Nine Tiny Hats

I was able to make nine preemie hats with the Red Heart Buttercup yarn that was given to me a couple of weeks ago, so that's just about three hats per skein.  I added top-knots and crocheted pom-poms to some and stripes to others, so they are all different.  All of these baby hats will go to the Janet Weiss Children's Hospital in Danville, PA.  You can find my pattern for these hats HERE.

Hot Mess Preemie Hats

I came up with this simple pattern for preemie baby hats using Red Heart Buttercup yarn given to me by a friend who declared it "hot mess" yarn. They may look like a hot mess, but they are also the softest little hats ever! Once I get them all finished, the hats will go to the Janet Weiss Children's Hospital in Danville, PA.

 

Hot Mess Preemie Hats

 

Size 13 double pointed needles

 

One skein Red Heart Buttercup yarn yields several hats

 

Gauge is not important...preemies come in all sizes!

 

Cast on 24 stitches. Join to knit in the round being careful not to twist the stitches.

 

Knit to 5 inches from cast on edge

 

Decrease for crown

 

Round 1: knit 2, knit 2 together, repeat around 18 stitches

 

Round 2: knit

 

Round 3: knit 1, knit 2 together, repeat to end of round, 12 stitches

 

Round 4: knit

 

Round 5: knit 2 together around, 6 stitches

 

Cut yarn about 12 inches from last stitch. Thread tail through tapestry needle and through remaining 6 stitches. Pull tightly to close top of hat. Tie off. Weave in ends.

*To add a top knot 

Round 6: knit 2 together around, 3 stitches

Knit around on these stitches for about 3 ½ inches. Bind off the stitches, weave in ends & tie the top tube in a knot.

Almost Finished

Checking the gauge was well worth the time it took, because the little Bug Warmer sweater is turning out to be just the right size for my friend's new grandson!  I just need to bind off the hem and sleeves and it will be ready to go in the mail.

Button, Button...

Button, button, who's got the button?  Remember that game that we used to play when we were kids?  That memory came back when I was trying to find just the right button for this Wee Speedy 2 baby vest.  The pattern calls for one button in the center, but I can't decide which one to use.  Which is your favorite?  

Wee Speedy 2

This little knitted baby vest is certainly named appropriately!  The pattern is called Wee Speedy 2 and it's knit with size 13 needles and bulky yarn, so you can have it all finished in just a couple of hours!

Microwave Bowl Cozies

I've been thinking about making microwave bowl cozies for family members for awhile now, but it's just been something that I have thought about and not done.  A week or so ago the stomach bug made its rounds through the family and my daughter-in-law said that she really could have used them with all of the chicken soup that she was microwaving in shifts for the kids.  That was all it took and I got busy sewing!  Everyone is feeling better now, so I'm going to hold on to them until Easter.  Filled with packets of instant oatmeal, microwave macaroni and cheese, and of course some candy, I think they will make fun Easter baskets!

Let It Snow!

Temperatures in north central Pennsylvania have been unseasonably mild this month.  In fact, yesterday we had a record high of 66 degrees!  Something tells me that these crocheted snowflakes are going to be the closest we get to snow this Christmas.  If you would like to crochet your own blizzard, the instructions can be found at Attic 24.

(Make sure to note that the instructions are written in UK terms.  For this pattern the only difference is that "dc" is actually worked as a single crochet.  Work the rest of the pattern as written.)  

On The Needles

This skein of Sockotta yarn was a gift from my daughter-in-law quite a few years ago.  I started a pair of socks with it, but didn't care for how they were turning out, so I frogged it and put the yarn away.  I came across the yarn the other day and thought I should really make something with it, so started a simple Baktus Scarf.  It's a great project to work on while watching TV...just knit, knit, knit and increase one every 4th row.  It doesn't get much easier than that and it's going to be the perfect scarf for the cold weather that's coming!

While The Internet Was Out

I may not have been posting, but that doesn't mean that I haven't been quilting.  I was recently asked to make this quilt for a military couple that will be getting married this month, so I have been busy sewing to make sure it was finished in time for the wedding.  (Maybe it's a good thing that the internet wasn't working right!)  The quilt finished at 60x77, so it's a nice throw size that will be perfect for the sofa or 4th of July picnics.  The pattern is Star Bright Quilt and is available for free from Swim Bike Quilt.

