The box I received contained the following bits and bobs;
a pattern for a stuffed toy hedgehog, 4 pieces of fabric, 2 squares of felt, two spools of thread, 4 buttons, a soluble marking pen, and a length of mini pompom trim. This last is ultra cute; I've not come across this before and it is cute!
The deal sounds pretty flexible; if you don't need a box that month you can easily opt out of the subscription as long as you get in touch with Two Blue Birdies before the date of postage. And conversely, if you don't have or don't want a subscription but really like the look of the stash box that month, you can buy just a box at a time, supplies permitting and with no need to lock yourself into a subscription.
So I hunted about for a local charity and almost immediately found Tiny Sparks WA.
Tiny Sparks is devoted to helping women experiencing a high-risk pregnancy and babies born sick or premature. Obviously donations are welcome, and one way to get involved is to be a part of the knitting and sewing community that work to provide a gift of special clothes for the babies for when they leave hospital and go to their own homes. You can read more about the charity and how to get involved on their website here, and the site is regularly updated to notify items that are particularly low in stock, and currently required. Importantly, the site also has the free patterns for the particular clothing and beanies that fit the babies and their requirements. These four little outfits here are all for size up to 1.6kg. I know, so tiny!!!!! This isn't even the smallest size!
I bought baby yarn from Spotlight to knit the matching beanies. The Tiny Sparks website outlines quite specific requirements regarding fabrics; all fabrics must be new, soft, lightweight cotton; and beanies are to be knitted from new, machine-washable yarn preferably the acrylic/wool mix OR 100% acrylic, that is specifically designed for babies' knitwear. I bought a ball each in white and red, so as to make each one different. The white has a chevron design and the red one is moss stitch. The two-colour ones are plain stocking stitch, one with a Where's Wally like stripe and the other with a few rows of simple fair isle, of alternating one red stitch, one white stitch.
So there you have it: four teeny tiny little baby outfits! I've already sent them off... and although I will probably never know, I certainly hope that a parent likes a set enough to choose it for their baby; absolutely nothing would make me happier than for that to happen!
Thank you so much to Two Blue Birdies, for giving me the impetus to get on and do something for a very worthwhile cause :)
Obviously, if you don't want to enter the draw for the pattern but still would like to comment, then by all means, do so. Like everyone, I love comments!
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