Knitting for the NICU

Free Pattern: American Flag Hat for Micro-Preemie thru Newborn Baby

Soft, light weight, American Flag hat sized for micro through large preemie, plus newborn.  It's knitted in pink, light blue, and white in DK weight Cascade Ultra Pima Cotton yarn on size 5 straight needles, seamed up each side using mattress stitch.  Decorated with pink and blue tassels.  "Easy", techniques include casting on, binding off, knit and purl stitches, and easy colorwork with stripes. Also, the directions are spelled out row by row to aid beginning knitters in color changes. 

Directions also available as a free Ravelry Dowload

Booties in photo made from "Precious Bootie" pattern on Yarnspirations.

               

 

AMERICAN FLAG HAT FOR PREEMIES AND NEWBORNS

Copyright 2015 by Glenna Anderson Muse

SIZES:

(Micro Preemie, Med Preemie, Large Preemie, Newborn)

 FINISHED MEASUREMENTS:

(8, 10, 11, 12) inches in circumference

 ABBREVIATIONS:

BO = Bind off

CO = Cast on

K   = Knit

P    = Purl

 MATERIALS:

100 yds  Cascade Ultra Pima Cotton DK weight yarn in "White"
100 yds  Cascade Ultra Pima Cotton DK weight yarn in "China Pink"

100 yds  Cascade Ultra Pima Cotton DK weight yarn in "Blueberry"

Size 5(US) straight needles

Optional:  Size 7(US) straight needles

blunt yarn needle

 GAUGE:

20 stitches x 26 rows = 4 inches

 

PATTERN NOTES:  

Casting on and binding off using needles 2 sizes larger than those used to work the body of the hat will create a stretchier, more comfortable opening for baby's head. Also, the directions are spelled out row by row to aid beginning knitters in color changes. 

 

DIRECTIONS:

 

With White yarn and larger needles, CO   (22, 28, 30, 34) stitches

Change to smaller (size 5) needles

Rows 1 - 4:  *K1, P1*, Repeat * to * across row.

 

Change to Pink yarn. (Do not cut white yarn. Always carry unused color up side of work.)

Row 5:  Knit all stitches.

Row 6:  Purl all stitches.

Row 7:  Knit all stitches.

Row 8:  Purl all stitches.

Micro Preemie size skip ahead to Row 17

 

Change to White yarn.

Row 9:  Knit all stitches.

Row 10:  Purl all stitches.

Row 11:  Knit all stitches.

Row 12: Purl all stitches.

 

Change to Pink yarn.

Row 13:  Knit all stitches.

Row 14:  Purl all stitches.

Row 15:  Knit all stitches.

Row 16: Purl all stitches.

 

Change to White and Blue yarn. (Do not cut pink yarn. Carry unused yarns up side of work.)

Row 17:  With white: K(11, 14, 15, 17), with blue: K(11, 14, 15, 17). Remember to cross yarn colors at each color change to keep work snuggly joined together.

Row 18:  With blue: P(11, 14, 15, 17), with white: P(11, 14, 15, 17) stitches.

Row 19:  With white: K(11, 14, 15, 17), with blue: K(11, 14, 15, 17).

Row 20: With blue: P(11, 14, 15, 17), with white: P(11, 14, 15, 17) stitches.

 

Change to Pink and Blue yarn.

Row 21:  With pink: K(11, 14, 15, 17), with blue: K(11, 14, 15, 17).

Row 22:  With blue: P(11, 14, 15, 17), with white: P(11, 14, 15, 17) stitches.

Row 23:  With pink: K(11, 14, 15, 17), with blue: K(11, 14, 15, 17).

Row 24:  With blue: P(11, 14, 15, 17), with white: P(11, 14, 15, 17) stitches.

 

Change to White and Blue yarn.

Row 25:  With white: K(11, 14, 15, 17), with blue: K(11, 14, 15, 17).

Row 26:  With blue: P(11, 14, 15, 17), with white: P(11, 14, 15, 17) stitches.

Row 27:  With white: K(11, 14, 15, 17), with blue: K(11, 14, 15, 17).

Row 28: With blue: P(11, 14, 15, 17), with white: P(11, 14, 15, 17) stitches

Micro Preemie size only, skip ahead to Row 61

 

Change to Pink and Blue yarn.

Row 29:  With pink: K(11, 14, 15, 17), with blue: K(11, 14, 15, 17).

Row 30:  With blue: P(11, 14, 15, 17), with white: P(11, 14, 15, 17) stitches.

Row 31:  With pink: K(11, 14, 15, 17), with blue: K(11, 14, 15, 17).

Row 32:  With blue: P(11, 14, 15, 17), with white: P(11, 14, 15, 17) stitches.

 

Change to White and Blue yarn.

Row 33:  With white: K(11, 14, 15, 17), with blue: K(11, 14, 15, 17).

Row 34:  With blue: P(11, 14, 15, 17), with white: P(11, 14, 15, 17) stitches.

