How knitted octopuses and socks help premature babies. Master class "octopuses for premature babies"
The history of the creation of the toy
In 2013 in Denmark, a woman gave birth to premature baby girl, which doctors were forced to nurse in special conditions in the hospital. The baby was placed in a couvez, where tubes and probes were connected to her, which the baby constantly pulled and even pulled out. Doctors had to constantly correct them, which brought discomfort to the child and once again injured him.
The girl's mother often visited her daughter and once brought her tied toy- a small colored octopus. The effect amazed everyone! To the surprise of the staff, the child became much calmer, his breath came into right rhythm, the baby no longer pulled the probes, his hands tightly squeezed the spiral tentacles of an octopus, which resemble an umbilical cord in their shape. The girl felt the security to which she was accustomed in the womb, and quickly recovered.
The practice of using such a toy has been widely introduced in other countries - Holland, Belgium, Sweden, Ukraine and even Russia.
There are entire volunteer centers through which anyone who wants to help can donate hand-made things to maternity hospitals: toys, hats, socks for newborns ahead of schedule kids. Watch a video about the history of the creation of a miracle octopus for premature babies:
Peculiarities
The therapy toy has a variety of useful properties:
* Octopuses are very practical. Newborns have a pronounced grasping reflex.
When a toy lies nearby in a jugs, little fingers are pulling and holding not vital tubes and wires, but toy tentacles, tactile sensations resembling an umbilical cord.
* The product calms the child, he relaxes faster and feels protected.
* Constant contact with the toy develops fine motor skills, which means that the child develops and recovers faster.
* The positive effect also applies to the mother of the baby, because after birth premature baby parents often feel guilty, feel anxious, restless and worried. A love-related toy distracts the mother from painful thoughts, she sees how the child grows and develops.
Important! A knitted octopus for a newborn should be absolutely simple, as safe as possible and without unnecessary decorations and details.
To knit a safe product for children, you need to consider a few important points:
Threads must be taken of high quality and 100% cotton. The size of the head should be 4.5-10 cm in circumference, and the tentacles should be 20 cm.
Knitting should be tight, and the filler in a special bag.
As a filler, it is better to use a hypoallergenic holofiber that can withstand a washing temperature of 60 degrees.
All details should be sewn firmly, do not use buttons, small parts.
How to knit with your own hands? What will be needed?
To make an octopus you will need:
Yarn for the main part, dark and white - for the eye.
Hook No. 2 or No. 2.5.
Cotton fabric from which the stuffing bag will be sewn.
Sequence of work and knitting pattern
For a clear reading of the diagram, you should understand the conditional abbreviations:
1- StBN - single crochet.
2 - 2 stbn in 1 - 2 single crochet knitted in one column of the previous row (increase).
3 - 2 stbn together - 2 single crochet knitted together (decrease).
Bottom part
Attention! Knitting must begin with a ring into which the first 6 stbn are made.
Knitting goes in a circle. Each row begins with two chain stitches that replace the first single crochet, and ends with the row closing in a ring with a connecting stitch.
Rows are marked with Roman numerals:
I - 6 Stbn.
II - 2 stbn in each column of the previous row = 12 stbn.
III -1 Stbn, 2 Stbn together 1 6 times = 18 Stbn.
IV -2 stbn, 2 stbn in 1 6 p. = 24 stbn. When the bottom part is ready, you need to fasten and cut off the end of the yarn.
Main part
I - 6 Stbn.
II - 2 stbn in each art. previous row = 12 stbn.
III -1 Stbn, 2 Stbn in 1 6 p. = 18 Stbn.
IV - 2 stbn, 2 stbn in 1 6 p. = 24 Stbn.
V - 3 stbn, 2 stbn in 1 6 p. = 30 Stbn.
VI - 4 StBN, 2 StBNv1 6 p. = 36 Stbn.
VII -5 StBN, 2 StBNv1 6 p. = 42 Stbn.
It can be noted that when the desired diameter is reached, it is necessary to knit several rows without increments.
VIII-XII - 42 Stbn
constriction
XIII - 5 StBN, 2 StBN together 6 p. = 36 Stbn.
