Preemie Santa Hat

A little Santa hat.

Elf Preemie Hat

This hat was fast to make and I hope to make several more before Christmas.

Child's Peppermint Hat

This hat will be sent to the Pine Ridge Reservation.

Pink Swirl Preemie Hat

This pattern is knit in red and white and called Candy Cane in Handknit Holidays: Knitting Year-Round for Christmas, Hanukkah, and Winter Solstice by Melanie Falick.

I adapted the pattern as follows to make a preemie hat:
Using size 2 needles and DK yarn cast on 48 stitches.
Knit 6 rounds in stockinette stitch

**NOTE: There is an error in the pattern. Round 1 of the crown shaping should be as follows:
Rnd 1: K1, *skp, k4; repeat from * to last 5 sts, skp, k3.
All of the following rounds are correct.

Tomato Preemie Hat

The pattern is here.

Beanstalk Preemie Hat

The pattern can be found here.

One Million a Year

This article is about a report done by the March of Dimes
More Than One Million Preemies Die in First Month Annually:

In the United States, the rate of preterm births has increased 36 percent in the past 25 years, with births between the 34th and 36th week of gestation accounting for the majority of the increase, the organization found. Much of the hike in preterm births is linked to more pregnancies after the age of 35 and the use of fertility treatments that can lead to multiple births.

"Wherever trend data are available, rates of preterm birth are increasing," the report said.

Infants who survive premature birth face lifelong health risks, including the possible development of cerebral palsy, blindness, hearing loss, learning disabilities and other chronic conditions, according to the March of Dimes.

I can't do much about this, except knit little baby hats. And pray.

Thank You Note

I received a lovely thank you note from the Cheyenne Indian Reservation Youth Project for the mittens I sent them.

First Pumpkin Hat of the Season!

I am back to knitting preemie items. Here is my first hat for fall. The quarter is to show just how small this hat is.

Nine Pairs of Mittens!

I will be mailing these mittens to the Cheyenne Indian Reservation the last week of September.

Mitten Monday (9)

And here is the last pair of mittens for Mittnz 2009. In pink!

Mitten Monday (8)

Well, Mitten Monday one day late. I was distracted by the Labor Day holiday. These are a plain brown pair.

Mitten Monday (7)

I finished these oatmeal mittens late last night.

Mitten Monday (6)

This week I knit purple mittens.

Mitten Monday (5)

Another pair, this one in gold.

Mitten Monday (4)

Here is the photo of my fourth pair of mittens, this pair in orange. I like bright colors.

Mitten Monday (4)

The mittens are done, but there's not enough sunlight to get a good photo. I'll post one tomorrow.

Mitten Monday (3)

My third set of mittens. The band says it's khaki, but it looks more like just a light green to me.

Mitten Monday (2)

My second pair of mittens, this pair classic red. Perhaps the title of this post should be "Mitten Madness" as the temperature is supposed to be almost 100 degrees today.

What's the Point?

This blog post began with a comment I've heard before:

I just don’t think that knitting is the right response for every problem. For one thing, it’s slow. Do you know how long it takes to knit even a preemie cap? If handknits were really the solution to a problem, there would be a serious imbalance between supply and demand. That’s a bit facetious, but I wonder if all that knitting time wouldn’t be better spent lobbying or protesting for change, and whether knitted donations aren’t more about gratifying the the donor than fulfilling a need.

She continued:
I had these doubts in mind when I approached the Women’s Daytime Drop-in Center and asked if they needed a knitting teacher. I suspected my own motives and wondered whether I was offering something frivolous. But the volunteer coordinator assured me that to teach knitting to homeless and low-income women was to give them something of value –that the center’s clients needed more than just food, clothing, and shelter. I was reminded by this that homeless women and children are whole people; by offering a knitting class I would be honoring their creative impulses.

Yes! It might make more sense from a practical point of view to buy items or just send money, but there is an emotional gift being given as well as an item made of yarn. Little preemie hats keep those tiny baby heads warm, but they're also meant to make the parents see how lovely and special their babies are and to remind them that there are people, strangers, in the world who care about them and their babies. I've received thank you letters from parents and know that is true. And it's the same with hats and mittens made for children. I want them to know that there is someone they don't know who is thinking about them and wants them to be warm and has spent time and money making something beautiful as well as useful. It's that connection that makes the difference. It's that connection that is the point of knitting for others.