Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Beanies for Babies


Mel Clark from http://www.southseasknitting.com/ had a fabulous blog a few weeks about the virtues of dressing our wee babes in natural fibres. As a mother to 2 boys myself, I am a HUGE proponent of natural knits for them. Mel has been asking for donations of beanies for babes & she has a midwife to help distribute them. I have contributed 5 from a pattern I have knitted for my own boys & here it is:


This is the perfect project for using up all those left over odds and ends of colourful DK you have littering the bottom of your knitting bag, it’s an easy colour pattern which give a fair isle effect.

To Fit: NB - 3 months
Materials: Main colour (MC) = equivalent to 25gm. Contrast A & B = enough to do 6 rows across 75 sts , 4mm needles, 4mm dbl pointed needles, wool needle for sewing up side seams.

Tension: 22 sts & 30 rows to 10cm over stocking st using 4mm needles. Use this as a loose guide only – this is an easy fit garment & all babies sizes vary, so if you find the fit too large, drop down to a 3.25mm needle, if too small add extra length.

Abbreviations: k = knit. p = purl. st/s = stitch/es. RS = right side. WS = wrong side. Stst = Stocking stitch, knit right side rows, purl wrong side rows. sl1 = slip 1. k2tog = knit 2 together. . p2tog = purl 2 together yb = Yarn back, move yarn from the back of the work to the front of the work. yfwd = Yarn forward, move yarn from the front of the work to the back.

In Main Colour
Cast on 75 sts & Knit 4 rows
WS: p1, yb,sl1, yfwd,( p3, yb, sl1,yfwd) repeat sequence in brackets to last st, p1
RS: k1, sl1( k3, sl1) repeat sequence in brackets to last st, k1

Colour Band
Change to contrast colour A
WS: ( p3, yb, sl1,yfwd) repeat sequence in brackets to end
RS: ( k3, sl1) repeat sequence in brackets to end
Change to contrast colour B
WS: p1, yb,sl1, yfwd,( p3, yb, sl1,yfwd) repeat sequence in brackets to last st, p1
RS: k1, sl1 ( k3, sl1) repeat sequence in brackets to last st, k1
Change to main colour
WS: ( p3, yb, sl1,yfwd) repeat sequence in brackets to end
RS: ( k3, sl1) repeat sequence in brackets to end
Repeat previous 6 rows twice more.
Next Row: WS Purl in MC to end (continue in MC for remainder of hat)

Shape Crown
K2, k2tog ( k10, k2tog) repeat sequence in brackets til last 11 sts, k9, k2tog
Next & every WS row: Purl
K2, k2tog ( k9, k2tog) repeat sequence in brackets til last 10 sts, k to end
Purl
K2, k2tog ( k8, k2tog) repeat sequence in brackets til last 9 sts, k to end
Keep shaping in the decreasing pattern until 8 sts remain finishing with a k row.
WS: P2tog four times (4sts)
Make I-Cord
Slip remaining 4 sts onto dbl pointed needle
RS knit
Slide sts to opposite end of needle & pull yarn from last st & knit
Repeat to form I-Cord. Knit until cord measures 8cm.
K2tog twice, slide remaining 2 sts to end of needle
K2tog & bind off

Make-up
Steam press & sew up side seam being careful to match the coloured rows together. Tuck remainder yarn into I-cord & tie in a top knot.

3 comments:

  1. Love the hats and thanks for printing the pattern.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you for a beautiful pattern! I think I will make a few of these for our hospital. We live in a small town very,very close to the Mexican border. Babies here are always in need of hats, booties and many other essentials.
    Thank you again,
    Megan in Arizona

    ReplyDelete
  3. The fair isle pattern seems to be worked in sets of 4 stitches, so it doesn't work out evenly over the 75. So each row ends odd. But do I just turn the work at the end of each row, and start the next row at the beginning according to the directions? I am not getting the triangle shape in my pattern.

    ReplyDelete