Knitted Preemie Hat

Baby Cairo arrived about a month earlier than he was expected, and is tiny… so he needs to preserve his body heat.  The photo at right was taken when he was only a few days old... already smiling and happy to be part of his family!

They gave him a sweet little knitted stocking cap at the hospital, and I knitted him another one. He just got it today, and his mama texted me a couple of photos of him wearing it… it fits perfectly! Here’s a photo below, of the completed hat and the very simple pattern I used to knit it.

Preemie Hat:

Supplies needed:

Size 8 double pointed knitting needles (mine are bamboo, 5 needles to a set)

Soft worsted weight yarn (weight 4); I used Bernat; it does not use much yarn.

Yarn needle

Knitting marker

Cast on 40 stitches, not too tightly . Divide among 4 needles, 10 stitches per needle, taking care not to twist stitches.

Place a marker for beginning of round.

Rounds 1-6: Knit 2, Purl 2 around to form ribbing.  Begin stockinette stitch.

*Knit 5 rows around.  Next row: Purl around.  The purl row will create the ridged pattern.

Repeat these 6 rows four times, then knit every row until cap measures about 4-1/2” long.

Begin decreases to form crown; note that sometimes you will need to transfer a stitch to the adjoining needle to make the decreases.

Row 1 (decrease row): *Knit 6, knit 2 together; repeat from * around; 35 stitches.

Row 2: Knit to end of round.

Row 3 (decrease row): *Knit 5, knit 2 together; repeat from * around; 30 stitches.

Row 4: Knit to end of round.

Row 5 (decrease row): *Knit 4, knit 2 together; repeat from * around; 25 stitches.

Row 6: Knit to end of round.

Row 7 (decrease row): *Knit 3, Knit 2 together; repeat from * around; 20 stitches.

Row 8: Knit to end of round.

Row 9 (decrease row): *Knit 2, Knit 2 together; repeat from * around; 15 stitches.

Row 10: Knit to end of round.

Row 11 (decrease row): *Knit 1, Knit 2 together; repeat from * around; 10 stitches.

Row 12: Knit to end of round.

Row 13: *Knit 2 together; repeat from * around; 5 stitches.

Place the remaining stitches on one double pointed needle.

Decrease one stitch, so there are 4 stitches remaining.

Using 2 double pointed needles, knit an I-cord with the remaining 4 stitches.

Row 1: Knit all 4 stitches. Do not turn the work, but slide the stitches to the beginning of the needle.

Row 2: Knit all 4 stitches.  The yarn will be carried from behind the ending stitch to the beginning, forming the I-cord. 

Repeat these 2 rows until I-cord is desired length, about 1” or 2”.

Cut yarn, leaving a tail long enough to thread into a yarn needle.  Draw yarn through all 4 stitches, and secure well.  Pass needle through the “tube” of the I-cord, hiding the yarn tail, if desired.

The cap with the ribbing turned up is pictured at left.

Here's Cairo wearing his new hat, wrapped in the shawl I crocheted for him.  I asked my granddaughter (his mama) if she wanted more hats, and she laughed and said he's growing fast, so I'd better make them a little bigger! 

Babies are truly little miracles... I remember looking at my own babies in awe, amazed at how quickly they grew and changed, day to day. Now, my "babies" range in age from 42 (43 in a few days) to 57. I still can remember how they looked and how I felt when I first cradled them in my arms. No matter how old they get, they are still our cherished babies... and those memories live within us always.

And now... another generation of babies are adding another layer of sweetness to our family. I am proud of my grandchildren, seeing what good parents they are.  My children have done well, raising their children to be loving and patient adults.   Most weekends, my son and daughter bring their grandbabies (and often the babies' mothers) over to bond with each other and with me... it's one of my greatest blessings, to be part of their lives in a tangible way.  It's one more reason I'm happy I moved to be closer to my family.

These little hats take very little yarn and I knit one in just a few hours... although I am not a fast knitter.  The one Cairo received in the hospital is striped, of several yarns. It's a wonderful way to use up yarn left from other projects, and provide a needed ministry, donating them to local hospitals to be given to newborns. If you aren't a knitter, I'm sure crocheted versions would be welcomed, as well.  There are many services that are based on donations like this... Project Linus is one, with quilts and blankets given to children in hospitals. Our church quilting group made quilts for them, as well.  Even as we become less mobile, we can still work on projects like these, and feel useful, with a purpose.  Babies will blossom, wrapped in the love gifts we make!