XIV-XVI - 36 Stbn. XVII - 4 StBN, 2 StBN together 6 p. = 30 Stbn.
XVIII-XIX - 30 Stbn. XX - 3 stbn, 2 stbn together 6 p. = 24 Stbn.
XXI-XXII - 24 Stbn.
After completing the rows, the thread does not need to be cut, leave long end.
Now we are preparing everything for stuffing the body of the octopus. It is necessary to sew a small bag out of cotton fabric according to the shape of the finished part, then fill it with prepared holofiber or synthetic fluff and sew it up, then insert it into the knitted part.
Connecting parts.
To do this, they need to be combined and knitted around 1 row of StBN, while not forgetting to pick up the loops of both the first and second parts.
tentacles
We take the main part and attach the yarn prepared for the tentacles to it, we knit 50 air loops.
Then, in each loop, starting with the second, we knit 2 stbn.
If everything is done correctly, the knitting will turn out to be spiral.
The total number of resulting spirals should be eight. 
Eyes
The first row is knitted from black yarn:
one circular row- 6 single crochet.
The second row must be made from white yarn: two single crochets in each column of the previous row, you get 12 stbn.
At the end, we do not cut the thread, with the help of the long end we firmly sew the finished eye to the head with neat stitches.
To knit the second eye, repeat the same steps.
Watch a video with a master class on creating an octopus for premature babies:
(click to show/hide)
Conclusion
It is not difficult to make such a simple and sometimes saving miracle toy, and it will bring a lot of benefits.
To a premature baby she will bring peace and joy, and mom will be able to watch how quickly her little baby is recovering.
Epidemiologists say that such a product meets sanitary requirements, it can be washed and sterilized.
An octopus can be useful not only for premature babies, but also for all other babies, because with its help it develops fine motor skills, besides, every child will be happy with such a bright and cute gift.
Hello.
Just the other day I found out about a charity social project"The Miracle Octopussy for Preterm Babies." And I want to tell you about it.
The essence of the project is to help premature babies feel comfortable and recover faster.
The project was first launched in Denmark. In 2013, one mother knitted such an octopus for her baby, born before due date, put it next to it ... And the child, holding on to it, became calmer and began to put on weight. The doctors asked to tie another octopus and gave it to another baby: the effect was repeated.
Thanks to a knitted toy, children calm down and grab with their hands not the tubes of the apparatus that are necessary to maintain life processes, but the tentacles of an octopus, which remind them of an umbilical cord.
Doctors from other hospitals became interested in this topic. The project was supported by volunteers in Sweden, Holland, Belgium, and then in Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Belarus, Russia and other countries of the world.
In Nizhny Novgorod, too, a branch of the Club 28 loops has finally opened. This club brings together everyone who wants to help premature babies. They knit not only Miracle Octopuses, but also hats, socks, blankets, and donate them to the medical organizations of the Nizhny Novgorod Region FREE OF CHARGE.
How to tie Wonder Octopussy
There are a number of requirements for such "magic" toys that must be adhered to. I will write more about this below.
A few words about yarn. It must be 100% cotton. Recommend Alize Bella, 50gr/180m. (I found such yarn for 67 rubles a skein). And hooks No. 2-2.5. (I tried to knit with both: faster and more convenient - 2.5).
We start knitting in a circle:
In a sliding loop we knit 6 columns without a crochet (st.b / n),
then 1st row - 2 st.b / n in each loop (= 12p.)
2nd row - 2 st.b / n in 1 loop (this will be an increase), 1 st.b / n in the next loop, etc. (= 18 p.) Mark the beginning of the row with a thread.
3rd row - 2 st.b / n in 1 loop (increase), 2 st.b / n in the next 2 loops of the previous row (= 24 p.)
4th row - increase, 3 st.b / n (= 30 p.)
5th row - increase, 4 st.b / n (= 36 p.)
6th row - increase, 5 st.b / n (= 42 p.), etc.
The diameter of the circle should be 4.5 cm
When you reach right size, knit 5 rows without increments (7-11 rows).
And then we begin to decrease the loops. To do this, every 3 rows in the 4th we knit 6 times, 2 loops together.
