Some of you will remember our Panda Picnic back in 2021, making bonding squares for the tiniest babies at the Rosie in Cambridge and for their PaNDR ( Paediatric and Neonatal Decision Support and Retrieval Service).

We are delighted to have been approached by another neonatal transport team, this time in the North West – Connect NW (www.connectnw.baby) who cover the 21 neonatal units of the NW Operational Delivery Network (NWNODN) – made up of Greater Manchester, Lancashire & S.Cumbria and Cheshire & Mersey Neonatal Networks.

They are consistently one of the busiest neonatal transport teams year on year carrying out in the region of 150+ transfers a month and an average of 2000 a year!

This fabulous team have heard of our work with the (equally fabulous) Cambridge team and would like something very similar. Their team ‘colour’ is purple so they are thinking along the lines of some purple themed bonding squares, and also some purple hearts for them to leave with mums when they transfer their babies. You can see how comforting that would be. Very special at a time of incredible anxiety.

What are bonding squares? 

Bonding Squares are knitted in matching pairs. One square is placed with a premature baby and another is worn against the mum’s skin, then the squares are swapped round every 12 hours or every time mum visits. They help with the bonding of a premature baby in an incubator and the baby’s mum. Also can help with breastfeeding in time.

We know that with your love and support we can do this very easily! Please read the crafting info carefully

Part One – Bonding Squares Crafting Info

Please read carefully as only items meeting the criteria will go on to the team!

• This is only a job for knitters, so hookers, now is the time to learn if you can’t knit yet! We’d like garter knit or moss stitch only squares as the stitches are perfect, dense yet with the necessary movement to them, ie not too stiff.
• Squares to be 6 inches NO BIGGER please.
• We are using Stylecraft Special DK – Proper Purple (1855) only so it ties in with their colour theme, and we know it will be consistent in wash and use.
• No intarsia, lacy bits, holes, embroidery, loops, flaps, or appliqués.
• Squares must be able to lie flat independently. No curling
• When finished or changing colour, ends must be incredibly tightly tied off leaving a 6 inch tail, use a needle to sew this in please.
• No blocking please.
• Pairs must match, when you send please tie in pairs with a bit of wool.
• Thank you so much for helping!

Posting will be Teddington. Deadline is June 1st for our first collection, after which we will reassess what is needed and the time frame!

Part Two – Hearts’ Crafting Info

We would like to collect crochet, knitted or stitched 3D hearts (so not single sided) these to be no bigger than 20cm MAX and to have a hanging loop. They need to be 3D, so with some padding please. Other than this the style is very much up to you. If using yarn, please go for Stylecraft Special Proper Purple DK as the purple. If using fabric, please go as close as possible to a Cadbury purple, to be similar. 

Each pair of squares and each heart is another family helped. Let’s try to help as many as possible? Huge thanks lovely Woollies, as always you totally rock

G&G