Baby hats and more deliveries

While watching the video from my niece's school production this afternoon I was able to finish the hats I wanted to make to match the sweaters from last Saturday's baby shower. I was able to get a rolled-edge hat out of the remainder of the single skein of the Hobby Lobby yarn, Sweet Delights, Prints, Bubblegum.

This is all I have left over after making the BSJ sweater and the hat. The skein is 4 oz (115gms), 377 yards (345 m) and makes both the sweater on size (US) 4 (3.5mm )needles and the hat.

Based on the Umbilical Hat in the Stitch and Bitch book, I used size (US) 6 (4.0mm) needles, a cast on of 64 stitches, st. st for 6" (15 1/2 cm), and then began my decreases. I did the typical K6, K2tog around and a plain knit row in between each decrease row, until I got down to the K2 tog around section. Then I kept "K2tog"ing until there were only 4 stitches left on my needle. I finished it off with a 4 stitch I-chord for 1 1/2" (4 cm) and then bind off, drawing the end through the tube before knotting it on the top of the hat. Pretty cute? I just loveeeeeeeee this yarn! So 'squishy'!

The finished circumference is 15" (38 1/2 cm) and roughly 6 1/2" (16 1/2 cm) in depth. Easy peasy.

To make the white hat to match the 5-hour baby sweater, I dropped down to (US) 4 (3.5mm)needles with the cast on of 64 stitches. St. st for 18 rows, and then repeated the same texture pattern in the yolk of the sweater. Knitting the hat in the round, mean that rather than making a Bar 1 by Knitting into the bar between the stitches, I had to Purl the bar and Purl the next stitch around after the K2 Tog row to retain the correct number of stitches. To finish it off..I added another 4 rows of st. st before beginning the decrease section of the crown of the hat. I used the same dec 'recipe' as in the above hat. Again going to a 4 stitch I-chord for 1 1/2" (4 cm) before binding off.

This hat ended up with ~ a 14" (35 3/4 cm)circumference and a 6" (15 1/2 cm) depth. I love how you can roll up the bottom section to make it longer or shorter, depending on the size of the baby's head. I real 'grow with me' kind of hat. I wish I'd have had these when my kids were little!

I think when I do this hat again, I'd move the textured section down a bit in the hat..with 10-12 rows of st. st, then the textured rows, and finish with 12-14 rows of st. st before the decrease section. To me, the picture makes the white hat appear somewhat top heavy.

These little ditties are about to be delivered. The top three dishcloths will go to Mom and her sister. They used to spend hours up at the lake (both have sold their life long cabins up there) watching and enjoying hummingbirds. The blue square is on it's way to the efforts of those assembling afghans for the Kansas tornadoes last month. May it find may companions to keep some tootsies warm!

Here's what you get your brother for his birthday..even when he's 46! And he's happy to get it! And so is his daughter.

Back to more knitting while visiting with the family. Now, if only my cell phone would get a signal in town here! It's maddening to not be able to call out or receive any calls within a huge section of this city! I'm not a fan ready to produce any 'can you hear me now' commercials at this point.