Instructions for Knitted Teddy Bear Vest.

 I buy teddy bears from Op Shops and give them a good soak in Napisan and a little wool wash. Then rinse and spin them in the washing machine. If they have ribbon etc tied around the neck then I remove that as it can be a choking risk for little ones.

I knit a sleeveless vest using 8 ply and size 9 needles. For most bears I cast on about 30 stitches but it depends on the size of the bear. Also I sometimes use less stitches for the back and add more to the front if the bear is a bit tubby in front. I knit a knit 2 purl 2 rib and purl every 4th row. That gives it a look of a twisted cable and also makes it easy to keep count of how many rows you need to knit for the second matching piece. I measure against the bear as I go. Mostly I knit 12 rows or 16 rows, then decrease both ends of the rows for 3 rows, then continue until it's long enough to reach the top of the arms. Then change to number 8 needles and knit same pattern for another 10 rows before casting off loosely. That makes it loose enough to fit over the bear's head and also enough stretch to turn down the rolled collar.

Sew up under the arm and then sew with flat seam from neck edge down to fit the top of the arms. The 1st row is on the wrong side so the purl row is on the outside.

If knitting for a larger bear then I knit on size 8 needles and size 7 for the neck.

I hope you can follow these instructions. I think it makes the bears look a little more special and they will be lovely gifts for kids in foster care who are usually removed with no belongings. I'm also going to see if they would like some for the Child Abuse Investigation Team at Knox.

I don't buy bears which are too big as the kids won't have much room for toys and I can usually buy them for 50 cents to $3 or $4. I'm also buying dolls in good condition and plan to make clothes for them to be given as Christmas gifts for kids in care too.

Please ask if you have any questions. Xx

I also finished off another donated quilt from Cranbourne U3A. It had been quilted and just needed binding.

Here we go again with another lockdown in Victoria and people are panic buying toilet paper again. I, on the other hand, have made a quick visit to local Op Shops to stock up on rescue teddy bears. I found 18, mostly bears, but also a dog, mouse and rabbit. These will keep me busy when I'm not finishing off quilts so the time will pass quickly. I'm very grateful that I was able to ship off so many boxes beforehand and this will give me a chance to catch up on sorting donations.

If you have any to send please hold onto them for a bit longer while I get the recent arrivals organised.

Please stay safe everyone and keep working your way through your stash to help pass the time. We'll be in need of more quilts, QAYG blocks, Santa Sacks, drawstring bags etc when we can start distribution again. Xx

I have more information about what the organizations are needing and the details for the drawstring bags. Anything you care to donate will help to make life a little easier for children and families in need.

Kids fleeing domestic violence, setting up housing for families fleeing domestic violence, Homelessness, Pallative care & disadvantaged elderly in the aged care settings.

Drawstring/Toiletry Bags that we can use -

Male/ Female/Girls/Boys all ages including babies & toddlers

Size 40 x 50 cm

Size 50cm x 110cm - the length is doubled but joined is also fine if the edges are either french seamed or overlocked

Drawstring can be Single.

Tape, Ribbon anything that looks nice.

Quilts -

Sizes - Cot, SB kids young to older kids to Adults, DB Adults/Older kids

Playmat size

Knitted or crocheted knee rugs, Males & Females

Throw rugs - knitted, crocheted or quilted for males & female

Any knitted/sewn small/crocheted soft toys for kids/babies.

For the knitters/crocheters, any hats, scarves, bed socks, kids/babies jumpers or cardigans etc are all welcome as well as knitted or crocheted squares.

I think I've caught up now and hope not to get so far behind again. Today was busy making fleece blankets, pin basting 4 quilts, quilting one and a half quilts and sorting fabric for backings. I hope to have some more finishes to share very soon.

Many thanks everyone for all of your generous donations and support which is really needed to help those badly affected by the economic effects of the pandemic.

Stay safe. Hugs, Jan Mac