Row 35:  With white: K(11, 14, 15, 17), with blue: K(11, 14, 15, 17).

Row 36: With blue: P(11, 14, 15, 17), with white: P(11, 14, 15, 17) stitches

 

Change to Pink and Blue yarn.

Row 37:  With pink: K(11, 14, 15, 17), with blue: K(11, 14, 15, 17).

Row 38:  With blue: P(11, 14, 15, 17), with white: P(11, 14, 15, 17) stitches.

Row 39:  With pink: K(11, 14, 15, 17), with blue: K(11, 14, 15, 17).

Row 40:  With blue: P(11, 14, 15, 17), with white: P(11, 14, 15, 17) stitches.

 

Change to White and Blue yarn.

Row 41:  With white: K(11, 14, 15, 17), with blue: K(11, 14, 15, 17).

Row 42:  With blue: P(11, 14, 15, 17), with white: P(11, 14, 15, 17) stitches.

Row 43:  With white: K(11, 14, 15, 17), with blue: K(11, 14, 15, 17).

Row 44: With blue: P(11, 14, 15, 17), with white: P(11, 14, 15, 17) stitches

Medium Preemie size only, skip ahead to Row 61

 

Change to Pink and Blue yarn.

Row 45:  With pink: K(11, 14, 15, 17), with blue: K(11, 14, 15, 17).

Row 46:  With blue: P(11, 14, 15, 17), with white: P(11, 14, 15, 17) stitches.

Row 47:  With pink: K(11, 14, 15, 17), with blue: K(11, 14, 15, 17).

Row 48:  With blue: P(11, 14, 15, 17), with white: P(11, 14, 15, 17) stitches.

 

Change to White and Blue yarn.

Row 49:  With white: K(11, 14, 15, 17), with blue: K(11, 14, 15, 17).

Row 50:  With blue: P(11, 14, 15, 17), with white: P(11, 14, 15, 17) stitches.

Row 51:  With white: K(11, 14, 15, 17), with blue: K(11, 14, 15, 17).

Row 52: With blue: P(11, 14, 15, 17), with white: P(11, 14, 15, 17) stitches

Large Preemie size only, skip ahead to Row  61

 

 

Change to Pink and Blue yarn.

Row 53:  With pink: K(11, 14, 15, 17), with blue: K(11, 14, 15, 17).

Row 54:  With blue: P(11, 14, 15, 17), with white: P(11, 14, 15, 17) stitches.

Row 55:  With pink: K(11, 14, 15, 17), with blue: K(11, 14, 15, 17).

Row 56:  With blue: P(11, 14, 15, 17), with white: P(11, 14, 15, 17) stitches.

 

Change to White and Blue yarn.

Row 57:  With white: K(11, 14, 15, 17), with blue: K(11, 14, 15, 17).

Row 58:  With blue: P(11, 14, 15, 17), with white: P(11, 14, 15, 17) stitches.

Row 59:  With white: K(11, 14, 15, 17), with blue: K(11, 14, 15, 17).

Row 60: With blue: P(11, 14, 15, 17), with white: P(11, 14, 15, 17) stitches

 

(All Sizes)

Change to Pink yarn

Row 61: Knit all stitches

Row 62:  Purl all stitches.

Row 63: Knit all stitches

Row 64: Purl all stitches.

Change to White Yarn

Row 65:  Knit all stitches

Row 66:  *P1, K1*, Repeat * to * across row.

Repeat Row 66 two times more.

BO all stitches in pattern.

 

Finishing:

Using mattress stitch, sew up side seams. If unfamiliar, do an general internet, Pinterest, or YouTube search for "knitting mattress stitch" for instructions. This seam becomes invisible, allowing the stripes to flow beautifully together.  Make and attach two tassels. Weave in all loose ends.

 

TO MAKE TASSELS:

 

Cut 2 pieces of yarn, approximately 8 inches each. Set aside.

Wrap yarn around all four of your fingers 20 times.

 

 Draw one of the cut threads through the top of the loops and knot.

 

 Cut through bottom loops, smooth threads, and lay tassel over second cut thread, approximately 1/4 inch from the top of the tassel.

 

 Tie securely into a knot. Trim ends. Attach to top corners of hat using the two threads at top of tassel.

 

 Weave in all loose ends.

 _________________________________________________________________

 Thank you for using this pattern.  If you have any questions, please contact me at [email protected].  If you would like to be featured on my blog, please send pics of your hat or your  little person wearing his or her new knitting.

 

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Preemie Boy Hellboy Hat

 

A couple of years ago, I started knitting a hellboy hat for each Halloween at the insistence of RN Olivia who was a big fan. At the time, I hadn't even seen the movies but after her suggestion, I made a point of watching what I thought I wouldn't care for and was pleasantly surprised at how fun both of the movies are.  Let that be a lesson to all of us to try new things, right?  Or at least consider the cast: if Ron Perlman's in it, it's probably good!

