Hoppy Easter

Oh Hat’s made a delivery today. I finally made it back to the NICU to deliver the rest of Owen Birthday hats –  preemie girls Alphabet. With Easter this weekend  it was a good time to deliver some “Easter Bonnets”  as well. Here are a few pictures of the love letter hats for the little sweet peas.

Creative Collaboration: G'ma Roxy, Margie and Me :)

     Of coarse I always give my favorite hat the letter “O” and even though it is not a very practical hat it should be great for a photo-op or two.

     Now the Easter Bonnets. Easter was Owen’ first holiday, he was finally  wearing clothes  (which was a big deal) so I just had to purchase (yes purchased, NICU parents are to busy to make-stuff) a knitted bunny hat to go with his new dudes so he could celebrate in style.  He received a lot of attention for it – though we still think it was because he was the cutest baby in the hospital (parental perogative) and not the hat. When G-ma Roxy (AKA my mom) made “The Bunny” hat last month I just had to have more for other babes celebrating their first Easter. G-Ma Roxy being the good little do-bee made two more Bunny-boo hats and one Lamby-love (though Gord say it’ a puppy????).  I also tried a new heart design for these ones by threading some really cute multi-colored organic yarn. What do you think?



I Heart This Yarn: LionBrand Natures Choice Organic



     Also included in the delivery where these cute  pastel  hats that some lovely ladies made. Thank you Cindy for sewing these sweet little polka-dot noggin covers, big love to Charlotte for crocheting the pretty pastels and hugs to Jessie for the the precious flower-power caps. 

     To date Oh Hats has delivered One Hundred Twenty-Three hats to warm the heads of some very special babes and the hearts of their parents. Each knitted and sewn, with love and prayer over them.  Prayers for health, strength and peace…that these families will be uplifted.

Birthday Delivery

       First, I would like to thank all  the wonderful people that have become and important part of  "Team Oh Hats”. For your support, prayers, stitches of love and contributions. Who are they - the TEAM to Owen: Dad, Grama Carpenter, Grama Douglas, Grama Letwinski, Aunt Amy, Aunt Leslie, Aunt Chelle, Great Aunts Thelma and Katherine and some of Mommy & Dad's great, new friends and extended family -  Aunty Carrie, Kim (James and Bri), Jessie, Cindy, Kathy, Charlotte, Donna, Marlene, Karen and Margie via Erin. Oh and his mommy too!

That is who we are to an amazing little angel-bean. That and many many more that pray for our family and this project thank you. Gee, I hope I didn't miss anyone? 



"OGC" Thanks Aunt Amy, Marlene & Jessie for these sweet hats! 

      Second, I’d like to apologize for not being a better blogger. I’ve written a little bit each day since last Tuesday; it’s been an emotional week and I realize I am way behind on updating.

     Owen received lots of great Birthday wishes via my LLB blog, FB, Carepages, E-mail, voice-mail, phone calls and cards. It has made us very happy that so many embraced this special day making it positive and joyous. In case you just stumbled here Owens Birthday was March 8th , and though he is not here with us to celebrate his first birthday we still wanted to honor his life – to celebrate the hope, love and joy he brought to our life, and so many others. Gordy and I ventured to Helen Devos Children Hospital to deliver Oh Hats and were meet by some very special ladies...Owens’ nurses!  We were lucky to get to visit with  three out of five of his primary’s, plus his Great Aunt Cookie! It felt good to be surrounded by those that spent so much time with Owen and us. It made the day a little more bearable. There where lot’s of tears but smiles too!

     My goal was to deliver 104 white hats hearted with an initial A - Z. Twenty Six in Newborn & Preemie sizes, a set each for little boy's and girl's.  I fell a little short on time hearting the hats. It turned out to be alot sewing for one peson, but I really wanted to heart each hat personally.  At first  I was really upset with myself than logic (and Gordy) set-in.  I’m still working on the last set of (26) hats; preemie size for little sweet pea girls. I hope to have them completed and delivered next week. Plus I have lots of extra's to heart that I will deliver through-out the year. We ended up delivering 78 hats for Owens birthday.

Next year when friends and family offer to lend a helping hand hearting I will gladly except! Yes, I have decided to make this an annual labor- of-love. I hope you will continue to follow my (our)  progress as we remember and celebrate Owen.

