Charity Hat Knitting and Crocheting

Premature babies.  Nigeria

Years ago (30 or so) my local radio station had a request for "caps for Casey's kids".  It was for the local NICU unit.  Size was not really specified because as we know babies come in all sizes.  However, they were looking for fairly large baby head sizes for babies who are only a month or two premature rather than truly tiny premature babies.  But as only knitters and crocheters can be, we took to the internet to find hats for these babies.  "unloved" babies had to make do with the stockinette tube that is used for arms and legs under casts rather than those who are "loved" and receive knit and crochet hats from everyone.  This is patently false but from the remembrance, this is the vibe given.  However, they got so many hats that they were sent around the country to NICUs far and wide.  They also encountered many that were unusable here in the US.  You will see why later.

More recently I came in contact with a woman from Nigeria who teaches knitting and possibly crocheting to local school children in Nigeria.  She had taken the Craft Yarn Council's certification courses.  She is also looking for hats for premature babies.  She has the children making hats because it seems there is a need in each family whether a sibling or a cousin or further in the family and friend circle.

The premature Nigerian babies are much smaller than most American preemie but have a higher survival rate.  This is due to the kangaroo care the baby receives.  After the baby is released from the hospital, they are kept skin to skin with Mom and Dad wearing nothing more than an oversize hat (it's ribbed and long so it can grow with the baby for a few months) and a diaper.    The hats are folded and doubled which keeps them warm and the skin to skin allows baby to feel comforted and hear a heartbeat.  The baby is not left alone for very long, except for sleeping by the parents.

The hats are simple to make.  Using DK weight or worsted weight cast on loosely 20 to 40 stitches in an even number.  Knit 1, purl 1 across the row for enough rows to make 12 inches.  Run the tail through the stitches, pull tight, and seam carefully using the mattress stitch and between the first and second stitches on each side.  Weave in the ends.  Now cuff almost in half and fold up the cuff a bit again.  No pompom because the weight can be too much for the weak neck muscles and do more harm than good.  This is a smaller hat that doesn't have all the turns 

Yarn and sewing machines and knitting machines

Yesterday I set about to clear some room in my sewing/craft room in the basement.  That sentence alone gives a hint of things to come.  The reason I needed to do this was a I have a big sewing project to do for my day job and wanted room by my machine.  I did actually get there.  I did not get the job done to my satisfaction but that is for another time.

I'm convinced that yarn balls, skeins, hanks, even fleece multiplies while left alone in a darkened room.  Silly you say?  Hear me out.  I found yarn that I do remember buying, yarn I have never seen before, yarn I have seen but don't know where it came from nor what I used it for.

Yarn I do remember buying I accept.  It was close out cottons for dish cloths and such.  It might have been part of a leftover ball from a Christmas present or worse whole skeins.  I try to keep fibers together and weights  in those broad categories, kind of like yarn departments.  I'm not lucky enough to have the nice bins.  But then I also don't have to worry about my pets nesting in them or having yarn get dusty before it gets used.

Yarns I have never seen before or don't remember where it came from or where I used it but do know I have are more perplexing.  I found the bit of sweater that needs frogging still that had been son #2's.  He has his finished sweater so all is fine.  I have found things that completely bewilder me.  Why would I buy that????  Where did I buy it?  What did I use it for?  What was I planning for this yarn?

I also clustered together the UFOs found.  I have all in their own bags, a shawl, a pair of worsted weight socks for a son, a baptism shawl that is no longer needed, 5 skeins of worsted alpaca for a Miss Lambert's scarf started on a guild retreat, 3 pairs of vanilla socks for me, cotton yarn and tulle kitted up for dish cloth and scrubby creation, pumpkin hats for a guild fundraiser started but not finished, mittens also for the guild but in mismatched sizes, a feather and fan prayer shawl, granny squares for an afghan, 3 unfinished quilts of varying sizes, a kit of yarn and pattern for pocket pals also for a guild fundraiser, lavender alpaca for a scarf for my soon to be daughter in law before discovering she hates lavender, an adult surprise jacket for me, 1/4 of a hippo (?????), and an unfinished dog sweater.

