UPDATE..

I would like to thank you for the beautiful blankets that you have provided us with, our patients are thrilled with the blankets, they give the ward a very homely feel which offers a lot of comfort to our patients.

I hope I’m not being cheeking but I also wanted to ask if you ever make any dementia fidget toys e.g dolls and muffs with buttons.  We always have dementia patients on the ward who struggle with everyday activities and we find these really help as they like to fidget to keep their hands busy.

Thank you so much again.

We have also created this Pinterest board for ideas for other Peony pals ideas. The most important thing is that we send safe items for these folk. The soft book made from six inch squares could be an easy project, the tangy style blankets are great and easy for sewing folk. Have a think. THANK YOU!!

And the blanket side, this project is ongoing! Thank you!

Absolutely delighted to be launching The Peony project, which aims to support wonderful older folk on the Elderly Care ward at the RVI in Newcastle. We were delighted to receive a request arrived from them, have included part of the email…

We receive your lovely blankets for children and babies on our ward which are very much appreciated.  (These are our Little Hugs/Chrsitmas Cwtches for Newcastle)

I just wanted to let you know that we had a call a while ago about a dementia patient in Adult PICU. He needed to be distracted and loved woollen things to keep him calm.  We did take one of your larger blankets up to help and it was very much appreciated. It felt to me that the blankets were being made for the beginning of someones life as a baby and at the end for someone with this terrible desease…

It was just a thought, we do have a specific Elderly Care ward here which is ward 31 if you would be interested in helping them in any way.

Why the peony?

Generally peonies are symbolic of love, honour, and compassion amongst other things. Peonies are traditionally given on special occasions as an expression of goodwill, best wishes, and joy. Seems a perfect fit we think.

We are looking for single bed sized blankets so our usual size of 48 inches by 60 inches.

Colours and styles to use..

A lot of research has gone into dementia and Alzheimers with relation to colour. And we are indebted to Jo Schumacher for the time she gave to this, and it has informed our colour palette.

KNIT AND CROCHET EQUALLY WELCOME!

• Use bright and bold. Red, blue, pink green, purple and orange. Green is one of the last colours patients can recognise, so lots of green! But do use contrasting colours.
• We are avoiding yellow as it can raise the metabolism, potentially causing aggression.
• Dark colours can give the impression of holes and could be distressing, so avoid anything too dark, definitely no black.
• Avoid bold patterns and stripes as they can be confusing and disorientating.

If making a whole blanket, and this would be our first choice where possible, please use any soft, machine washable yarn in these kind of colours.

Simple squares are perfect, a garter knit or granny square in a single colour are absolutely gorgeous.

If a whole blanket is too much, please 12 inch squares (or 6 inch if 12 isn’t possible) in Stylecraft Special DK for consistency.

• Cloud blue
• Duck egg
• Pistachio
• Meadow
• Cypress
• Cornish blue
• Denim
• Storm blue
• Lavender
• Proper purple
• Plum
• fondant
• Magenta
• spice
• shrimp
• pomegranate
• Lipstick

This is now an ongoing project, please make and send as ready. Truly gratefukl thank you!

Post to Teddington please.

Please do not post until we are back after our Summer break next year! Last posting please November 22nd

New scarf pattern has been introduced for 2023, see below

This is a wonderful project we have worked on for the last couple of years.

Care Leavers Christmas Dinners were originally set up by the poet Lemn Sissay to help communities provide a Christmas Day for young care leavers (of foster and care homes) aged 18-25, who often spend the day alone.  It aims to be a magical day to be cherished and remembered by those who attend, with care leavers being able to gather together for food, pressies, company and fun on the 25th.. Please see the link which gives more detail regarding The Dinner: http://thechristmasdinners.org.uk/

One of their organisers, Katie coordinates knitters to gift hand knitted hats and scarves to include with the presents given to the care leavers. The Care Leavers project collected around 200 hand knitted and donated hat and scarf sets last year to gift to care leavers in Leeds and Bradford and two Christmas Dinner groups in London.

The aim this year is to gift hat and scarf sets to as many Christmas Dinner groups across the UK as possible.

Here is where we come in….

If you would like to be involved with the project and knit a hat and scarf gift set for the care leavers attending the 2023 Christmas Dinners in the UK, READ ON YOU LOVELY PERSON!

The crafting info is specific and precise, so if you are keen, make sure you are meeting their criteria!

We will need folk to commit to a hand AND scarf set

Crafting Info

• The chosen patterns (Wheat Scarf and Barley Hat) can be downloaded for free from the Tin Can Knits website (see link below). If any knitters prefer to knit flat rather than in the round the alternative hat pattern we ask them to use is the Basic Family Knit Hat pattern which can be downloaded for free from the Yarnspirations website (see link below).
• We ask that the hat is made WITHOUT the pompom.
• We ask that the yarn used is machine washable, aran weight  in solid, gender and cheery neutral colours. Thinking about this we’d suggest reds, oranges, blues, greens, plums, purples, greys, black?
• Adult size please.
• Add a Christmas label sending Christmas wishes and letting the recipient know how best to care for their gift.

Unfortunately hookers will have to sit this one out as there is no given crochet alternative. Or maybe this is the time to learn to knit??

http://tincanknits.com/thesimplecollection.html – the wheat hat and scarf are here

https://www.yarnspirations.com/en-row/products/caron-basic-family-knit-hat?_pos=3&_psq=caron%20basic&_ss=e&_v=1.0

The NEW SCARF! https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/boyfriend-scarf-8

They would also greatly accept any knits for children and babies, as young care leavers attending the dinner sometimes have children of their own. The two hat patterns include sizes for babies and children, but any pattern can be used be it hats, garments, booties, etc. Any colour of yarn can be used for children and babies knits.

Please remember you are making a wonderfful Christmas gift so do take time to write a gift tag, wish them a Merry Christmas, and tie up the set together. No need to wrap, the young people get to choose a colour they would like.

Posting will be Teddington. 

Thank you SO MUCH!!