Hat Days

Almost the instant I put down the needles from finishing those cotton hand towels I got a FB chat question from friend KL asking if I'd make a couple of baby hats she can give to a friend at her baby shower.  Of course I said "of course."  Then I had the fun of trolling through the Ravelry pattern files refining my search *knitting* *picture* *free* *worsted.*  I love that you can even select the amount of yarn you have to make a project and they'll offer you what you can make with that.

The first one that caught my eye was Oonagh's First Hat.  It uses bulky yarn and size US13 needles.  Those are some big needles for a baby hat but I plunged in anyway.  I grabbed two strands of my favorite red & orange & lime green acrylic yarn and got clicking.  Everyone loves tiny newborn things but they fit for such a short time that I decided to make this first hat in the 6-12 month size.  It was quiet at work yesterday so I plugged my iPod into one ear and knitted.  Finished!  After supper I wove in the ends (didn't put my scissors & needle into my bag for work, grr) and snapped its picture.  It looks big to me but it's right on gauge for the size according to the pattern.  It probably qualifies as a Toddler hat.


Next up is the Basic Newborn Baby Hat in 100% cotton, to help him keep his head warm when he first arrives.  I'm a sucker for the roll brim look, but now that I think about it maybe it's a bit girly for a boy baby.  I just checked Ravelry again and the same designer has another Basic Newborn Hat pattern that's got a ribbed brim.  It uses the same yarn and the same size needles... maybe I'll rip out the inch I've got and do that one, it's only an inch.  (I hate ripping out knitting almost as much as I hate rewriting, and I really hate rewriting.)  Or I'll just keep going, it's not as if he'll have the wits to yank it off when he's so new.  (or maybe I'll make one of each, I wonder when the shower it...) This one will be the littlest, newborn hat he can wear home from the hospital if his Mama wants him to or around the house for his first few weeks, just until he gets his thermostat under control.

For the third (and probably last) hat, I'm thinking of something with earflaps.  Possibly this one since it's a pretty straightforward design.  I have some variegated yarn to use so I don't need anything design-y to make it more complicated.