Crochet for Change

A student-led NGO crocheting for people in need, based in Shrewsbury International School Bangkok!Our Instagram!

Crochet Pattern: Safety Mittens!

Speed-tutorial video!

pattern credits: Tanyada Boonpojjanasoontorn (Tun)

Materials for 1 mitten:
Saline bag
Wool (preferably 4ply and any of similar diameter)
4mm Crochet Hook
Ribbon/rope
Darning needle
ScissorsCrochet Notation Key:
ch- chain
hdc- half double crochet
dc- double crochet
slst- slip stitchPatterns are written in rows.The number in brackets shows how many stitches (looks like a “<” from above) you should have by the end of each row!Pattern:
Make a slipknot and attach to saline bag.R1: ch, 2hdc, (ch, 3hdc)x11, slst to join (48)
R2: ch, turn, 2hdc, skip 1, (3hdc, skip 1)x1, slst to join (36)
R3: ch3, turn, skip 1, (dc, ch, skip 1)x17, slst to join (36)
R4-R5: repeat R3 (36)
R6: ch, turn, hdc all, slst to join (36)
Fasten off and sew ends in.Insert Ribbon in R4, tie to wrist size. Make another mitten to complete the pair!

Article: What are Safety Mittens?

writer: Papitchaya Poksawad (Ella)
editor: Jellanai Tongpaitoon (Jelly)

Safety mittens!Safety mittens - our first official project as a new club. This article will go over all you need to know about this up and coming project, from what exactly safety mittens are, to the pros and cons of them.What are safety mittens?Safety mittens are soft mittens that cover the hands to make sure patients do not pull out any lines or tubes that are used to give medication, fluids or nutrition. The mittens are comfortable to wear but are only used if patients are constantly pulling these tubes out.How long are they worn?As long as necessary. Since they have sufficient air holes and are not tight around the wrist, there is no problem for them to stay on for prolonged periods of time. However, they can also be easily taken off to clean the hands and do necessary things that require using hands, such as eating.Why is using safety mittens beneficial?Patients, especially the elderly or those with special needs, often remove these tubes because they are confused and distressed as to why they need the tubes for their treatment. Safety mittens ensure that the patients won’t keep pulling out the tubes and won’t need to keep having the tubes replaced when they are taken out, which could cause unnecessary irritation or even pain. Furthermore, safety mittens are a cheap option to overcome this problem and our safety mittens are made with recycled saline, which are thoroughly sanitized, therefore they also reduce waste as well. An alternative to this are patients being strapped down to the bed entirely.References

Meet the Leaders!

An introduction to the leaders of Crochet for Change! We look forward to continue working with our members and making a change! 🧶🫶🏼

Tanyada (Tun) Boonpojjanasoontorn
Head of GeneralForm: 12CW
Favourite crochet project: dresses and sweaters
Area of interest: Biochemistry/Pharmacology

Jellanai (Jelly) Tongpaitoon
Head of ContentForm: 12NC
Favourite crochet project: arm warmers
Area of interest: Film/Media

Anabel Marshall
Head of EventsForm: 12CW
Favourite crochet project: granny square bags
Area of interest: Law

Article: Recap of 2022/23 + Donation Trip 2023

writer: Jellanai Tongpaitoon (Jelly)
editor: Papitchaya Poksawad (Ella)
graphics: Pran Liwlom, Nashatan Tangpiroonthum (Katie)

On Friday 25th of August 2023, we: Anabel (Y12), Jelly (Y12), and Tun (Y12), made a trip to Thammasat University Hospital to deliver our charity’s very first project - recycled crochet safety mittens - as well as 10,000 baht that we have raised through our fundraisers. Everything we had been doing the past year for Crochet for Change had led up to that moment.Our after school sessionsOver the past year, we have been settling down in Mr Smith’s English classroom every Wednesday after school to teach our members from all throughout senior school basic crochet skills that were needed to make a safety mitten. The material of these safety mittens are recycled saline bags given to us directly from the hospital. We crocheted the sleeves and later threaded ribbon around to ensure that the mittens could be secured firmly on the patients. Prior to our after school sessions, most of our members had little to no experience crocheting, so it was an opportunity both for them to learn a new skill and for us to teach and interact with students from different year groups in an effort to give back to the community. Apart from learning a new skill and working on the project, a lot of people have also found our after school sessions a nice time to relax and connect with friends after a long day at school.FundraisersDuring our Halloween and Christmas fundraisers, we asked our advanced crocheters to help us in producing small unique crochet items to sell at our stalls.For our Halloween and very first fundraiser, we sped-crocheted 30 pumpkin keychains which to our surprise, sold out in a mere two minutes! That incident let us gain a better grasp of the size of our demands so we could plan more wisely for our next fundraising event.As December approached, we briefly put aside our mittens project to focus on crocheting prizes for our Christmas Snow Toss challenge. Held in the span of three days, this event allowed students to try their luck at throwing crocheted snowballs into buckets of different sizes - the smaller the bucket, the better the prize. Our prizes ranged from cute crochet plushies, to crocheted bookmarks, coasters and scrunchies which were all made by our wonderful members. The majority of the money we raised was later donated to Thammasat University Hospital during our visit and the rest was used to fund the equipment for our sessions.The DonationWhen we arrived at the hospital, we were taken to the Kittiwattana building where we met Nurse Pum and Professor Paskorn Sritipsukho. There, we presented our mittens to them and Anabel gave them a brief overview of what our charity was and what our aims were. After posing for a few photos, we made our way across the hospital to their charity centre, where we donated 10,000 baht that we raised through our various fundraisers.After signing documents and making the donation official, we were asked if we would like to see safety mittens used in a real life scenario. We were guided back to the Kittiwattana building where we met a bedridden patient who used safety mittens to help their treatment. The nurse explained to us that these work best on weaker patients who might have the tendency to pull on their IV drips and/or any tubes that are giving nutrients or medication to patients.ConclusionOn the behalf of the leaders, we would admit that when we first brainstormed the idea of a crochet related charity, we would have never expected so many students to be interested in involving themselves in our club. On top of meeting new friends and making new memories, this was a great opportunity for all three of us to try our hand at leading a large group of people, compromise under circumstances and plan large events. This past year has been nothing short of fulfilling and we look forward to expanding our club and aims next year.