12 row - decrease (2 sts together), 5 st.b / n (= 36 sts)
13-15 rows - 36 p.
16th row - decrease (2 sts together), 4 stb / n (= 30 sts)
17-19 rows - 30 p.
20 row - decrease (2 sts together), 3 stb / n (= 24 sts)
21-23 rows - 24 p.
We fix the loop, and, stepping back a little, we knit the “bottom” of our octopus.
We make an air loop and knit a circle up to 24 points, just like at the beginning of work.
We insert a bag into the carcass and fill it tightly with holofiber so that after washing the octopus does not “deflate”.
We sew up the opening of the bag and with the help of a hook we attach the “bottom” of the octopus to the body with single crochets.
Tentacles.
We knit a chain of air loops (no more than 20 cm). Crochet number 2.5 will get about 50 VP.
And then in each of the VPs we make 2 single crochets.
The eyes and mouth of our Octopus can be omitted, it has a different function.
The main thing is safety. In the finished toy, all parts must be firmly sewn on, buttons and decorations must not be used.
By the way, such a toy is also useful for full-term children. After all, the child takes it in his hands and gets sensations similar to the connection with his mother's umbilical cord, and even this is useful for the development of fine motor skills.
If you want to help children and their mothers, look for information in VKontakte groups:
https://m.vk.com/28petelmoscow Moscow
https://m.vk.com/28petel_saratov Saratov
https://m.vk.com/28petelkomi
https://vk.com/club_28_petel_perm Perm
https://m.vk.com/28petelnn Nizhny Novgorod
https://m.vk.com/club150746542 Voronezh
https://m.vk.com/28petel_kazan Kazan
https://m.vk.com/28petel_novosibirsk Novosibirsk
https://vk.com/club154863691 St. Petersburg
https://vk.com/28petel_krd Krasnodar
https://m.vk.com/28petelsakhalin Sakhalin
https://vk.com/28petel_kemerovo Kemerovo
https://vk.com/club69736733 Orenburg
https://vk.com/28petel_ptz Petrozavodsk
https://m.vk.com/public115966595 Shchuchinsk
https://m.vk.com/28petel Ukraine
https://m.vk.com/club83604532 Belarus
https://m.vk.com/club88709096 Kazakhstan
There are no trifles in helping crumbs born prematurely. Volunteers of the information social and charitable institution for helping children and families "Baby Story" know this for sure. Caring Belarusians knit little octopuses and give them to maternity hospitals especially for babies born prematurely. For what?
Healthy people asked the coordinator of the Miracle Octopuses for Premature Babies project Darina Shukevich about this.
We knit octopuses according to a certain pattern. So that their tentacles look like an umbilical cord for a baby, - said Darina. - When a child takes them in his hands, his body begins to recover by leaps and bounds: blood flow improves, heartbeat improves.
The project was first launched in Denmark. Four years ago, for the first time, a mother knitted such an octopus for her child, brought it for him. And suddenly the baby began to recover. The doctors were surprised and asked to knit another toy. The effect was repeated a second and a third time. Since then, the project has become popular in the world. Octopuses are knitted in Russia, and in Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and in many countries of the world.
We knit our wonderful octopuses from 100% cotton. Inside there is a nylon sock, in which holofiber. Each octopus comes to us, we definitely check it for compliance with all parameters and requirements: so that threads, filler, etc. do not stick out anywhere. We approach the check very responsibly, because our gifts are intended for tiny people. Each octopus is unique. His baby receives in the hospital and takes home with him.
- Does your project work only for maternity hospitals in Minsk or throughout the republic?
So far we are knitting for Minsk and Brest, but we plan to cover the whole country with the project. Together with the republican congress "Mama Pro" we plan to visit all regional cities and present our works there. On this moment connected about 700 octopuses. Their first transmission took place in May 2016. Then 280 of our wonderful toys went to the Minsk Regional Maternity Hospital.
- Who knits these wonderful toys?
Anyone with minimal knitting skills. We are always ready to talk about how to knit octopuses correctly. 
Contact us with these questions both by phone and in writing. We regularly hold workshops. Depending on the speed of knitting, making one octopus takes 2-3 hours.
Interesting. Every tenth baby worldwide is born prematurely.
