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~ So many patterns, so much yarn, so little time: story of my hooky life.

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Tag Archives: charity blankets

Delivering the blankets for Crochet For Kidneys Part 4

24 Tuesday Nov 2015

Posted by Natasja in Crochet For Kidneys, Part 4

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

charity blankets, crochet, crochet4kidneys

We are back from dropping off the 27 blankets (one more is on its way from the USA) to the Renal unit of the Royal London Hospital.

At the hospital John had his blood & urine samples taken and blood pressure measured as part of his living donor check-up. We will get the results of his creatinine (the chemical waste product in the blood that passes through the kidneys to be filtered and eliminated in urine) and GFR (a measurement of how much liquid and waste is passing from the blood through the tiny filters in the kidney and out into the urine per minute) by post but we already know that he is in peak health – and we are very grateful too!

Nurse Lillibeth didn’t have time to immediately look at the blankets, but as we were on our way back home on the train she called John to say how beautiful the blankets are and to thank us again.

Crochet For Kidneys 4 blankets collage

These 27 blankets will be distributed between the hemodialysis patients, the peritoneal dialysis patients and also the failing kidney transplant patients, many of whom are elderly and also have cancer.

It’s very sad for me to think that there are people who have gone through a kidney transplant operation only to have the organ fail. I think I always thought of our blankets giving hope and comfort to someone in the same position as the recipient of John’s kidney – someone who is going through dialysis but who will receive a donor kidney and be well again. It never occurred to me that there is not always a happy ending.

The blankets of Crochet For Kidneys, and the message behind it – one of comfort and hope – has taken on a new meaning for me today and I will do my best to make Crochet For Kidneys grow so that we can reach more people.

xxxxx

Crochet For Kidneys Part 5 will officially launch at the beginning of June 2016 but you can start making and sending blankets from now. Blankets should measure at least 90 cm x 135 cm. Any colour, any design as long as you use acrylic yarn.

The last four blankets for Crochet For Kidneys Part 4

31 Saturday Oct 2015

Posted by Natasja in Crochet For Kidneys, Other people's crochet, Part 4

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

charity blankets, crochet, crochet blanket

And so on this Halloween we reach the deadline for Crochet For Kidneys Part 4. It’s been a heart warming and humbling four months since my fourth appeal for crocheted blankets. My amazing blog readers and crochet friends delivered the goods – in spades! With the four blankets I received this week, we have reached a grand total of 26 blankets for the dialysis patients at the Royal London Hospital! That’s our highest blanket count since I started Crochet For Kidneys in November 2013!

This week Dorota’s blue and brown ripple blanket arrived all the way from Poland, Barbara’s second colourful traditional granny square blanket arrived from Portugal, Pauline Thomson’s granny square blanket in a comfy chunky yarn arrived from Scotland and Cecilia sent her very striking granny ripple.

ripple crochet blanket

Dorota Dobrowska

Granny Square blanket

Barbara Boothman

granny square blanket

Pauline Thomson

Granny ripple blanket

Cecilia Ockleford

Cecilia is an old-timer CFK member – you can see a photo of her in this blog post from the Crochet For Kidneys charity day back in November 2013.

Cecilia crocheted her first ever blanket for CFK3 last year, and this ripple is her second blanket. It takes Cecilia longer than the average to crochet a blanket because she suffers from muscle dystrophy.  Just like last year, I feel very privileged that she would spend so much time on a blanket only to donate it to CFK. Thank you so much Cecilia, your selflessness is a true inspiration.

Everyone put so much care and love into their blankets I’m positive it will bring years of comfort and hope to the dialysis patients.

Whenever I look at my two cupboards filled to the brim with handmade blankets I am reminded of just how special you all are.

Thank you and blessings to each of you.

Nine more blankets for Crochet For Kidneys Part 4

11 Sunday Oct 2015

Posted by Natasja in Crochet For Kidneys, Other people's crochet, Part 4

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

charity blankets, crochet, crochet blanket

This week has been a bumper week for CFK4 – seven blankets arrived in the post, I received one blanket in person and I finished the pink blanket! That’s nine blankets for dialysis patients in one week! Isn’t that fantastic?!

