Keeping the Ladies Busy

Can you even imagine being confined to the hospital at this time of year? That's the case for the Antepartum ladies in the ward where I teach knitting each week. Being there is a good thing for them because skilled care means the difference often of a healthy baby or one who has to spend fewer days in Intensive Care (NICU), but, oh, the hours and days pass slowly. With this in mind, I often search the Internet for interesting, and relatively easy, knitting projects. I found a wonderful source of all sorts of free craft patterns here. Among them I chose these:
Holiday Projects
Interestingly enough, the ladies seemed to prefer this pattern by Danish knitter Vivian Hoxbro. Her website includes many beautiful and free patterns. This bear has an interesting history and is a fun puzzle to put together as it's knit in ONE piece except for the arms. I felt rather like a surgeon when I sewed the final seam! Try one, they are fun to do.
Teddy

Who'd Have Thought?

One Too Many Squares
Here are all the pieces, plus one extra as I discovered, of another toy made of knitted squares. The book Knit a Square & Make a Toy includes directions for 24 different projects that are pretty doable for new knitters. (I've been teaching knitting once a week at the UW hospital to women in the antepartum unit, some of whom have been there for weeks. Just yesterday, for a change, I helped a young lady learn to cross stitch, and she was so happy to have something to help pass the days.)
Loppy Lamb
After a bit of sewing, a little embroidery, and with the help of a couple of bows, I finished Loppy the Lamb, so-named because her ears are a bit lopsided. And once again I learned that I can't count: this time I came up with an extra leg-square. Oh well, she's done, and that should be enough samples at least for a while!