Warm Noggins

Warm Noggins
I have no idea how all of this started but I have been knitting preemie caps ever since the Olympics. I know it's a combination of needing a quick knitting "fix" and wanting to burn some yardage in my stash. Now I have passed the point of no return. I have been looking at some many preemie hats on Ravelry, that I feel like I am adding fuel to the fire.

I started with about six or eight patterns that have been perfectly fine for the last few years I have been knitting them. Now all of a sudden I have realized that knitting the preemie hats is my opportunity to learn new skills and hone the old ones. What could be a more perfect way to achieve so many things at once?? Let's run down the list.

1. I get quick satisfaction
2. I am using up yarn that has been sitting in my stash for over three years
3. I am helping a charity which helps the more defenseless of us all; babies
4. I have been dabbling in two color knitting for the first time since I failed to learn in a class almost a year ago.
5. I have found some cable patterns to practice my cables with.
6. I am learning the technique for a "joggless" stripe.

Not so bad, eh? So here are what I have made. I am still going away at it because I think I have about 10 more skeins that need to be knit up. I am not sure I will knit up all the skeins of baby yarn or not but I sure will put a dent into them. I will do my best to list the needles, yarn and patterns. There are just so many, so if I miss something just let me know and I will edit my post to correct my oversight.

One of the simplest pattern came from the Preemie Project site itself. It's called Rolled Brim Hat. It's super easy and makes a really cute hat. I did modify the top a wee bit. When you link to the pattern you can see that the top of the hat can have a "top knot" but I did a pom-pom instead on a few of them. Instead of knitting the last six rounds to form the stem for the top knot, I just took a Chubi needle and put them on a 4 inch tale and pulled them tight to close the top hole.

The next pattern is one I got from here. I am just crazy about this pattern. It is so simple and has allowed me to play around with two color knitting and now with the "joggless" stripe. I am still perfecting those two techniques so I think I am going to have to knit more of these! The possibilities are limitless! Boy have a I had a ball with these little beauties! This pattern is very easy too and it makes a cute more textured hat. I think it's more feminine that masculine but it still looked good in blue. Lastly I made one of these because I thought it was too large for a preemie. I will include it in my box to the Preemie Project and tell them to use where needed but I think it's too large to use for a 1-3 pound baby. I haven't been around a baby in so long I am not sure how large their little heads are. The yarns I have used are Plymouth Yarn Dreambaby D.K. and Sirdar Snuggly Fair Isle D.K. I have other baby yarns but haven't knit anything with them yet. I am planning to but want to knit up this other two brands first before starting something else. My needle sizes range from US3-US7.

I am still knitting on the hats and will post more as soon as I have more new patterns printed off and in place. I am still excited about doing these!