Our grand total is now 22!!! This week we exceeded all previous Crochet For Kidneys, and the best part is, I know there are more blankets coming! You guys totally rock!

The first blanket I’m going to show you comes from Mary Gordon. Mary lives in Thames Ditton (where John and I lived when we started Crochet For Kidneys) so she is one of the very first contributors to CFK. I met up with Mary at Carluccio’s in Waterloo station on Saturday to pick up the blanket (and to catch up on all the Thames Ditton news.) I just had to open up the blanket and admire it right there in Carluccio’s because I know the kind of quality crochet Mary produces. Have a look at this blog post from CFK2 to see The Mary Border and her purple and white blanket. This year her blanket was inspired by the Rainbow. She wrote on the tag attached to the blanket: “This blanket is inspired by the colours of the rainbow – the promise of sunshine to come.” I just love that!!!

Mary Gordon

Trish Harris of France made two blankets, despite suffering from Carparel Tunnel Syndrome. Thank you so much Trish for contributing – your blankets are beautiful and I really appreciate the effort you put it. I hope the CTS clears up soon so you will be hook-in-hand again.

Trish Harris

Trish Harris

Jude Garrett crocheted this super colourful blanket. She also attended the CFK2 event along with Mary. You can see Jude hard at work in this blogpost. Jude wrote that her 7-year old has now also started to crochet so next year we can expect a joint mother-and-daughter blanket! Wouldn’t that be just the sweetest thing!?

Jude Garrett

It looks like Sue de Vos was also inspired by the rainbow just like Mary, but Sue did rows of trebles for her rainbow blanket. So many colours!

Sue Ribbens de Vos

Sue’s second blanket is a gorgeous  traditional granny square blanket in more muted shades than her striped rainbow blanket. I love the border and the way she joined her granny squares.

Sue Ribbens de Vos

Next up I want to show you Tamika’s two fantastic blankets – a blue, green, beige ripple and a stunning turquoise, green, white and brown granny square blanket. I love the unusual colours!

Tamika Joyeux

Tamika Joyeux

And finally my second blanket for CFK4, the pink mitred squares.

Natasja King

Natasja King

Thank you again to everyone who crocheted a blanket and posted it to me. I know it takes a lot of time to crochet a blanket and postage is not cheap. You produced beautiful blankets which I will be proud to hand over to the Renal Unit of the Royal London Hospital. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Two more blankets for Crochet For Kidneys Part 4

04 Sunday Oct 2015

Posted by Natasja in Crochet For Kidneys, My ramblings, Other people's crochet, Part 4

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Tags

charity blankets, crochet, crochet blanket, crochet4kidneys

The blankets for the dialysis patients are coming in weekly now and our total blanket count is up to 13. Thank you everyone!!

This week I received Wendy “Eddy” Gould’s very non-square purple and white blanket. This is our second striped blanket in Crochet For Kidneys Part 4. Wendy also contributed a blanket for CFK3 last year. She really embraced this year’s brief of “any design” 🙂

Wendy “Eddy” Gould

This extremely sunny blanket was made in Faro, Portugal. It’s the crochet work of Linda Baker, a friend of Barbara Booth whose blanket I showed you last week. Even if I hadn’t known Linda lives in Portugal I would have thought that this blanket has a distinct sunny Portuguese or Spanish feel to it. Don’t you agree? These two ladies are bringing the sunshine of Portugal to our blanket collection and they are making two blankets each. Fantastic!

Linda Baker

Not so much sunny as girly, my pink blanket is almost finished – I’m crocheting the edging at the moment and then have to work away the ends.

Thank you again to everyone who has crocheted blankets for the dialysis patients. Most of you are repeat contributors to Crochet For Kidneys which makes me appreciate your efforts even more. Blessings to you all!

