x 36"?

 

That sounds good to me--or even 30"X30" so we can get the most blankets out of our donated squares!

[TMKA]

Also--someone had asked if they had a need for hats--and definitely, they do. So if anyone wants to whip up some of those, I'll be happy to take them over to the hospital!

[2kute]

Ok, what do you guys think?

I always use baby or sport or dk weight to make anything for babies. The yarn is softer.

My dilemma now is, there's a good sale of RHSS at the craft site linked to hobby lobby site. The colors are not very babyish, but they do carry baby or pastel pink, some lt blue, lt yellow and lt green.

Do you guys think the RHSS will be too harsh? I know that fabrics made using RHSS get very soft after a wash or two. But the yarn doesn't have much drape qualities.

Lemme know what y'all think.

BTW, the yarn is on sale for $1.87, free S&H with purchases of $25 or more. the sale ends on the 22nd.

[Hyjinx]

Just PM'ed you. I have a blankie almost ready to go.

[TMKA]

Do you guys think the RHSS will be too harsh? I know that fabrics made using RHSS get very soft after a wash or two. But the yarn doesn't have much drape qualities.

 

Hmmm....I see your concerns--it is kind of a thick yarn, and I get what you mean about not draping well. But, then again, it does soften up really fast after washing.

 

I think that if you think that you can make it work, go for it. I've made baby hats out of RHSS before and they do get really nice and soft, and they are very warm. And we do get cold winters here, so that might be a nice property, too.

[TMKA]

Just PM'ed you. I have a blankie almost ready to go.

 

Thank you so much!

[RainbowAzalea]

Ok, what do you guys think?

I always use baby or sport or dk weight to make anything for babies. The yarn is softer.

My dilemma now is, there's a good sale of RHSS at the craft site linked to hobby lobby site. The colors are not very babyish, but they do carry baby or pastel pink, some lt blue, lt yellow and lt green.

Do you guys think the RHSS will be too harsh? I know that fabrics made using RHSS get very soft after a wash or two. But the yarn doesn't have much drape qualities.

Lemme know what y'all think.

BTW, the yarn is on sale for $1.87, free S&H with purchases of $25 or more. the sale ends on the 22nd.

 

I usually use RHSS or Caron Simply Soft, but since I can get RHSS at the grocery store, I use it more often and after a wash it's fine. It's also pretty durable for many washes, as babies do tend to be very messy.

[RainbowAzalea]

I asked about the granny square partly because they're fast and easy, and I have been known to make them during class, but also because I already have one done, and nothing to do with it, other than add it to my baby box (a box my grandmother started me so that when I have kids I'm already prepared and don't have to buy everything then)

[TMKA]

I asked about the granny square partly because they're fast and easy, and I have been known to make them during class, but also because I already have one done, and nothing to do with it, other than add it to my baby box (a box my grandmother started me so that when I have kids I'm already prepared and don't have to buy everything then)

 

OK, let me call Robin and double check on this one. Personally, I would use a granny blanket on my daughter, so I'm pretty OK with that. But, I'm going to let Robin be the final voice of authority here--if they won't take the blanket, then I definitely don't want to have you send it, only to find out once it's here, you know? I'll shoot her an e-mail right now and let you know once I've got final word.