Sockies

From the looks of the long range weather forecast, we still have plenty of very cold temperatures to get through in northern Pennsylvania before spring settles in for good.  I guess that means that there's still lots of time to knit and wear wool sockies, especially when the pattern uses big needles and bulky wool yarn!  Find the free pattern HERE.

A Little Knitting And Crochet

I finished a baby boy set not long ago, so I've been working on one for a baby girl in-between working on Christmas gifts.  Just one more little sock to go and this set will be finished!

For this set I used the Basic Baby Hat pattern and Susan B. Anderson's Jelly Bean Baby Socks pattern.  My instructions for the crocheted blanket edge can be found HERE.

On The Needles

If the long range winter forecast for our neck of the woods is correct, heavy wool socks are going to be on everyone's wish list this Christmas!  This Chunky Socks Pattern uses bulky yarn and size 6 needles, so they knit up in no time too!

Finished!

I've hardly picked up my knitting needles at all this summer, but now that the days are getting shorter and I'm not spending as much time outside, I have more time to knit.  This baby hat and sock set has been waiting patiently to be finished since last winter, so just an hour of knitting and I was able to finish up and now I'm ready to move on to a new project!

For this set I used the Basic Baby Hat pattern and Susan B. Anderson's Jelly Bean Baby Socks pattern.

For The Boys

For the last couple of weeks I have been knitting pink preemie hats to donate to the NICU.  I made five baby girl hats from the pink skein of yarn and thought that I should make some hats for the boys too.  I'm using the same Basic Baby Hat pattern (which I can just about knit in my sleep now) and a super soft Anne Geddes baby yarn by Red Heart in the Sailboat colorway.  I love how it has worked up in an almost baby blue camo pattern!  They will be the perfect little hats for some tiny baby boys!

On And Off The Needles

Sometimes you just need something quick and mindless to knit, so I've been working on preemie hats to send to the NICU.  The Basic Baby Hat pattern in the preemie size uses just 60 stitches and size 6 needles so I can just about knit a hat in one evening...depending on how good the TV show is that I'm watching.

Paying It Forward And Forward Again

Now I know why Bob Barker was always telling us to get our pets spayed or neutered...they multiply!  Apparently it's true with pet themed quilt blocks too!  I had a few blocks leftover from the cat quilt that I just finished and a friend mentioned that she had a friend who was having surgery soon and that she liked cats...one thing led to another and we passed the leftovers to her and we all made a couple more blocks for another cat quilt.  That quilt has since been finished and delivered and we still have a few orphan cat blocks, so we are going to make a few more blocks to make a quilt to donate to CONCERN (the MLQG's outreach project for foster kids).  Amazing how all this has come from one little kitty cat block!

You can find instructions for this block at http://quilting.about.com/od/blockofthemonth/ss/cat_quilt.htm

Workshop Weekend!

It was a cold and snowy weekend, but that didn't keep me from attending our guild's winter workshop!  What fun we all had and we came away with some great tips on free motion quilting and an easy quilt block pattern.  The pattern is Anita's Arrowhead and although it looks like it might be complicated, it is super simple!  I can hardly wait to finish the rest of the blocks and get them put together, so I can put some of the quilting tips to use!

Scarf Weather

It has definitely been a winter for scarves!  You can't go out without freezing unless you have a scarf on and ruffle scarves, don't cut it when it's below zero!  The pattern that I'm using for my latest scarf is the Gallatin Scarf and I'm making it with some of my hand dyed koolaid wool yarn.  It's a very quick knit, so I should have it done in time to get a lot of use out of it before winter is over.

Put A Flower On Top!

I knitted this simple rolled brim hat for our youngest granddaughter, but it needed something to dress it up a bit.  Because her new snowsuit is bright pink, I thought a bright pink flower right on top would be just about perfect.  Much better (and easier) than a pom-pom!  The free pattern for this double crocheted flower can be found at Treasures For Tots.

Babies Don't Care

This was a fun little top to put together.  The pattern is Line Dance by Kathy Mack and can be found for free at Moda Bake Shop.  It didn't take a lot of time or thought, but after looking at the photo, I think I should have put a little more thought into it and spread the red squares around a little better.  Oh well, done is better than perfect and babies don't care if all of the red squares are grouped together!