Knitting for Good Causes - Part 1

Over the past couple of weeks I've had a couple of projects on the go which involve Knitting for Good Causes.  I have far too much yarn in my stash and this has proven to be a good way of using it up.  Also, I have decided to frog my attempt at a patchwork blanket I started last year (see THIS post).  It just wasn't turning out how I had imagined and I had gone off my colour choices so the yarn and squares I had so far made were left hidden in a bag under the bed in the spare room.  Out of sight out of mind.  Having made the decision to abandon the project altogether I thought I ought to do something useful with the stash of yarn I had purchased for the blanket to stop me from feeling guilty about having bought it, and what better way to use it than to create something for folks in need.  Here are my first creations:

Knitted Syringe Driver Bags 

These bags were designed by a friend and retired colleague who now volunteers on the Oncology Ward at the hosptial I work in.  They are for use by patients receiving chemotherapy to enable them to transport their syringes whilst receiving IV meds so they don't have to be bed-bound.  As such they are designed to be a good size to carry two syringe drivers and have a comfortable shoulder strap of a good length.  They need to be quite tightly knitted so as not to stretch out of shape when in use so they are made using two strands of double knit yarn and 5 mm needles.  The bag is made of one piece measuring 30 cm x 22 cm (approximately 48 stitches knitted until the piece measures 22 cm) which is folded in half and sewn along the bottom and edge.  The strap is 5 cm wide (8 stitches) knitted to measure approximately 68 cm and then sewn onto the bag. In the one on the left I have used one strand of cream yarn and one strand of a burgundy coloured yarn at the same time to give the two tone effect.  In the one on the right I work using two stands of the same colour at once, changing to a different colour every five rows.  I really like the thick/thin striped effect created and plan to use this again in future projects. 

They're so easy to make and are highly valued by the patients who use them.  Perfect for keeping idle hands busy while watching a film as they don't require much concentration.