Much Love ~ Chole

Here are a few more pic's of delivered hats - Oh the cuteness



Thank You Jessie



Thank You Amy

Thank You Mom C.

Thank You Aunt Thelma & Kathy

Hey one by me!

Thanks Mom

Wait for it...............
     As the saying goes a picture paints a thousand words, but before I post pictures I have to tell you a funny story. So I was talking to my mother the other day and she said, " I'm sending you a package, though I wish I where there to see your expression" My response...OK maybe I'll show you all then tell....

 Oh the suspense I know...I mean I really knew

 Scream!!! I was, I really was....

 Oh my, do I ever love this sweet little bunny hat. It's just like Owens. OK it's all white and for a preemie, but still, I just adore it and can not wait for another family to ooddle over it like I did with O's! Here are the rest of my wonderful love-package I got from my mom for our project. Four sweet little micro-preemie hats; check out the baseball cap! I have yet to start  hearting preemie size hat's. I'm still trying to finish up the newborn ones.Time is a ticking.

Oh back to my response, Mom "I'm sending you a package, though I wish I where there to see your expression". Me, " Mom did you make a bunny hat!!!!!!" My mother was not impressed with my telepathic abilities - nope not one bit. So I ruined the surprise by guessing - but she caved by trying not to admit it. Mom I love you but you are a REALLY bad liar. Must be where I get it from. Not sure if you want me to share this note, but, well I think Owen is pretty amazing too.....

A Very Thankful Hat Count   

     Just popping in real quick for a update on my weekend donations and to send out some big THANK YOU'S. I promise to post more pic's later for I'm super busy hearting a heap of hat's right now. This past week I received a mix of 46, yes 46, newborn to 0-3 month size hats. We received lot's of love in stitches from the East-MI this weekend much thanks to the following wonderful ladies: Karen, Donna, Marlene,Thelma, Cindy, Charlotte, and Kathy. I also received 11 more preemie sized hats from my mom and Margie (Erin's mom) Go West-MI. I have hot streaming tears -  you know the ones that pour from your heart. This bring's our hat count to......

44 Newborn Size 

42 0-3 Month Size

44 Preemie Sizes

What ever will I do with the extras? I will heart  them (omitting the letter) and send them with our "Original Alphabet Goal". All sizes are welcome, my hope is that these little sweet pea and sugar bean's in the NICU will go home and grow into some of these bigger size hats. Owen was actually considred a "Big Boy" for the NICU weighing in at 5 lb 13 oz. and often he was too big for alot of the hats donated. So don't fret if you think a hat is too big - babies come in all sizes :) Besides, I reserve the right to fret so you don't need.

I pray these hat's will fill a need to the NICU families that recieve them; be it as simple as a smile or the warmth of knowing as challenging days are faced there have been others that have walked in their shoes and we are praying for them and their baby. It's a small token I know, and some may be reading this wondering why it was such a big deal - it's just a hat. Well for us it was a big deal, so thank you to the knitter that made our son's first beanie. It meant so much to us that you (who-ever you are)  took the time to fill a need. Our need to celebrate our son's life and to have him welcomed into this world - thank you for our hat your thoughtful and loving gesture has inspired me and many others.

I would also like to thank our friend Kim (J & lil' B too) from Grow with Me Gifts for posting our link on her FB page in spreading our cause. Oh Hats recieved 148 visits in a single night. Being a NICU parent can be scary and wearing , but you also meet some really teriffic people (some you already know) that walk a path that crooked lay. We thank you for reaching out to us during our NICU rollercoaster ride and your continued support - for filling a need.

OK I got to get to hearting....

Hearts and Rockets Love Ya to the Moon ~ Owens' Momma

Meet Olive & Michael

     As the days grow closer to March 8th I'm getting a little worried about reaching our goal. I worry about my lack-luster crocheting skills, so much so that I have yet to attempt knitting. I worry that the hat's I crochet will fit awkward or that I haven't placed the heart in the right place, or that the hearts will come un-stitched and fall off in the wash someday - or that the fabric or thread will bleed and render the hat like most of my own laundry PINK (or blue, purple). Hey, I'm creative not domestic. But most of all I worry that I won't have 104 hat's finished in time. Really, these are the things I worry about - a little ridiculous I know. Especially, with all the help received I have little to worry about. So I ignore these worries and continue forth finding gratitude in my grief for the many that continue to reach out to us through this project.