Some of these things are for classes.  Most are clearly guild related and should be finished.  Other things should just be finished so they are done and can be utilized.  The quilts are going to take time and lots of it.  

Once all the yarn is away.  Once all the Christmas decorations are also in their appropriate spaces.  Once I sort the summer clothes and get them where they need to go and the winter stuff has a place to go.  Once all this is done, I might actually be able to work in that room as I intended and get Christmas done early.

Must Share the Good News

Being part of a fairly large family on my husband's side, we have many nieces and nephews.  I have good news that one niece had a son a couple months ago.  Congratulations to Raquel and her son.  Tonight I was given the good news of another niece presenting the family with a son as well.  Mother and son are doing well, but baby is premature.  I will make a few things for this little fellow until he can grow into newborn sizes.

All the patterns I will be using come from Bev's Country Cottage  Bev very generously shares patterns she created when her own child was born prematurely.  Some are for knitting,  Some are for crocheting.  Some are for sewing.  A few are taking advantage of the knitting looms available.  Others have contributed their own patterns and variations of patterns.  I will be using easy care, hypo-allergenic acrylic yarns for the patterns I choose.  A lot of babies that size have sensitivities to animal fibers or harsh plant fibers.

And now back to the hooks and needles.  There's a little boy who's a touch under dressed.  Hopefully I can get pictures and get them uploaded.

In progress, I have a granny square afghan made from lion brand's homespun in the colorway ocean.  I will be putting a border of pale blue bunny tail around the outside edge.  I also have a cardigan/diaper shirt started with pound of love in light blue.  I'm doing the preemie size with a G hook.  I also printed the going home outfit and will be doing that one once others are done.

This is the preemie set

 

Two views of the granny blanket

 Newborn sized hat and sweater  The pattern is the 5 hour baby sweater with optional bonnet done in the boy version.

Baby Jae

Granny Square Baby Cardigan

I have had several requests for one of the baby sweaters I use in my classes.  Here is the pattern.  The basic granny square pattern is not mine.  It is one of those things that is out there that everyone seems to know.  I would welcome everyone to make one to check the directions I have here.  Please let me know of mistakes or things that are not clear.  Please send pictures of yours.  I'd love to see them.  This pattern as written will fit a newborn under 10lbs.

Materials needed:
      2 colors baby yarn or sock yarn, 6 oz each A and B
      size 7 steel hook (or size needed to obtain gauge)
      yarn or tapestry needle

Gauge:  Finished Granny square should be 2 inches.

Stitches used in project:  Chain, Slip Stitch, Single Crochet, Double Crochet, Half Double Crochet, Decrease

Abbreviations:  Dc = double crochet, R = Row, Rd = Round, Sc = Single Crochet, Sl St = Slip Stitch, Ch = Chain, Prev = previous, Rep = Repeat, Dec = decrease, Sk = Skip, St = Stitch

Granny Square (Make 64)

With A: Ch 4, join with sl st to form a ring.
R1:  Ch 3, 2 dc in ring, ch 1, * 3dc in ring, ch 1.  Rep from * 2 more times.  3 dc, ch 1 and sl st in top of ch 3.  Fasten off.
R 2:  With B, join in any ch 1 sp.  (Ch 3, 2 dc,  ch 1, 3 dc, ch 1) in same ch 1 sp as join, * 3 dc, ch 1, 3 dc, ch 1.  Rep from * around.  Fasten off.
R 3:  With A, join in any corner sp.  (Ch 3, 2 dc, ch 1, 3 dc, ch 1) in same ch 1 sp as join, * 3 dc, ch 1, (3 dc, ch 1, 3 dc, ch 1).  Rep from * around, end 3 dc, ch 1 in final side ch 1 sp and sl st in top of ch 3.  Fasten off.

