This year, I’m taking part in #20in2020, a super little pledge with Octopus for a Preemie UK to help bring comfort to premature babies and their parents.

Here at Made By Mums we are great believers that ‘together that we are stronger’ and that ‘a little help is still help’.

We love to doing our bit for various charities, whether it is helping our makers with their fund raising efforts by dropping our commission to just cover costs, or me making a physical item for sale/ auction or donation.

Making A #20in2020 Pledge

This year I’ve taken the #20in2020 pledge for Octopus For A Preemie UK. This means that I’ve promised that over the year I will crochet 20 Octopi or their buddies and send them to my co-ordinator for evaluating to see if they are suitable to be given to premature babies whilst they are in hospital.

I’m quite confident, but nonetheless still a bit nervous, that my makes will be good enough to make the grade and be given to a precious baby to help comfort them. I’ve learnt the ‘yarn under’ technique so that there is less of a gap between my stitches, and I’ve been practicing using a smaller hook (2.5mm with dk yarn) whilst making a teddy bear for our youngest pickle. I have made octopi for both of our girls and they loved them. It seems to be something about the tentacles that they love to entwine around their fingers. Maybe it reminds them of the umbilical cord and brings them comfort with it’s familiarity?

However, all is not lost if they are not up to scratch. Other octopi and friends that aren’t suitable for such tiny babies will instead go to angel babies. The co-ordinator will let me know once I’ve sent them off to her.

Good to Go (Finally!)

I’d been following the Facebook page for a while but due to various colds, sniffles and bugs we’ve been in quarantine, so I hadn’t made any for any premature babies yet.

However, we all seem to be germ free at the moment (hooray!) so I went ahead and ordered some cotton yarn and stuffing that are on their tested and approved list. I will be keeping this yarn and stuffing separate from my other crafting supplies so it doesn’t get contaminated by stray bits of fluff/ thread, random dust and dirt, and cat fur.

It arrived the other day and when I double checked the list I saw that in my excitement of getting lots of colours and thinking that a rainbow selection would be awesome, that I had forgotten that red is not an approved colour because it can make spotting blood much more difficult for the doctors and nurses looking after the preemies. However, I am sure that I will find a good use for the red yarn, selling what I make to fund further yarn for octopus supply purchases. All I need to do now is remember who my co-ordinator is and get hooking! 🙂

If any of our crocheting parents or carers are interested in taking part in the #20in2020 pledge, you can find the details here https://www.facebook.com/groups/octopusforapreemie/ . You will find everything that you need within the group, approved yarns and stuffings and suppliers to buy them through, how to connect with your area co-ordinator, patterns, and lots of encouragement and inspiration.

Handmade with Love ❤️

If my makes can comfort a baby and their family through such a difficult time, or help comfort the families of angel babies, even a little bit, it will certainly be time well spent.

I will be making them with love in every stitch.

Jo x