Knitting for the NICU

Halloween in the NICU 2015

 Coming (tonight!) to a NICU near me:  Happy Halloween!

            

 I just love these little guys.  On the screen and translated into hats, Minions are just the cutest of the cuties!

 New this year:  Cabbage Patch doll hats.  How can they not make you smile?

(In these colors they also double as Wendy from Wendy's and Dora the Explorer).

  Black and white witch's hat for Halloween seem a little boring?  Maybe. But when you turn out the lights......Glows-ville, my little Preemie friends!

 Spider-pig, Spider-pig... (too much Simpsons watching).  Okay Batman and Spiderman!  (Didn't get a pic but Spidey's eyes glow too.  Bwahahahaha!

Dude, what's Halloween without Mutant Ninja Turtles?

Ghostie with a double "Boo!"  white in the light and green glow in the dark.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Punpkins for our Punkins!

And Jack's face glows in the dark (he also has little matching mitts stuff inside).

 

 

 

 

  

Also new this  year:  Hershey's Kisses hats. 

 Candy corn anyone?

 The cutest little (large preemie/newborn sized) black cat in the neighborhood.

Also, very special Halloween souvenirs for our Preemies to commemorate their first Halloween.  Made from salt dough by NICU grad Jude from Northwest Arkansas. Huge hugs and thank yous to Jude and his mom, Lisa, for sharing their Halloween with us!

And then last, but not least, a bag full of preemie leg warmers, mitts, and socks made here and there from leftover yarn.

Happy Halloween to Everyone!

                 

WIP: Anyone Knitting Halloween Costumes This Year?

Halloween is only 11 weeks away (which puts Christmas only 19 weeks away)!  Yes, I know it's really 6ish months but the number of weeks divided by  the number of people I'd like to knit for each year gets scary by the time school starts each year!

Anyone else knitting Halloween costume(s) this year?  Would love to hear about your WIP!

 I have one little kiddo, our niece Myia, this little cutie pie--

--who loves loves loves Doc McStuffins--

 

I've already cast on for the Purple and White Striped Sweater. Really, it's purple and white even though the photo looks like royal blue and white.

Using this pattern from Lion Brand:  Striped Raglan Baby Pullover 

When it's done I'll post pics and give notes for the changes I make to accommodate my theme.

Two years ago, Myia went as Star Trek's Lt. Uhura, and yes, I have to say it: She was out of this world! LOL

 

 

 

 

Free Pattern: Hello Kitty in NICU (Micro-Preemie thru Newborn)

 

  

HELLO KITTY MICRO PREEMIE THRU NEWBORN HAT

Copyright 2015 by Glenna Anderson Muse

 

Great for NICU knitters, this quick knit Hello Kitty hat is adorable anytime of year but is particularly popular in my NICU for Halloween.  Knitted in any soft, white, washable, non-animal fiber yarn on size 8 (US) needles in the round.  Finished with fabric paint facial details.  Sized for Micro-Preemie (< 2lbs), Medium Preemie (2.5-4 lbs), Large Preemie (4.5-5.5 lbs), and Newborn (6-7.5 lbs)

 

Finished Hat Circumference Measurements

(8", 10", 11", 12")

 

Abbreviations

BO = bind off

CO = cast on

 

Materials

Size 8 (US) double pointed needles or size needed to meet gauge

Optional: Size 10 (US) double pointed needles

Less than 1/2 skein of any soft, white, non-animal fiber, #4 Worsted Weight Yarn that meets gauge requirements.

Yarn needle

Fabric paint in pink and black

Commercially made pink bow or pink flower (children's hair bows/flowers work great for these)

 

Pattern Notes

Casting on with the larger sized needles creates a stretchier, more comfortable hat opening for babies, especially premature babies whose skin and heads are even more tender than term babies.

Sizes written as (Micro-Preemie, Medium Preemie, Large Preemie, Newborn)

 

Directions

With larger needles and white yarn, CO (34, 42, 46, 54)

Change to smaller needles.

Row 1:  Knit all stitches. Connect to knit in the round, placing marker between last stitch of first row and first stitch of second row.

Row 2:  Purl around row.

Row 3:  Knit around row.

Row 4:  Purl around row.

Row 5:  Knit around row.

Row 6:  Purl around row.

Knit all from this point on until total length measures  (3.5", 4.5", 5", 5.5").

BO.

Finishing: 

Sew top seam together, flat.

Measure 1" down from the top point each of side and measure in 1" from top point of each side.  Mark with stitch holders or other.  Seam across from measured point to measured point in straight diagonal line to form ears. (Makes a triangle shape for ears).

Weave in all loose ends. 

With fabric paint,  draw two black oval dot eyes, one pink oval dot mouth, and 2-3 black whisker lines on each side of mouth as show in photo.  The key to the Hello Kitty look is  that the eyes and mouth are only dots with the eyes and  whiskers spaced quite far apart but they have to be close enough together when the hat is worn to still be recognizable.

Attach bow/flower to left ear.

Say "Hello, Kitty!" 

_________________________________________________________

 

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.

 

 

Ravelry Pattern Download: Friendly Fox Hat, Bib, and Leg Warmers for Preemie through Toddler

 

Friendly Fox is available as a Ravelry Download or an Etsy Download.

Three piece pattern knitted in soft Berroco Comfort yarn, Pumpkin and White, consisting of fox hat, over-the-head bib in preemie and term sizes, and coordinating leg warmers for each of five sizes: Medium Preemie (3-5 lbs), Large Preemie/Newborn, 6 months, 1 year, and toddler (2-3 years).

Face is made using a chevron stitch to create a fox’s long snout, with googly eyes and a button nose. Face could also be easily painted on using 3D fabric paint.

Smallest size uses less than 1 skein of pumpkin color and less than a half skein of the white color. Largest size uses 2 skeins of pumpkin color and 1 skein of white color.

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Free Patterns: Ballet Leg Warmers for Girls

Ravelry Pattern Dowload: Floppy-Eared Bunny Baby thru Toddler Hat and Mitts

 

Floppy-eared Bunny hat with coordinating thumbless mitts. Five sizes in medium preemie (3-5lbs) thru toddlers (1-3 years). Less than one skein main color yarn for preemie/newborn size; two skeins for larger sizes. Knitted using any light worsted weight easy care yarn for delicate machine wash and dry or hand wash and lay flat to dry. Facial details finished with sew-on eyes and/or hand-detailed fabric paint.
Great pattern for NICU, Newborns in Need, and Pediatric charity knitters.

Ravelry Download: Floppy-Eared Bunny

Etsy Download: Floppy Eared Bunny

  

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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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