  Two more blankets for Crochet For Kidneys Part 4

27 Sunday Sep 2015

Posted by Natasja in Crochet For Kidneys, Other people's crochet, Part 4

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

charity blankets, crochet, crochet4kidneys

I received two more beautiful traditional granny square blankets over the past two weeks.

Caroline Bennett says her fiancé had a kidney transplant 2 and a half years ago after being on dialysis. They think Crochet For Kidneys is a great idea and it inspired Caroline to make these beautiful two-tone granny squares.

Caroline Bennett

Barbara Boothman’s striking traditional granny square blanket with the black joining rounds, comes all the way from Faro, Portugal. She has another blanket to send me.

Barbara Boothman

Thank you very much for your contributions ladies. The blankets are beautiful!

Hop on over to the Crochet For Kidneys Facebook group where you will see more photos, posts and comments about these blankets.

Our blanket total is now up to 11. We’re in the double digits people!! Keep them coming!

Your blankets for Crochet For Kidneys Part 4

07 Monday Sep 2015

Posted by Natasja in Crochet For Kidneys, Other people's crochet, Part 4

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

charity blankets, crochet, crochet blanket, crochet4kidneys

Dear readers and Crochet For Kidneys blanket makers, please forgive me for not having updated you on the progress of CFK4 since June, when I showed you my Shades Of Blue Granny Square Blanket.

Things have been a bit hectic the past two months. It’s all very, very good though. My weekends were spent preparing for interviews, watching Lynda.com videos to improve my skills, celebrating Big Events with new and old friends, doing a bit of travelling with iVan the campervan and in general just enjoying life.

During July I went for job interviews and in August I heard that I got the job as legal PA at a very big Media & Entertainment company just 20 minute walk from our new home. I am super, super, excited and feel very blessed to have landed that job. I just know it’s going to be the start of Something Great.

My last day at the old job was Friday and I start the new one next Monday so this week is my time to reflect, recoup and recharge – and with recharge I mean catch up on my blog and crochet.

So without further ado back to the blankets for Crochet For Kidneys.

I’ve received four beautiful blankets so far from Gerlene Kennedy, Jan Appleton, Marion Nelson and someone with a postcode of DE66. The lady didn’t add a note so I don’t know anything else about her.

Gerlene Kennedy

Someone living in Derby

Jan Appleton

Marion Nelson

I love these blankets for being so very different. The beautiful colours, the combination of those colours (shout-out to Gerlene and Jan for great use of colour!), the neat stitches and attention to detail that the ladies put into their work is really inspiring. A special mention should also go to Gerlene for using the softest silver grey yarn ever. I just couldn’t stop touching that yarn!

I was so inspired that I decided to move away from a regular granny square for my second CFK4 blanket. I’m making metered granny squares in shades of pink. I’ve never done mitred squares but I really like the effect those off-centre rows create. I’m using up all my DK acrylic pink yarns for the blanket.  This is going to be one very pink blanket!

I look forward to receiving more of your blankets and I promise to post them on the blog much sooner than I did for these four blankets.

Happy hooking friends.

Natasja

My blanket for Crochet For Kidneys Part 4

21 Sunday Jun 2015

Posted by Natasja in Crochet For Kidneys, My crochet, My ramblings, Part 4

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

blanket, cfk4, charity blankets, crochet, crochet4kidneys, granny square, granny square afghan

We have one blanket for CFK4!

I just love granny squares! Just look at them!

I started the blanket on the weekend that I launched CFK4, and finished it yesterday. How super quick was that? Nothing beats a simple granny square for speedy blanket making or for a super fun time playing with colour combinations.

For the border, I used Border 138 from Around the Corner Crochet Borders book. It’s a striking border with a slightly raised ridge and very easy to do: just three rows of (UK) double trebles / (US) trebles, but on the second and the third rounds you work around the posts of the stitches in the previous round from the back. If each round is done in a different colour – in my case turquoise, grey and finally navy – it gives an really interesting effect.