Half Square Triangle Granny (Make 4)


With A, Ch 4, join with a sl st to form a ring.
R1: Ch 4 (counts as 1 dc and ch 1), 3 dc in ring, ch 1, 3 dc in ring, ch 1, dc in ring. Fasten off.
R2: With B, join yarn around the ch 4 of prev rd, (ch 3, 2 dc, ch 1) in same sp. (3 dc, ch 1, 3 dc, ch 1) in next ch 1 sp (corner), 3 dc in last ch 1 sp. Fasten off.
R3: With A, join yarn in sp between ch 3 and dc of prev rd. Ch 3, 2 dc in the same sp, (ch 1, 3 dc, ch 1) in ch 1 sp of prev rd, (3 dc, ch 1, 3 dc, ch 1) in corner ch 1 sp, (3 dc, ch 1) in last ch 1 sp, 3 dc in sp bet 2nd and 3rd dc of prev rd. Fasten off.

Assembly

       Join the squares with a whip stitch or overcast stitch, making sure all the squares are showing right side up (whichever side you decide is right). Use the yarn that you used for the last round of granny squares (A)

         Make a panel that is 4 blocks tall by 5 blocks wide.  Now add for the shoulder and neck shaping.  At the top left corner sew across the top 1 whole block, a half block to make a slide from the top of the block just added to the row below, skip the next block, a half block in mirror image of the first and finally a whole block.  See the pictures for help.  (22 whole squares and 2 half square granny triangles)  Now add the sleeves.  Make two panels 2 blocks high and 3 blocks wide (6 whole squares for each sleeve back) and sew on each side starting at the shoulder.

To make the sweater fronts

         Each front is 2 blocks wide and 5 blocks high with one exception.  The other half square granny triangles are placed to open the neck up in a V shape (9 whole blocks and 1 half square granny triangle for each side). The sleeves are 2 blocks high and 3 blocks (6 whole squares for each sleeve front) long. Sew  them to the fronts at the top on the opposite side as the half square granny.  See the pictures for help.  Place the sweater back wrong side up, put the fronts over the back, properly aligning the sleeves and the sides.

 Join the squares with a whip stitch or overcast stitch, making sure all the squares are showing right side up (whichever side you decide is right).  Seam along the top of the sleeve/shoulder on both sides and bottom edge of sleeve and side seam.  Leave the bottom square on sides unseamed for a vent feature.

Finishing into a cardigan

Note:  The button bands will fill in the space between the fronts.

R 1:  With B, join at the bottom left corner of cardigan, ch 2, hdc in each stitch up the front center, around the neck (work 2 hdc dec in each corner at the back neck) and down the other side of front center.  Turn.

R 2:  Ch 3, work dc in each st as the prev row, keeping the dec in line.  Turn.

R 3:  Rep R 2. Turn.

R 4: Dc in each st on button side of the cardigan and around the neck and along the V neck on both sides.  Tr in each st on the button hole side and evenly space 4 buttonholes (ch 1, sk the next st) along the left side for boys and right side for girls.  Work the button holes at the same level as the seams.  Option:  Work a button hole 3 sts from the bottom edge if desired.

R 5:  Working along bottom edge of cardigan, sc in each st and 2 sc in each dc or ch 3 along the fronts.  Fasten off.  Weave in all ends.

Sleeves:  Sc in each st along edge with B.  Fasten off, weave in ends.

Sew 4 buttons on the opposite side to match the buttonholes.  As of 6/12/12 I have no buttons on this sweater.  You can just make out the buttonholes as dark spots on the left front at the edge.

I'm updating this pattern to include this chart for seaming for added clarity.

***

***

***

***

>

<   >

<

>

<   >

<

}

{     }

{

}

{     }

{

Sleeve

}

{     }

{

Fold in half

across the center

Left Front

Right Front

Back  <> show sleeve

Make 2

placement

{} show side seam

* show shoulder seaming