Preemie Hats VII

I love choosing color combinations and red with blue is one of  my favorites.

Preemie Hats VI

Another six little preemie hats. 

Preemie Hats V

I knit these hats using the formula method.   For sock yarn I'll cast on 36 stitches with size 3 dpns and for fingering weight I'll cast on 44 with size 2 dpns.  I usually knit 8-12 rounds of ribbing--sometimes k2, p2, sometimes k1, p1. I'll vary that my occasionally knitting the knit stitches through the back loop.

The body of the hat is 20-30 rounds.  I've knit a few plain hats but they are boring to knit so I'll try different ideas.  A round or two of purl stitches in a different color, a round or two of purl stitches in the same yarn, a stitch pattern that can be easily divisible into the stitches (4 stitch patterns work well).  I often use stitch patterns I've used for socks I've knit  (see another of my blogs, Knitting Only Socks).  Simple Fair Isle patterns just above the ribbing would also work well.

I end with a top knot or an I-cord or a pom-pom.  It's easy to experiment here because these hats are so small.

The weather has been a bit cooler lately which makes it perfect for knitting.   I'm working two days this week and I've gone in early to have some quiet time to work on these little hats.

Preemie Hats IV

And more hats, one with a small fair-isle pattern above  the ribbing. 

Preemie Hats III

I work on the preemie hats a few hours every day.  I prefer to end them with little topknots or i-cords although some just call for pom-poms on the top.   It takes me a couple of hours or less to knit one depending on how complicated it is and most are simple.  I knit at my desk, outside listening to the birds singing, in the car when I'm a passenger.  I had a week off work last week because it was Intersession Week and I'll only be working a few afternoons a week during the summer which will mean more time to knit!

Black Sheep Gathering

This is the first year I've gone to the Black Sheep Gathering although I've lived in the area from before its beginning.  I didn't go to buy yarn.  My goal this summer is to use up as much of my yarn stash as possible after all. I did, however, pick up business cards with the idea of purchasing some later.

I'm going to have fun this week visiting a  lot of websites!

There were several teams in the Sheep to Shawl competition.  Wouldn't it be fun to learn  how to use a spinning wheel and a loom? First of all ,though, I'd have to talk my husband into the idea.

There was lots and lots of beautiful yarn and yarn petting was encouraged.   I tried not to drool.

 

There was a variety of items made from wool from classics to whimsical.

I enjoyed the sheep show especially. I really do love sheep.

 When we lived in the country, a few miles from where we live now, we had a small herd of them.   We had almost eight acres and much of it was grass and the sheep kept it "mowed" for us. There were both sheep and goats at the gathering.

Many workshops were offered, including learning dozens of ways to cast on, Russian style continental knitting, and how to shear sheep.  And there were workshops  on Latvian fingerless mitts and Aran cardigans from the top down, both taught  by Beth Brown-Reinsel.  To die for!   Here is a link to her website. 

Oh, yes! I'll be back next year!

Fuschia Hat

Another hat with a pattern easy to memorize and another to add to my list to make again. The free pattern is here. I'm still working on knitting up my yarn stash but it seems like it's multiplying. Everywhere I look I find more bins of yarn.

Preemie Hats II

These are very small hats and would fit on a plum.  All the patterns I'm knitting I've knit before so they go quickly. I especially like the little elf hat.

Slouchy Beanie

The free pattern for this hat can be found here on Ravelry. The weather has been cooler with some showers. Clearly summer has not yet arrived in Oregon.  It usually doesn't until early July and this year is no exception.  It is good knitting weather though.  I'm still going to knit hats but my attention for the next few weeks will be on knitting preemie hats and mittens.

Preemie Hats I

 

Here are the first six preemie hats I've knit for Albany General Hospital. I love to chose different colors and patterns and they do knit up quickly.   I'll be working on these every day and will try to post photos of hats I've knit at least every week.  My plan is to mail them all to Stash on July 14th so they're received by the deadline of July 17th.

Infant Mitts II

Here's another set of four infant mitts for babies 0-3 months old made of leftover sock yarn.

Pink Purl Baby Hat

The pattern for this hat can be found on Ravelry here.  It took an entire 50 gram ball of Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino yarn. 

Preemie Hats Plus Reading

My local yarn store, Stash LLC, is sponsoring a month of charity knitting.  They'll be collecting hats for preemies and newborns for the next month, through July 17th , to donate to Albany General Hospital.  A nice incentive is that for each hat dropped off at Stash between June 12th and July 17th, knitters will  receive one raffle ticket to win a fabulous prize from their prize basket.  Fun!  Stay tuned! I'm knitting up a storm and in the next few weeks will post photos of the preemie hats I'll be donating.

I've also noted that my local library, Corvallis-Benton Public Library, is sponsoring a summer reading for adults program. Entries will be accepted June 8th – August 9th and there will be weekly prize drawings.
More fun!

Blue Beanie

This is a pattern I've knit before (Man Needs Hat).   The yarn is worsted weight wool but there was no band so that's all I know.

Brixter Beanie

I found this pattern on Ravelry (here) and thought it might be difficult or complicated but I was wrong.  I knit it in less than a day and I'm happy with how it turned out.  I have quite a bit of  DK yarn so I'll likely knit it again. 

Infant Mitts

This is an easy, fast pattern to make little mitts for babies newborn to three months from small amounts of fingering or sock yarn.  A free pattern from Ravelry found here.

Pink Ridges Beanie

 

Another great free pattern from Ravelry.  It can be found here.

Wood-Smoke Watchcap

This is my go-to pattern for making charity hats.  It is portable and the pattern is a simple one.