Knitting for the NICU

Easy Pumpkin Hat & Diaper Cover Free Kntited Preemie Pattern

Though admittedly not overly practical in the NICU on a daily basis, diaper covers coordinated with cute hats (which are very practical) are super cute as heck on Preemies for photo ops!  This little pumpkin hat and soaker are perfect for a great photo shoot for the little LIttles.

Both are easy knitting designs for those who can wield double pointed needles (sort of the chopsticks skill of knitting) in the round and some basic shaping, increases and decreases.  The hat is knitted on dpns, changing colors at the top to form the pumpkin's stem and the diaper cover is knitted on two needles in one piece with the sides sewn together at the end.  Both are quick and fairly easy to turn out.

 

 

Preemie  Basic Knitted Diaper Cover

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.

Materials:

1 oz Worsted Weight yarn

Size 8 straight needles

yarn needle

Preemie:  Small--Medium--Large  (Medium Preemie is approx 3-4lbs)

Directions:

CO: (16, 20, 24) stitches, loosely

Ribbing (K2, P2...repeat) x 6 rows (4 rows for small preemie)

Change to stockinette (Knit row alternating Purl row) x (1", 1 1/2", 2"), ending by working wrong side row (purl)

Continue in stockinette, binding off 2 stitches at the beginning of each of the next (2, 4, 6) rows. (12 stitches)

Ribbing (K1, P1...repeat) x (1", 1 1/2", 2"), ending by working wrong side.  CO 2 stitches

Stockinette stitch (Knit row alternating Purl row), CO 2 stitches to the end of the next (1, 3, 5) rows (16, 20, 24 stitches total)

Continue working in stockinette until measures (1",  1  1/2", 2"), ending by working purl row.

Change to Ribbing (K2, P2..repeat)x 6 rows. (4 rows for small preemie)

BO all, cut tail and pull through last stitch and secure.  Sew up sides from waist to leg hole.  Weave in all loose threads.

Sew up sides using mattress stitch.

 

For an even faster version of this diaper cover with less shaping, see Basic Preemie Diaper Cover pattern.

Preemie Knitted Pumpkin 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.

Materials:

1 oz Worsted Weight yarn in orange

1/2 oz Worsted Weight yarn in green

Size 8 double pointed needles

yarn needle

Preemie:  Small--Medium--Large  (Medium Preemie is approx 3-4lbs)

Directions:

With Orange yarn, CO (34, 38, 42) stitches, loosely over 3 or 4 needles and join together, placing marker after last stitch and before first stitch of next row.

Knit continuously in the round for (2.5", 3", 3.5").

Change to green yarn. Knit 2 rows.

Decrease:

K2tog across.  (17, 19, 21) stitches remaining.

K2tog across, working last stitch singly.  (9, 10, 11) sts.

K2tog across, working last stitch singly on small and large preemie sizes.  (5, 5,6)

Knit 4 rows for stem.

BO all stitches, cut tail and pull through last stitch and secure.  Weave in all loose threads.

 

 

Thanksgiving in the NICU

As Thanksgiving comes tomorrow and we all enjoy the company of our family and friends while celebrating with thankfulness all the blessings in our lives, please remember to say a little prayer for the families with babies in the NICU.

Our little Littles have several choices for wardrobe this Thanksgiving, sort of like the cast of a Grammar School Thanksgiving play. The players:

Pilgrims

Indians

From the table:

Turkeys

This turkey pattern with its multi-colored feathers is from my book:

 

More Turkeys

Turkey Butts and Turkey Legs

Pumpkins

From the great outdoors:

Acorns

And camo.

 

Package of Hats from Rogers, Arkansas

Thank you to Lisa for sending this package of cute fall hats for the NICU! Love that orange! It's so bright; it's perfect for Halloween so will be adding these to our NICU bundle.

The Great Pumpkin Patch, Charlie Brown

 

Little Maddox, who is almost a year old now, modeling his first punkin' hat I knitted him. 