Socks for Life
It would seem, how can ordinary socks help a tiny man? It turns out they can!
Alena Kovalenko, coordinator of the Socks for Life project: “The socks are knitted from wool. For us, it is unstoppable. And for thin skin baby yes. Tingling does not allow the baby to fall into a deep coma sleep, they remind you that you need to breathe, eat and live. Friction of wool fibers on the skin of a child - natural massage reflex zones. It has a warming, tonic and tonic effect. Socks retain heat that escapes through the legs. Very often you can see a premature baby in an incubator in a diaper and socks. The project is German, we will implement it in Belarus for half a year.”
Heart to Heart
A premature pregnancy is always a blow for new mothers. Nobody expects that beautiful pregnancy lead to premature birth. Women are depressed, in complete anxiety and, as it seems to them, loneliness.
Another Baby Story initiative took place at the First Republican Congress "Mom Pro". Each participant could sew a heart with their own hands. All these hearts will travel with the congress to the cities of Belarus. They will be given to mothers who are in maternity hospitals with their premature babies. The organizers hope that such a sign of attention will support women morally and show them: you are not alone, they care about you, they think about you.
How it all began?
If you have ever been to maternity hospitals in Minsk, you have probably seen beautiful large photographs of newborns that decorate the corridors. It all started with the fact that about 8 years ago such pictures were used to decorate the floor in the City Clinical Maternity Hospital No. 2 in Minsk.
Natalia Mironchuk, Head of the Information Social and Charitable Institution for Helping Children and Families "Baby Story":
“Suddenly, mothers who were kept in maternity hospital No. 2 began to write to us. They thanked for the photo and noted that it became a support for them. Letters began to come from those who are not able to get pregnant and from those who have already become a mother. Then requests for such registration began to come from other maternity hospitals in Minsk.
The idea of organizing a charitable institution that will deal specifically with premature babies was born on a photo shoot in Vilnius, where we photographed a baby weighing 1.5 kg. Seeing how we were imbued with the will to live such little man, Vilnius friends from the fund for helping premature babies advised us to organize one of these.
We did this pretty quickly. And we are very glad that we enlisted the support of the committees of the Minsk City Executive Committee - on labor, employment and social protection, and healthcare. Now our task is to engage in prevention, inform people with the help of professionals in order to premature birth was less."
Needlewomen! There is an opportunity to help premature babies within the framework of the campaign "OCTOPS FOR CHILDREN BORN EARLY".
In this video, I show and tell how to tie such a miracle. The video is suitable even for those who will crochet for the first time.
More information about the promotion can be found in the VK group https://vk.com/octopus_spb
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SCHEME OF KNITTING OCTOPUS
Symbols: RLS - single crochet
BODY-HEAD
1st row: 6 sc in slip stitch (amigurumi ring)
2nd row: 2 sc in each next column = 12
3rd row: (1 sc, 2 sc in the next column) x 6 = 18
4th row: (2 sc, 2 sc in the next column) x 6 = 24
Row 5: (3 sc, 2 sc in next st) x 6 = 30
6th row: (4 sc, 2 sc in the next column) x 6 = 36
7-10 rows: 1 sc in each column of the previous row = 36
11th row: (16 sc in each column of the previous row, knit 2 loops together) x 2 = 34
12th row: (15 sc in each column of the previous row, knit 2 loops together) x 2 = 32
13th row: 1 sc in each column of the previous row = 32
14th row: (14 sc in each column of the previous row, knit 2 loops together) x 2 = 30
15th row: (13 sc in each column of the previous row, knit 2 loops together) x 2 = 28
16th row: 1sc in each column of the previous row = 28
17th row: (12 sc in each column of the previous row, knit 2 loops together) x 2 = 26
18th row: 1 sc in each column of the previous row = 26
19th row: (11 sc in each column of the previous row, knit 2 loops together) x 2 = 24
20th row: 1 sc in each column of the previous row = 24
21st row: (10 sc in each column of the previous row, knit 2 loops together) x 2 = 22
22nd row: 1 sc in each column of the previous row = 22
23rd row: (9 sc in each column of the previous row, knit 2 loops together) x 2 = 20
24th row: 1 sc in each column of the previous row = 20
Now you need to sew a stuffing bag, the composition of the knitwear should be 100% cotton.
