VOLUNTEERS are needed to help make hats for newborn babies and blankets for animal charities.
Two Isle of Wight groups, New Born Hats run by Hydie Steane, of Lake and Blankets of Animals, run by Samantha English, of Gurnard.
The duo are calling for volunteers to help support Isle of Wight causes and they have helped supply 300 hats to babies at St Mary’s Hospital so far.
People can support the groups by donating ready-made hats, knitted octopuses, six-inch knitted patches for the blankets, or by donating materials.
Samantha said: "It is important to make both the babies and the animals as comfortable as possible.
"It helps the animals feel more at home when they may not have been so lucky before and it gives families with their first 'special something as well.
"Being handmade is even more important as there is love in them."
Anyone interested in getting involved can e-mail
newbornhats36@gmail.com or blanketsofanimals@gmail.com

Mary Maunder, of Seaview, has also launched a crochet campaign to help prematurely born babies.
After reading an article about the benefits of octopus toys for very young children, she decided to make a couple and give them to St Mary's Hospital neo-natal unit.
The tentacles are believed to remind babies of the umbilical cord and being in the womb, helping them to feel safer in the incubator.
"The unique idea originates from a hospital in Denmark where they found the octopuses comforted babies and calmed them.
"This promoted better breathing and more regular heartbeats as well as higher levels of oxygen in their blood.
"They also found that babies cuddling an octopus were less likely to try to pull out their monitors and tubes. The octopuses were then sent home with the babies as their first comfort toy. A constant supply is therefore needed," said Mary.
Her donations have been welcomed by staff at St Mary's Hospital and she has appealed to other Islanders to help make more.
She will provide the crochet pattern for those who want to make one themselves. Others can help by donating cotton yarn.
Mary can be contacted via maryem@live.co.uk

Reporter: joannah@iwcpmail.co.uk