It's my favorite time of year--fall!  I love the days as they get cooler (we have our front door open), and the sent of leaves and smoke in the air that is all so uniquely this season.  This also begins the knitting frenzy of fall through Superbowl in the NICU. This year I hope I get to participate.  I'm having gall bladder surgery next week so I haven't been feeling like knitting much. Well, actually, the spirit is willing but the body is weak right now. 

I'm trying to pump myself up by going through pictures of pumpkin hats past.  Using different yarns and slightly different colors, each of these are made from the same pattern, the one found in my book Warm Hats for Wee Noggins.  I love this pattern, so easy to dress up or down and the perfect fit for now through Thanksgiving.

 

 

Winter Camo Chullo Hat with or without Ear Flaps

Winter “Camo” Chullo-style hat

Description:  Extra cold and sound proofing ear flaps make for the perfect winter hat for term babies and quieter environment for sound-sensitive preemies.

 

SIZE:

Preemie (S-M-L), Term (NB, 3-6 mos, 12 mos)

 

Gauge: In stockinette,  16 st x 24 rows = 4” square

 

Skill Level:  Intermediate

 

Materials:

Size 8 (US) double pointed needles

worsted weight soft yarn

Blunt yarn needle

4 stitch markers

 

Dividing over 3-4 double pointed needles, cast on over two needles:

(35, 40, 45) (50, 55, 60)

 

Row 1:  Knit around, placing marker after last stitch to mark row beginnings

Row 2:  Purl around

Row 3-6:  Continue alternating Knit and Purl rows.

Row 7:  Knit around.  Continue to Knit continuously until hat measures (3”, 3.5”, 4.5”) (5”, 5.5”, 6.5”)  from bottom. End at the beginning of a new row.

Begin decrease:

Row 1: Knit 2 tog, K 3….repeat across row.  (28, 32, 36) (40, 44, 48)

Row 2:  Knit around row

Row 3:  Knit 2 tog, K2…repeat across row.  (21, 24, 27) (30, 33, 36)

Row 4: Knit around row

Row 5:  Knit 2 tog, K 1…repeat across row. (14, 16, 18) (20, 22, 24)

Row 6:  Knit 2 tog, repeat across row, knitting as tightly as possible. (7, 8, 9) (10, 11, 12)

Row 7:  Knit 2 tog, repeat across row, knitting as tightly as possible. (On smallpreemie, large preemie, and 3/6 mos, there will be 1 single stitch knitted at the end of the row due to odd number count.) (4, 4, 5) (5, 6, 6)

 

Cut 10” tail and threading onto a blunt yarn needle, thread tail through remaining stitches and pull tightly through to underside of hat. Secure and weave in all thread ends.

For thumbless mitts, follow camo colors using this pattern for Newborn Mitts from Tangled Skein

 

Happy Halloween

Coming Friday to a NICU near some of you:   Our little Littles will have lots of "costumes" to choose from this year: Raccoon, elephant, puppy, Frankie Stein, viking, witch, ladybug, owl, cupcake, Cookie Monster.....even Yoda and Princess Leia! 

Whew. Thank you to my lovely flock of knitters: Kathy, Yung, Shelly, Lisa, and Suzanne for creatively knitting away!

 

Some special notes:  Kathy is soooooooooooooo good at animals. She amazes me with her creativity in constantly coming up with new creatures. The Beaver? AWESOME!!!! 

 A special huge THANK YOU! to Lisa Wilburn (and her NICU grad Jude) for the Yoda hats. So fun.  I know there will be Staw Wars fan parents who will treasure these (and have bragging rights!) Thank you!

 

  
A few sets of booties as well from me to go along with the hats...I still use the Precious Booties pattern from Bernat Yarns. All but the orange booties with the ears of corn buttons are made from that pattern with simple variations in cuffs. It's very versatile, quick, and easy. 

This is a two-needle pattern of my own I'm working on.  It's a little different but I like the stream-lined look.

Happy Halloween to all of our NICU friends!