Knit Your Square to Give Your Share - PART 4

azzabazza

mrs-moneypenny wrote: »

I find enough hot water in the bottom of the bath to cover the shelves along with a good handful of biological washing powder shifts most things. I used thos bags once they are good but a bit of a faff as you have to make sure all bits of the shelves area coated in the gloop by rubbing it round them through the bag. I also jiggers some aluminium baking trays by not realising you aren't supposed to put them in that chemical oops!

I would recommend laying them on some old towels in the bath to protect your bath surface. A good shake of soda crystals too.

Had a day of crocheting today - teaching myself to do granny squares. I can't thank some of the lovely people on here enough for their invaluable help and extremely kind remarks. Fives squares completed so far!

Really must do some housework tomorrow!

mrs-moneypenny

Thanks azzabazza. I forgot to mention the old towels, I pop one of those underneath just incase.

Evil_Olive

Are plain ol' squares still acceptable?

I ask because I don't really knit.
And fancy patterns, well tried and failed
Plain squares and rectangles in either stocking stitch or k1p1 are about my limit, but I've been given some odd balls of wool that I won't use myself so thought I'd check out this thread as I could easily knock 'em up into squares while watching the telly.....

If that would be any good to you, are there any size/colour/yarn type/stitch type/needle size/no. of stitches per inch type requirements I need to stick to?
And where would I send 'em?

Cheers x

psso

Hi all and welcome Evil Olive. Don't really believe you're evil if you want to help others.

Anyway, to answer your question, yes knitted squares are still needed by charities.Doesn't matter if they are plain or fancy,any colour, mostly double knitting yarn on size 4mm needles, six or eight inches square.I usually do about 32 stitches but it depends on your tension.
If you do the corner to corner style ie. Start with one stitch, increase one stitch at beginning of every row until the side (from the beginning to the needle ) measures six or eight inches then decrease one stitch every row till the end, you get an easy square.

That's the two sizes for the group below. Send the squares to them and the ladies make them up into blankets.

http://www.freedomfromfistula.org.uk/make_a_difference/fundraise/the_big_knit_challenge

There are other groups which can use them but this one is the one I've been sending mine to recently.

You could of course sew them up into blankets yourself for homeless shelters, animal rescue, children (ask social work dept if they can give them to families in need ) or women's refuge.

Hope that gives you some ideas to be going on with.

Other news, well there isn't really anything to report here. A few squares being crocheted and THINKING about stash tidying. However, thinking is as far as I've got. Think I need a swift kick up the BTM.

Back later.

roamin_in_the_gloamin

The other thing you could check out Evil Olive (again I think that name is a misnomer).......knitting circles in your area.... a few listed below they may have contacts for local donations, whether you join in with them or not they are usually a great source of ideas for donations.

http://www.crafts-beautiful.com/forums/topic/28855-any-knitting-clubs-in-romford/
http://stitchn!!!!!.org/England/794-ROMFORD-ESSEX/View-details.html
http://knitting.meetup.com/cities/gb/e4/romford/

THANK YOU Mrs Moneypenny & Azzabazza - I have to wear my sun glasses in the house - those shelves in the oven are sparkling!! I have used bio washing powder for the shower cubicle/tiles, the toilet bowl but never thought to try it with the shelves. I didn't have any soda crystals but will pick some up next supermarket trip - then I will have them to try next time.
x

azzabazza

Roamin - We could maybe start a new thread - 101 ways to use bio washing powder and baths!!!! I soak my smaller venetian blinds in the bath!

mrs-moneypenny

Welcome olive (I'm not going to call you evil either).
Glad to help re the shelf cleaning, mine could do with a soak. I must get round to it.

Finished another little hat last night, the one I started in the Drs waiting room. Hopefully will get the ones I've done sewn together tonight while watching sewing bee.
Still need to clear the clutter off the table but I WANT to get on with my cross stitch.

Hugs to all that need them

ginnyknit

I am busy making easter bits and bobs for Gin and Pickle as I need to fund this new baby . Lots of things on the go and a day of peace and quiet but now need a grandma nap as Dgs wore me out a bit but was fab so I dont care :rotfl:

Hugs back at you Chalky xx

Hi Olive, lovely to have you on board

mrs-moneypenny

Found this on a website and wasn't sure if it would be of interest to anyone on here, especially with it being a free post address

The nationwide donation appeal, fronted by celebrity mother of two Rachel Stevens, aims to raise awareness of the dangers of bacteria on baby blankets, whilst highlighting the shortage of baby blankets available to infants born to families in need.
Laboratory tests commissioned by Dettol - on washed blankets donated by volunteer mums - show that baby ‘blankies’ carry a variety of bacteria even after a 40°C wash, with a third of the washed blankets harbouring coliforms – a group of bacteria linked to faeces.
Dettol are encouraging mums across the UK to “keep the memories, not the bacteria” by donating a blanket and sharing their special memories and photographs of their babies’ blanket on social media. Once collected, the baby blankets will be hygienically washed with Dettol Anti-bacterial wash and passed on to needy families
“The Dettol Baby Blanket Donation"
Blankets can be donated via Freepost (no stamp required) to:
Dettol Baby Blanket Donation
FREEPOST RTKJ-YSGS-SSHR
The Hay Loft
Balcombe Place Stables
Balcombe
RH17 6AZ
The Dettol Baby Blanket Donation is encouraging parents across the UK to share precious baby blanket memories on Twitter @DettolBlanket #sharethememories or on Dettol’s Mission for Health Facebook page.

mioliere

Hi, everyone

Mrs Moneypenny - it's not long now, is it? I bet you are so excited! I hope you managed to get all that mending done!

Welcome, Olive - like the others, I can't call you 'evil' so I think you just have to get used to being called Olive! A warm welcome to you.

Jean, soda crystals are great and they are not that expensive here. I found some in my local supermarket; they're made by Phenix (with a red phoenix on the front) , and on the box it says 'cristaux de soude'. I think I paid just over €2.

Chalky - how lovely to have another trip to Dubai planned. I bet William is shooting up, and this year he hasn't got that broken leg to hold him back, bless him.

We have the most beautiful day here. It started off at minus 2 first thing, and the water in the birds's bowl in the garden was frozen, but within a couple of hours it was warm and sunny, with a lovely blue sky. I thought it would never happen! The forecast for the next few days is good, too.

My grandson, Sam, is now half way through the 'second phase' of his treatment, and the doctors are pleased with his progress. There is almost nothing new happening now, which is good because it means he is settling into some sort of routine - he goes in for chemo, then goes straight back home until the next session. It's so good that he can spend most of the time at home, and his mum and dad are keeping life as 'normal' as possible. I think at the end of this second phase, they will run more tests, and decide on the next stage but, meanwhile, he is doing well, just gets more tired than usual, which is understandable, and they are hoping to keep him on low dose chemo. From being barely able to breathe with shock and worry when he was first taken ill, we have all started to relax a little.

Well, I had better go and check my slow cookers - they are both doing a different soup for the freezer, but looking at the lovely weather today, warming winter soups are probably not the 'dish of the day'!

KathyXX