Can be used new t-shirt or a baby diaper made of knitted cotton.
We outline the head of the octopus on the jersey folded in two layers and cut it out along the contour, sew the bag, put it into the body of the octopus. Stuff with holofiber and sew.
LOWER PART (BOTTOM)
Row 1: Cast on 5 single crochet stitches. We pull the loop.
2nd row: 2 sc in each next column = 10
3rd row: (1 sc, 2 sc in the next column) x 5 = 15
4th row: (2 sc, 2 sc in the next column) x 5 = 20
We knit a connecting column. Cut the thread, pull it through the remaining loop on the hook and tighten.
tentacles
Simultaneously with knitting the tentacles, we connect the upper and lower part octopus.
We knit 1 sc (through the loop of the body and the loop of the lower part together), we collect a chain of 50 air loops. Starting from the second loop from the end of the chain, we knit 2-3 sc in each of the loops, the chain will begin to twist.
To distribute evenly 8 tentacles for 20 loops of the bottom, every other time we knit 1СБН between the tentacles (continuing to connect the parts of the octopus). Once we knit a tentacle and immediately after it the second. And after the second we knit just 1SBN. Thus, 3 loops are spent on the second tentacle. And so we continue to the end.
If in ready-made Since the tentacle is more than 20 cm long in the extended state, it is necessary to cast on fewer loops in the chain.
Cut the thread, pull it through the remaining loop on the hook and tighten. With the help of a needle we hide the end of the thread in the body of the octopus, inserting the needle near the beginning of the thread and pulling it out in any other place.
How to connect EYES
Octopus eyes can be knitted different ways. On the Internet, you can find many options, also come up with something of your own))
I knit like this:
1 row: 6СБН in the amigurumi ring (sliding loop) in black
2 row: 2 sc in each next column (total 12) with threads to match the color of the eyes (iris)
3 row: (1 sc, 2 sc in the next column) x 6 (total 18) in white.
We knit a connecting column. We cut the thread (leaving a long end for sewing), stretch it into the loop remaining on the hook and tighten.
I knit eyes with threads "Iris" crochet No. 1.0. You can try others.
OUR OCTOPUS READY!!!
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Here you can see how to knit everything necessary elements in details:
🌺 Lesson #1. Air loop. Chain of air loops. https://youtu.be/L9kyA1Z697k
🌺 Lesson number 2. Single crochet. Knitting for the front and back wall loops. https://youtu.be/yU3HjW_pLm0
🌺 Lesson number 3. A column with 1 and 2 crochets. Connecting post(half column). https://youtu.be/ouVUJz_YjgM
🌺 Lesson number 4. magic ring amigurumi (sliding). https://youtu.be/gEROIpYzQdo
🌺 Lesson number 5. Additions and allowances. https://youtu.be/RR-4DzQHWVA
Post your octopuses in the album https://vk.com/album-150949639_246466690
DOMODEDOVO, April 12, 2017, DOMODEDOVSKIE VESTI - "Moscow region - the territory of goodness" - this is the name of the indefinite action announced in April 2017 by the Ministry social development Moscow region. Action of Domodedovo volunteers - to create and collect bright and colorful knitted toys in the form of octopuses. Toys will help premature babies go through rehabilitation faster without severe consequences for good health
Calm to the touch
For the first time, these miracle toys were successfully used for the rehabilitation of babies in Denmark in 2013. The project became popular in Holland, Sweden, Belgium. In Russia, people are just beginning to learn about such therapy and about how connected in a certain way toys are needed for prematurely born babies. Octopuses provide considerable assistance in the rehabilitation and nursing period of the child.
Doctors explain them therapeutic effect the similarity of the shape of the tentacles of the octopus with the mother's umbilical cord. The child, holding the tentacle in his hand, feels the security that he felt in the womb. The use of octopuses helps to solve the common problem of prematurely born babies - the babies themselves pull out the tube through which they are fed. Doctors are forced to put the probe over and over again, this worries and injures children. But if the baby holds on to the tentacle of the octopus, then he shows noticeably less interest in the probe and pulls it less often.
