Knitting for the NICU

Funny of the Day

Owl Lovey Blanket

New Pattern for sale on Ravelry and Etsy:

Soft cuddly combination Owl  blanket and carry around or sleepy time toy knitted in sweet pink cotton DK weight yarn on size 5 double pointed and circular needles. Knitted in one piece from top of head to blanket edge; facial features knitted separately.   Additional materials used are fiberfill, yarn needle, and blocking materials.  Intermediate skills needed are knit, purl, increase, decrease, yarn over, knitting in the round.

Perfect for baby showers, birthday, Christmas, or other gifts. 

One size, ten inches from top of owl head to edge of blanket and blanket diameter of 14 inches.

Ravelry Download

Etsy Download

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!" 

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Thank you for using this pattern.  If you have any questions, please contact me at Marie9949@sbcglobal.net.  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.

 

 

Free Pattern: Elf on the Shelf Micro-Preemie Christmas Hat

                     

ELF ON THE SHELF STYLE CHRISTMAS HAT FOR MICRO-PREEMIE

Copyright 2015 by Glenna Anderson Muse

 

Since micro preemies are the same sizes as the Elf on the Shelf dolls, I always knit a couple of these tiny hats for our NICU at Christmastime so our micro preemies can be our own personal cutie patootie Elves on the Shelves.  Except we would never wedge them up on the family room curtain rods, of course. 

 

This pattern is also available as a Ravelry Download. 

Finished Measurements:  8 inch circumference hat opening by 5 inches tall.

 

 

 

Abbreviations:

CO = cast on

K    = knit

K2tog = knit two stitches together as if one, to decrease

P    = purl

 

Materials

Less than half skein of Lion Brand Vanna White yarn in Scarlet or other worsted weight yarn that accommodates gauge

Less than half skein of Lion Brand Vanna White yarn in White or other worsted weight yarn that accommodates gauge

Size 10 (US) double pointed needles

Size 8 (US) double pointed needles

Yarn needle

Gauge:   16 stitches x 22 rows = 4 inches

 

Pattern notes:  With all baby hats, I routinely use a long tail cast on and cast on with needles two sizes larger than those used to knit the rest of the hat for the stretchiest, most comfortable fit The heads and vasculature of preemies, particularly micro-preemies, are so delicate and fragile that with this hat I insist on it.

 

Directions:

 

With white yarn and larger needles, CO 33 stitches.

Change to smaller needles.

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

Row 2: Purl all stitches.

Repeat  rows 1 and 2 one more time.

 

Change to red yarn.

 

Knit all stitches until piece measures 1.5 inches from CO edge.

 

Decrease:

Row 1:  *K9, K2tog*...repeat * to * two times more. (30 sts remain)

Row 2 (and all even rows):  Knit all stitches.

Row 3:  *K8, K2tog*...repeat * to * two times more.  (27 sts remain)

 

Row 5:  *K7, K2tog*...repeat * to * two times more.  (24 sts remain)

 

Row 7:  *K6, K2tog*...repeat * to * two times more.  (21 sts remain)

 

Row 9:  *K5, K2tog*...repeat * to * two times more.  (18 sts remain)

 

Row 11:  *K4, K2tog*...repeat * to * two times more.  (15 sts remain)

 

Row 13:  *K3, k2tog*...repeat * to * two times more.  (12 sts remain)

 

Row 15:  *K2, K2tog*...repeat * to * two times more.  (9 sts remain)

 

Row 17:  *K1, K2tog*...repeat * to * two times more.  (6 sts remain)

 

Row 19:  K2tog around row.  (3 sts remain)

 

Cut 10" tail, thread onto yarn needle, draw thread through remaining 3 stitches, pull tight, secure, and weave into underneath side, keeping top point nice and pointy.

 

Weave in all loose ends.

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 Thank you for using this pattern.  If you have any questions, please contact me at Marie9949@sbcglobal.net.  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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