Knit-Along: Premie Hats

This month, Knit for a Cause is doing premie hats! For my group, I'll collect them at our meeting next month to donate to Seton Hospital. If you're not in Austin, you can donate them to a local hospital :-) So come knit along with us for little ones! (Here's an adorable crochet pattern from Squishy Chocolate.)

Here are instructions sent to me by my mother-in-law. What I love about them is that they adjustable - different sizes, different brims, different yarns. You can find a ton of patterns for premies here (including patterns that you don't knit in the round!). I'll upload pictures as I go. Please feel free to do the same! For my first one, I'm using a gorgeous Debbie Bliss yarn (60% silk) - yum!

No. 3 DPN, gauge 5 st = 1" across

ALL HATS HAVE TO BE SOFT COTTON OR SYNTHETIC YARN THAT CAN BE MACHINE WASHED/DRIED.  DO NOT USE WOOL AS THIS CAN IRRITATE BABY'S SENSITIVE SKIN.

Finished hat circumference (not head size):
X-small  5.5"
small 6"
med 7"
large 8"
full term 10.5"

Length of hat from edge to top:
X-small 2 1/2"
Small  3"
med 3 1/2"
large 4"
x-large 4 1/2"
full term 5 1/2"

Cast On:

Baby/Fingering Weight:
x-small  44 st
small 48 st
med 56 st
large 64 st
x-large  72 st
full term  84 st

Sport Weight:
x-small  36 st
small 40 st
med 46 st
large52 st
x-large  58 st
full term  68 st

DK Weight:
x-small  30 st
small 34 st
med 38 st
large 44 st
x-large 50 st
full term  58 st

Pick one edge:

Garter Stitch Edge:
Row 1:  knit around
Row 2:  purl around
Repeat row 1 & 2 until have 1 - 1 1/2" edge, then start decreases (see below)

Rib Edge: 
Work 1/2" of K1 P1 ribbing then K every row until 1 to 1 1/2 inches from desired length, then start decreases (see below)

Rolled Edge:
Knit every row until 1 to 1 1/2" from desired length, then start decreases (see below)

Decreases:
Depending on the number of stitches you cast on (see chart below) you work your way down (number of stitches) until you have 3 or 4 stitches left on each needle then draw yarn through stitches to gather, securing well.

Multiple of 8: 
Row 1:  knit 6, K2 tog, repeat around row
Row 2:  knit
repeat

Multiple of 7: 
Row 1:  knit 5, K2 tog, repeat around row
Row 2:  knit
repeat

Multiple of 6: 
Row 1:  knit 4, K2 tog, repeat around row
Row 2:  knit
repeat

Multiple of 5: 
Row 1:  knit 3, K2 tog, repeat around row
Row 2:  knit
repeat

Multiple of 4: 
Row 1:  knit 2, K2 tog, repeat around row
Row 2:  knit
repeat

Multiple of 3: 
Row 1:  knit 1, K2 tog, repeat around row
Row 2:  knit
repeat

January Knit for a Cause

Last night was a huge success!!! We had a great turnout - over 30 people made it out to knit for South African orphans. We took over three rooms of the Stitch Lab! I'm going to have to scout out a new location for February :D I'm so excited!

We knit 19 squares, which is almost enough to make a baby/toddler blanket. All in one evening! And many more will be added this week. Last night's plus last month's squares make enough for a medium sized blanket. I'm amazed.

[If you've been working on some squares, please drop them off at the Stitch Lab (1000 S. First St.). Becky will collect them and I will pick them up this weekend to mail to South Africa. Can't wait to see how many we get!]

Austinites who want to join:
Facebook: I started a group Knit for a Cause - Join and discuss new meeting locations, charities/causes, etc!
Twitter: Reply to me @AJthePurple, and I'll start a Knit for a Cause list :-)

Thank you everyone for a great night!

a room, a box, and a book

Happy New Year!

(This post has nothing to do with that though.)

Here are some things I found today that amaze me...

A Mario room designed as an art installation by Antoinette J. Citizen.
Alex and I have decided that our child's room will look like this. We'll make the question mark boxes light up though ^_^ Blik sells decals for Super Mario Bros, new Super Mario Bros, and Donkey Kong :)

The Shit Box (please excuse my French) by The Brown Corporation - a lightweight portable cardboard toilet. It's completely degradable! Pretty amazing, right?

And I got this book today at Book People. I passed up two other books on my list to get it, so you know it's good. I like that instead of a how-to (which the other two were) it simply shows great design that's out there. Inspiring :-)

Update of Craziness

Hello! I have been creating like crazy lately, but haven't had any time to blog! My wedding is only two weeks away (can you believe it??), so all my energy is going into that. Last weekend I made gifts for my bridesmaids. I don't want to spoil the surprise, so I'll have to wait to upload pics! They're really lovely though, I think. They all match, but they're all different.

Here's a picture of our invitations all sewn up and addressed! I actually had a lot of fun doing the calligraphy (even though it took all day >_<). Reply cards are still trickling in - it's like getting a gift every day! I do so love getting mail, don't you?

In other news, I am teaching preschool this fall :) School starts Tuesday!! I think it will be a good year. I know a lot of the kids already (I taught them swim lessons all summer), so that will make it easier. I keep thinking of all the projects I want to do with them! Here's our first project: self portraits! I didn't like any of the sheets I found in teacher books, so I drew my own! I can't wait to see how they turn out.

Well, I'll be signing off now. I might not be updating much until after the honeymoon, so bear with me! I have so many crafty ideas that are waiting to get out...Can't wait until I have free time again! ;)

Shadow Huggle - Knit Creature

This past weekend (well, starting Thursday) I made a new huggle for my Etsy shop! His name is Shadow, and I adore him. Instead of using plastic eyes, I sewed them on with yarn. Do you like the effect?

As usual, I had fun on the photo shoot! What do you think of it?

Camp Drawings

As you may know, my current day job is teaching swim lessons at a preschool/daycare/summer camp (ages 3-12). Right now the pool is broken, so I've been subbing in different areas of the school. Today I was with a group of campers mostly ages 5-6. I got to teach art today! Who doesn't love to spend a couple hours coloring with the kiddos? :)

I led a project where everyone grabbed two colored pencils and started a drawing. After a couple minutes, we all passed our papers to the left and continued on one another's drawings. We kept passing around the circle until everyone got their own drawings back (thankfully we wrote our names down first - several didn't recognize theirs!). What a fun project day! We only had a couple hiccups, but it went pretty smoothly. [Most of] the kids loved their drawings! Here are mine:



The last one is my favorite :) I want to get together a group of friends and do the same thing....I wonder if they'd be interested.