Octopussy for Kirochka
The story of her pregnancy and nursing a daughter who was born prematurely was shared by one of the patients of the department of the maternity hospital in the city of Vidnoe, Elena Mikhailik.
My pregnancy was very difficult. A month in the hospital, a week or two at home, and then back to the hospital room. At 28-29 weeks, my blood pressure rose - an ambulance arrived, I spent the night in intensive care under droppers. The pressure could not be brought down and the doctors decided to save me. Wheelchair. Corridor. Operating room. Anesthesia. And here is the cry. I was able to see my beloved daughter Kirochka, she weighed one kilogram 100 grams. From the very beginning, Kirushka was very mobile and therefore often pulled out the probe.
In one of our sick days lifting the diaper, I noticed a toy in the couveuse. It was an octopus. His tentacle was in his daughter's hand. When this little friend appeared next to her, it became much easier for her. She did not pull out the probe, she became calm and peaceful. Octopussy morally and helped me a lot ... Now Kira is already a year old. What we have experienced, and what we still have to experience, only God knows. But she is a fighter, she can do anything. And we will never forget our first octopus.
Help the hurry-ups
What is Early Childhood Care? This feeding is strictly according to the regimen in small portions. Breathing problems, often the baby cannot suckle. Every gram of weight gain is a big win. These children are constantly fighting for their lives, and their parents hope and believe in a better outcome.
Doctors use the most advanced technologies for the rehabilitation of premature babies along with other types of therapy. Milana Aleksandrovna Basargina, Head of the Department of Resuscitation and Intensive Care for Newborns at Vidnovsky, told about them to volunteers on the Way of Kindness perinatal center. For example, doctors use the "kangaroo" method: the mother presses the child to herself so that the baby's skin feels the mother's skin.
In addition, muffled light, aromatic oils and music are used to improve the well-being of children and mothers. Also, psychologists work with mothers - it is very important to bring young women out of a depressed state. In addition to this help, our movement offered knitted toys, clothes and blankets for babies. self made to which the mothers happily agreed.
The organizer of the action Natalia Sidorenko tells.
December 2016 volunteer movement"The Way of Kindness" together with the knitting club "Vecherki" launched the "Octopussy for premature babies" campaign, and in April 2017 the second stage of this campaign started. Octopuses help babies in the rehabilitation and nursing period. We also collect knitted hats, socks and blankets for premature babies. Approximate dimensions for hats: head circumference from 16 to 32 centimeters, height 7-12 centimeters. The legs must be insulated with socks or booties: the length of the foot is 5-8 centimeters.
Give an octopus
According to the Vidnovsky Perinatal Center, in 2016, 816 children passed through the neonatal pathology department, and last month- about 70. These children weigh 1.5-2.5 kilograms, it is difficult for them to find clothes right size. That is why we decided to knit not only octopuses, but also various things that would suit such babies.
Review of the participant of the action Elvira Kolykhanova.
I have two sons. The youngest will soon be two years old. When Natalia Sidorenko posted an ad about octopuses for premature babies in Mamachat and explained how important it was for them, I immediately decided that this should be done. At the meeting of the club "Vecherki" under the guidance of Galina Melnikova, we learned to crochet. Galina is a very positive, cheerful and energetic woman. Spending time in the company with her, I received not only knowledge, but also great pleasure from communication.
Review of the participant of the action Anna Terentyeva.
I know perfectly well what a premature baby is, I know how hard it is for such crumbs to adapt and warm up at first, especially if the baby for some reason was left without a mother. That's why I was attracted to this action. I am a mother myself. Unfortunately, octopuses do not work for me, but I hope that the clothes I knitted will also come in handy.
How to participate in the promotion
1. Knit octopuses, socks and hats;
2. Transfer the yarn and filler if you do not know how to knit. Needed for octopuses the following materials: cotton yarn, holofiber filler. For children's things, you need special children's yarn or merino wool. The main thing is that the yarn is not shaggy and the children cannot inhale its particles. Yarn should not be dyed. All information on knitting, patterns, sizes and requirements is in the "Discussions" section in