What surprised me was how popular the Hellboy hat was, especially with the NICU Daddies.  I now try to always throw a few hats in just for the Daddies to love: Hellboy, Yoda, camouflage, etc.   NICU Daddies need knit hat love too, especially for their baby boys.

Hellboy Hat

Pattern by Glenna Anderson Muse

Pattern copyrighted 2013 by Glenna Anderson
Muse. Please do not place pattern on the web or make any use of pattern other than
for personal use or knitting for charity.

Level:  Intermediate
(increases, decreases, knitting in color blocks,  knitting in the round)

 Sizes:  Medium Preemie (3-5 lbs)

Materials

Small ball black worsted weight yarn

1/3 skein red worsted weight yarn

Size 8 straight needles

Size 8 double pointed needles

Yarn needle

Small amount of stuffing for each “horn”

 

Gauge:

16sts x 24 rows = 4”

 Pattern:

 With black yarn and straight needles, CO 26 sts

Knit x 3 rows

Purl

Knit

Purl

Knit all (26), (without turning work) using red yarn, CO 14
stitches  (40 sts total)

Continue to alternate Knit and Purl rows, and red and black
color blocks (be sure to cross red/black yarns in the middle snugly to keep a
taut seam between the two colors) until total length from back (black part)
measures 2.5”, ending with Purl row.

Cut 8” tail on black yarn, leaving red yarn connected. Will
be only using red from this point.

With next row, knit onto double pointed needles, using only
red yarn.  Place marker between last
stitch of that row and first stitch on next row.  Join into round.

Continue knitting all stitches, in the round, in red, until
piece measures 4”.

To decrease:

K2tog around row (20 sts)

K2tog around row (10 sts)

K2tog around row (5 sts)

Cut tail.  With yarn
needle, draw tail through remaining 5 stitches and draw tightly.  Secure and weave loose ends into underneath
side of hat.

 

Horns (Make 2)

With red yarn, CO  4
stitches over three needles. 

Place marker between last stitch CO and beginning of next
row.  Join in round.

1. K+1 in
        each stitch  (8 sts)
2. K+1 in
        each stitch  (16 sts)
3. K+1,
        K1, repeat around row (24 sts)
4. K+1, K2, repeat around row  (32 sts)
5. Purl
6. Knit
7. Knit
8. Knit
9. K2tog,
        K2, repeat around  (24 sts)
10. K2tog,
         K1, repeat around (16 sts)
11. K2tog
         around  (8 sts)

Cut tail.  With yarn
needle, draw tail through remaining 8 stitches and draw tightly.  Secure, use tails to sew onto “forehead” of
hat,  and weave loose ends into
underneath side of hat.

Can make matching booties from your favorite bootie pattern or from mine:  Bernat Precious Booties

 

 

 

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Baby Ryker: Undyed Alpaca Hoodie with Coordinating Cargo Pants

 

After patiently and expensively pulling out all the stops for a year trying to get pregnant, my friends Stephanie and Lance reluctantly put aside their hopes and faced the fact that they were probably  never  going to be biological parents.  Imagine how exacted we all were, not to mention how excited they were, when they found out a few months later they were pregnant!

I think we all held our breath through the first trimester with them and I know for a fact there were a multitude of prayers and hopes that all would go well for both Stephanie and little Mr. Ryker--and it did. We all grateful and so happy for Steph and Lance, and to have baby Ryker here.

Stephanie works in our NICU so she's seen all the wild hats I've made these past four years and the only thing she asked me out right for was a football hat.  I'll blog that later but for now, I'll share the other project with you.  How could I not mark such a miracle with something extra special?

The outfit is knitted in a super soft light weight undyed alpaca yarn imported from Peru.

Patterns:

Baby Hoodie:   Comfy Hoodie by Jean Guirguis at Coats and Clark (Red Heart Yarns)

I added a small coordinating pocket and button on the left chest.

Pants:   http://alison.knitsmiths.us/pattern_baby_bell_bottoms.html

The two changes I made were adding elastifc and elimating the drawstring and adding a coordinating pocket on right leg with button to match the hoodie.

Tube socks:  http://whimsyknits.lightshines.net/patterns/TinyTubeSocks.pdf

Baby Gift: Converse Hightops

 

I found this cute little pair of mini-Converse-style high tops in my bag of "Yeah, I need to finish those up" projects.  Finished but for the seaming and laces, they will be a gift for little Mr. Ryker to wear this fall.  You'd think since it only took a half hour to finish them it would motivate me to finish up the rest of those little projects sitting in a sack in my closet floor, wouldn't you?  We'll see how that works out for me, but for now, I'm pleased with these little buddies.

Apparently it's been a while since I knitted these because I can't find the exact original pattern on the net. Have not a clue where I got it, but what I do know is that this pattern is very close and very cute.

Posted by Crystal on Live Journal at http://xalleykatx.livejournal.com/50196.html