Two More Baby Heads To Warm

Pattern:  basic rolled brim hat

Yarn:  Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino

Needle:  size 6  or  size 5

I have made this same sweet baby hat over and over. For babies I knew. For babies I've never met. For babies that belong to friends. And babies that belong to people I don't know. (Daughters often request hats for their friends and co-workers.) Hats are given to babies at our church. Hats are mailed across the country to new babies in other states. Sometimes I get photos of babies wearing their hat. Other times I never know if they are worn. But they are knitted proof that someone cares.

I just counted. I've made 27 of these little hats so far. Now, I have also made another 15 hats from several other patterns. (I do love the cabled baby hat, too.) But it's this simple rolled brim hat that I love best. It is just the sweetest hat on a newborn baby. And it's pretty quick to make, which is a plus for me. 

This is not exactly a pattern, but just the most basic directions. If you've knitted hats before, this is enough information for you to make one. If you are a newer knitter, you can search the internet for more complete patterns.

 Newborn Rolled Brim Hat

I use DK or sport weight yarn (less than 50 grams) and always choose something that is machine washable. I don't worry about the "lay flat to dry" part. These little hats dry quickly.

You'll need size 5 or size 6 (16-inch) circular needles and DPNs. I have used both, depending on which needles I have empty. If your yarn is slightly finer, you might the size 5 best. There will be a some difference in the hat size with the difference size needles, but both will work for a newborn. Size 6 is usually my first choice.

Cast on 72 stitches. Join. Knit for 5 to 5-1/4 inches.

Begin decreases:
   K2tog, k6
   K2tog, k5
   K2tog, k4, etc.

Switch to DPNs when necessary.

When there are 5 stitches left on needles, work i-cord for about 6 rows. Last row, I work two k2tog to give me 3 stitches left. Cut yarn and run tail through those 3 stitches. Take yarn down through inside of stem and work in end.

Baby Girl in her newborn hat a couple of years ago

I like to wash the hats in Dreft before I give them, so that they are ready to wear. Be sure to tell the new mom. And I tag them with care instructions. For babies, I want a yarn that is machine washable. The Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino can be machine washed, but should be laid flat to dry. A tiny hat will dry quickly so that's not a big deal. There are yarns that can go into the dryer, too.

Big warning for any knitted item!!!  Make sure avoid contact—especially in the washer—with Velcro. It will grab onto the knit and doesn't want to let go. Sometimes I'll include a mesh bag (especially when giving a blanket) for laundry in with the gift. With our grandchildren, we would put the bibs with Velcro tabs into one of those bags when doing laundry to keep the Velcro away from any knitted items.

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UPDATE:  This morning it looks like the hurricane will graze the coastline of our state tomorrow. But maybe as a lower category storm than first thought. The problem with hurricanes is that information keeps changing making an "accurate" prediction possible. We could see that people were taking the evacuation order seriously as we drove about 100 miles in the direction of our coast yesterday for a funeral. Needless to say our drive back home took longer than it took to get there.