      I've spent the last few days trying to catch-up on "hearting" the hats I have on hand. Hand stitching each heart is the method I'm sticking to. It takes much much longer than using my sewing machine, but I'm happier with the outcome - and it gives me less time to worry about things that shouldn't be on my radar.

     With all my fretting I have somehow managed to design my own hat. Completely and totally by accident.  I have a tendency to pull my stitches too tight, so my hats are often not even.  My mother suggested I practice stitches by making pot-holders, straight even row after row after row - boring. I'm learning to relax, or attempting to in more ways than one. So here you have my latest and I think greatest Oh Hat creation, meet Olive and Michael or Othello and Magnus (<-- that one's for Gord), Opal and Micah the possibilities are endless. What do you think of them; it's hip-to-be square, right?

Prayer, Love, Service

Another parcel arrived via post last week. I was having one of those hum-drum type of days. A funk I am all too fimiliar with. On my drive home I prayed that I would find some relief in my latest labor of love; crochet a hat or two.

Arriving home it was the same routine: push the button, garage door open, enter huge SUV in little parking area. Park, adjust park again.  Run to the mail box (thankful for short drive) with out slipping brrrrrrr. Fast, ran back to the garage (Gordy tells me this doesn't count for cardio). Push the button (I have to hold the button ugh) shut garage door...still shutting. Boots off, turn-up heat, decide on dinner (or left-overs)  pull-up a chair open mail..................  then look what we got:

My evening was looking up. Five " perfectly preemie"  hats arrived from a very special lady. I have never met her, but,  I know she is special because I know her daughter. These hats were knitted by a the mother of one of Owens primary nurses, Erin. Much love and thanks to these two amazing women!

This helps to bring the hat count to: 13 Sweet Pea Girly Preemie

                                                        20 Bubby Boy Preemie

                                                        15 Little Lady Newborn + sizes

                                                        25 Dapper lil Dudes Newborn + sizes

With just over a month to go I think we will reach if not exceed our goal. I've decided all hats over my goal will also get hearts added, but I'll omit the letter. This way it can go to any baby in need of a stocking cap. Warm snuggly and made with lots of love and prayers - Oh Hats!

"Prayer in action is love, love in action is service."
— Mother Teresa

Lovely Threads

Take a look-see what I was gifted from my very best friend, Carrie. She is so generous and "caring" - it's in her name. Two rolls of yarn to make more hats with! I've been busy trying to reach my goal of 104 hats and I am very touched by those of you  that have chosen to walk alongside me during this journey. Be it through yarn, stitches, prayers or words of encouragement.

Here are a few hats I crochet with the donated yarn. Yes, they are very teeny. I think that's the question I get asked the most, "How do you know what size to knit/crochet?" Babies come in all sizes and the great thing about knitted hats is they have room to grow and stretch a bit. When I choose a pattern (usually  preemie or newborn pattern)  I always make three and will adjust my hook size for each one, that way I get a good range in size.  

First Heart Hat

     I finally started to add hearts to Owen's Heart Hats. In my craft room the alphabet starts with the letter "O". I am still trying to decide the best way to stitch the hearts on, any suggestions? I hand stiched the "O" then used my sewing machine to apply it to the hat. I'm not very satified with the edging, but I think once it's washed it will fray a bit and curl in;lending a unique hand-made look (fingers-crossed).

This hat was knitted by Owen's Aunt Amy - so adorable!



Practice Makes Perfect

After several failed attempts of making an "easy" crochet baby beanie my sister-in-law came to the rescue while she was up visiting for the holidays. I'm usually pretty patient when learning something new, but I'm a bit embarrassed to admit those stitches got the best of me. I was so frustrated that something that seemed so easy was coming by so difficult. Thank you Leslie for setting me on the right track, for your patient teachings, sharing of knowledge and laughter (Amy too). I crochet about 1 1/2 hats a night now; though they are often unraveled by the next day I'm getting there. I am finding the more I do the less pointy, crooked and laughable they become. I'm even trying some new patterns!