I don’t know about you about I always place my darkest shade at the very edge of my border. I think a dark colour on the outermost edge pulls everything together.

The nitty gritty of my Blue Crochet For Kidneys Part 4 blanket:

  • Pattern: Traditional 6-round granny square, the last round of which is a different colour, arranged as 9 rows of 7 squares per row.
  • Yarn: Various DK acrylic yarns in shades of blue and a silver grey
  • Hook: 4 mm
  • Joining method: My Rose Valley’s Join-as-you-go method.
  • Border: Border #138 from Around The Corner Crochet Borders
  • Finished size with border: 135 cm x 97 cm

I am relieved that I’ve done my blankety bit for CFK4. Even if no-one else sends me a blanket for the kidney dialysis patients I know there’ll be at least one that I can hand over to the nurses at the Royal London Hospital.

I’m going to make one more blanket like this, but in shades of pink. Wouldn’t that look nice?

Before I start the pink blanket though I think I want to finish my Marie Wallin Rose top first – especially as it looks like Summer has finally arrived in the UK. Warm sunny days are not the best time to work on a blanket!

If you’re working on a CFK4 blanket, thanks! If you haven’t started yet, maybe you could consider making a blanket – it’s a great way to use up your stash and you’re make a comforting blanket for someone going through very unpleasant kidney dialysis.

All the detail on Crochet For Kidneys Part 4 can be found in this blog post.

Crochet For Kidneys Part 4

05 Friday Jun 2015

Posted by Natasja in Crochet For Kidneys, Part 4

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

charity blankets, crochet, crochet4kidneys

Today I’m launching Crochet For Kidneys Part 4!

Crochet For Kidneys has grown from seven blankets in Part 1 and 14 blankets in Part 2, to 17 blankets in Part 3.  We had purple squares with a white border in Part 1, hexagons with a white border in Part 2, and for Part 3 I asked you send me strips of six squares with white borders. The beautiful, lovingly made blankets were given to dialysis patients at the Royal London Hospital and the Royal Free Hospital.

This year I’d like you to send me BLANKETS please. By asking for blankets I lessen the work I have to do (no joining and crocheting borders), but I also give you the freedom to do whatever you like! No colour rules, no design rules – you are in charge of the look of your blanket for the dialysis patients! Squares, hexagons, stripes, chevrons – go wild!

CFK part 4 posterI only ask that the blankets be roughly 90 cm x 135 cm (35″ x 53″) – that’s about a lap afghan size. If you are making 15 cm squares like we did for Parts 1 and 3, that would be 54 squares arranged in 9 rows of 6 squares. If you are making 13 cm squares for instance, that would be 70 squares arranged in 10 rows of 7 squares. Use your judgement, but as long as the blanket comes out to roughly (but no smaller) than 90 cm x 135 cm (35″ x 53″) it will be perfect.

Just like before, please do not use wool as it may shrink or felt when the recipients wash their blankets on a too warm wash. Acrylics or cotton only please.

I would like to have all the blankets by Saturday 30 October 2015. I’m giving you five months to the deadline because I’m asking you to work a bit harder on your contributions, which will take up more of your time.

Please post photos of your blankets-in-the-making on the Facebook Group . If you’re not a member of the group, just ask to join and I’ll add you immediately.

Now that there are no rules for the colour or design of the blanket, I can’t wait to see what you guys come up with!

Delivering the blankets for Crochet For Kidneys Part 3

25 Tuesday Nov 2014

Posted by Natasja in Crochet For Kidneys, Part 3

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

charity blankets, crochet, crochet blanket

John and I are back from our visit to the Royal London Hospital where we delivered 17* crochet blankets to the Renal Ward Sister today. Looking at them together in this collage it really makes my heart very happy to be part of such a great group effort.

crochet for kidneys charity blankets

Everyone who saw the blankets were blown away by how beautiful they are and the generosity of everyone who gave up their time and talents to crochet squares and blankets. I was promised that the blankets will be distributed to the dialysis patients at Royal London Hospital (and their satellite dialysis units) who are frail and/or a bit depressed and could do with cheering up and a warm handmade blanket.

