Bonding Squares

Bonding Squares are knitted in matching pairs.

One square is placed with a premature baby and another is worn against the mum's skin, then the squares are swapped round every 12 hours or every time mum visits.
Many Neonatal Units are now using them. They help with the bonding of a premature baby in an incubator and the baby’s mum. The baby can smell mum’s scent even when she isn't there or wasn’t able to get him out of his incubator, and then when she goes home she can still smell the baby’s scent on the square, which is a big comfort.
Not only this, but many mums find that it really helps with expressing breast milk. Keeping the scent of the baby close by triggers the hormones needed to produce and express milk, which is very important as breastfeeding can be difficult for mothers with premature babies.

For all these bonding squares ~

Requirements:

DK yarn ~ around 16 - 18g

4mm needles

Tension:

22sts = 4” (10cm)

Simple 5" Bonding Squares (knit 2)   

Instructions:

Cast on 28 stitches

Start with a garter stitch border - knit 6 rows

7^th Row:       S1, knit across row

8^th Row:       S1, k4, purl to last 5sts, k5

Repeat the last 2 rows 11 times more

Complete with a garter stitch border – knit 7 rows

Cast off knit wise

Darn away ends                                                                                                                                                 

Jack & Jill 5" Bonding Squares (knit 2)   

Instructions:

Cast on 29 stitches

Start with a garter stitch border - knit 6 rows

1^st Row:      S1, knit to end

2^nd Row:      S1, k4, *p3, k1, rep from * to last 4sts, k4

Repeat the last 2 rows 12 times more

Complete with a garter stitch border – knit 7 rows

Cast off knit wise

Darn away ends                                                                            

Jeannie 5" Bonding Squares (knit 2)   

Instructions:

Cast on 29 stitches

Start with a garter stitch border - knit 6 rows

1^st Row:        S1, knit to end

2^nd Row:       S1, k4, purl to last 5sts, k5

3^rd Row:      S1, knit to end

4^th Row:        S1, k4, purl to last 5sts, k5

5^th Row:       S1, k4, *k1, p2, repeat from * to last 6sts, k6

6^th Row:       S1, k4, purl to last 5sts, k5

7^th Row:       S1, k4, *k1, p2, repeat from * to last 6sts, k6

8^th Row:       S1, k4, purl to last 5sts, k5

Repeat the last 8 rows twice more

Next Row:      S1, knit to end

Next Row:      S1, k4, purl to last 5sts, k5

Complete with a garter stitch border – knit 7 rows

Cast off knit wise

Darn away ends           

WILLOW Bonding Squares (knit 2)         5¼“

Instructions:

Cast on 30 stitches

Start with a garter stitch border - knit 6 rows

**

7^th Row:       S1, knit to end

8^th Row:       S1, k4, *p4, k4, rep from * to last st, k1

Repeat the 7^th and 8^th Rows twice more

13^th Row:     S1, knit to end

14^th Row:     S1, k8, *p4, k4, rep from * to last 5sts, k5

Repeat the 13^th and 14^th Rows twice more  **

Repeat from ** to **  once more

31^st Row:      S1, knit to end

32^nd Row:     S1, k4, *p4, k4, rep from * to last st, k1

Repeat the 31^st and 32^nd Rows twice more

Complete with a garter stitch border – knit 7 rows

Cast off knit wise

Darn away ends      

NEVIS Bonding Squares (knit 2)     5½“

Instructions:

Cast on 30 stitches

Start with a garter stitch border - knit 6 rows

7^th Row:       S1, knit across row

8^th Row:       S1, k3, *p4, k2, repeat from * to last 2sts, k2

9^th Row:       S1, knit across row

10^th Row:     S1, k3, p1, k2, *p4, k2, repeat from * to last 5sts, p1, k4

Repeat the last 4 rows five times more

31^st Row:     S1, knit across row

32^nd Row:     S1, k3, *p4, k2, repeat from * to last 2sts, k2

Complete with a garter stitch border – knit 7 rows

Cast off knit wise

Darn away ends      

CHARLIE Bonding Squares (knit 2)     5“

Instructions:

Cast on 28 stitches

Start with a garter stitch border - knit 6 rows

7^th Row:       S1, knit across row

8^th Row:       S1, k4, purl to last 5sts, k5

9^th Row:       S1, k4, * k2, p2, rep from * to last 7sts, k7

10^th Row:     S1, k4, * p2, k2, rep from * to last 3sts, k3

11^th Row:     S1, knit across row

12^th Row:     S1, k4, purl to last 5sts, k5

Repeat the last 6 rows four times more

Complete with a garter stitch border – knit 7 rows

Cast off knit wise

Darn away ends      

Georgie 5" Bonding Squares (knit 2)   

Instructions:

Cast on 29 stitches

Start with a garter stitch border - knit 6 rows

7^th Row:        S1, knit across row  

8^th Row:        S1, k4, *p1, k1, repeat from * to last 4sts, k4

Repeat the last 2 rows 13 times more

Complete with a garter stitch border – knit 7 rows

Cast off knit wise

Darn away ends

BEN Bonding Squares (knit 2)                   5½“

Instructions:

Cast on 31 stitches

Start with a garter stitch border - knit 6 rows

7^th Row:       S1, knit across row

8^th Row:       S1, k4, *p3, k3, rep from * to last 2sts, k2

Repeat the last 2 rows 13 times more

Complete with a garter stitch border – knit 7 rows

Cast off knit wise

Darn away ends                          

 I am happy for you to use my patterns for your own use or for charity donations.

In addition:  You can gift or sell any finished items you make from my patterns.  

However, please do not copy my patterns

Copyright © 2017 ‘made by marianna’  All Rights Reserved

This pattern (the information and photos) may not be copied or reproduced

or republished on another webpage or website.