Thank you to each and every one of the 26 ladies from six countries (England, Ireland, Portugal, Germany, Australia and the USA) who donated crochet squares and blankets. I wish you bucket loads of blessings for the good work you have done!

On recommendation of one of the Renal ward nurses, we will make blankets for Whipps Cross University Hospital and their satellite dialysis units next year.  Yes, you read that right – there will be Crochet For Kidneys Part 4! I think we will stick to the same format as for Part 3: 15 cm squares with white borders which you join up in strips of 6, or you can make complete blankets of 9 rows of 6 squares. I will launch CFK4 in August 2014 so that we can hand over the blankets around 27 November which is when John has his yearly living donor check-up.

Thank you again to everyone who contributed a piece of crochet for charity. I don’t think you, or I, can know how much it means to the dialysis patients.

xxx

 If anyone wants to give a monetary donation to the Royal London Hospital Kidney Patients Association (read more about them here), you can do so on their JustGiving page here.

*I will be sending a 18th blanket by post to the hospital as soon as it arrives from the USA. You can see Cindy Flishman’s cheery blanket in the bottom left of the collage.

 

Your squares for Crochet For Kidneys Part 3

17 Monday Nov 2014

Posted by Natasja in Crochet For Kidneys, Part 3

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

charity blankets, crochet, crochet blanket

Last week I didn’t get round to posting an update on the squares and blankets you’ve been sending me. (Self-publishing a crochet book tends to take up a lot of time in the days before you hit the “publish” button!) Now that Crochet Pretty is live, I had time to photograph the four, yes four, blankets I received as well as the three blankets I joined up with your strips of squares.

The lovely Cecilia used my Granny Square In Bloom pattern to make this blanket. It’s the first time ever she’s made a whole blanket. I am so honoured that she used CFK3 to challenged herself and I’m immensely proud of her.

Cecilia

Pauline was a huge contributor to CFK2 and this time she did it again by making a whole blanket. Those psychedelic squares are great!

Pauline

Wendy only found out about CFK3 two months ago but managed to crochet us a whole blanket. She felt she wanted to be part of the charity project as she has two family members with kidney problems and her grandfather passed away of renal failure. Thank you Wendy for your beautiful contribution.

Wendy

Suzanne had a bit of a Sizing Drama with her Delicate Daisy Square blanket but pulled it out the bag in a fabulous way with the addition of a funky border and two extra strips of squares.

Suzanne

All your strips of squares have now been made up into blankets. Yes, all of them! I was such an eager beaver I didn’t even wait to photograph the individual donations that I received for the blanket below. Between Cathy O’Keefe (CelticCathy on Ravelry), Heidi Lett and S. Jordan they had sent me nine strips and the colours went together so perfectly I just started joining them up straight away.

Crochet For Kidneys 3 blanket 3

Crochet For Kidneys 3 blanket 4 Crochet For Kidneys 3 blanket 5

As I said last time, I know the blankets look a bit wobbly but that’s because each strip of six squares is trying to line up perfectly with someone else’s strip of six so it’s really impossible to get it right. When the blankets are being used and lying on a bed I’m sure no-one will even notice a few bubbles – they’ll only see the lovely bright colours and interesting designs.

Now you’re probably wondering what our Blanket Count is. Well… there are three more blankets on its way to me, so counting them, plus the seven completed blankets you made and the squares made into blankets, there are

17 blankets for the dialysis patients of Royal London Hospital!!!

Isn’t that fantastic?! I’m so grateful to each and every one that sent me squares and blankets. You guys are the best!

Before we hand them over on the 25th of November, I still have to make tags that explain CFK3 and give the care instructions, tie ribbons round each blanket and take a last couple of photos of the 16 blankets. I’ll blog about the blankets again after we’ve handed them out to the dialysis patients

Remember to join the Crochet For Kidneys Facebook group where you can see all the blankets and tag your blankets from the Photo Album.

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