These little hats make a great stash-busting project that gives back to the community at the same time.Queue this on Ravelry!
Materials:
Small amounts of sport-weight soft, washable yarn in pastels, or colors of your choice
US3 (3.25mm) double-pointed needles
Tapestry needle
Gauge:
6.5 to 7 sts = 1in (2.54cm), depending on your yarn
A slightly different gauge will give you a slightly smaller or larger hat, but all baby heads are different anyway.
Finished Size:
11-12in (28-30.5cm) in circumference
Click here for Abbreviations
Pattern:
CO 72 sts and distribute to dpns. Join, being careful not to twist.
Work k2, p2 ribbing for 6 rnds.
Eyelet Version Only:
Rnds 1-3: knit.
Rnd 4: *k1, k2tog, yo, k3*; rep between *s around.
Rnds 5-7: knit.
Rnd 8: *k4, k2tog, yo*; rep between *s around.
Rep Rnds 1-8 twice more.
Continue to Crown Shaping below.
Heart Version Only:
Rnds 1-3: knit.
Rnd 4: *k6, p1, k5*; rep between *s around.
Rnd 5: *k5, [p1, k1] twice, k3*; rep between *s around.
Rnd 6: *k4, [p1, k1] three times, k2*; rep between *s around.
Rnds 7, 9, 11: *k3, [p1, k1] four times, k1*; rep between *s around.
Rnds 8, 10: *k2, [p1, k1] five times*; rep between *s around.
Rnd 12: *k4, [p1, k3] twice*; rep between *s around.
Knit 12 more rnds.
Continue to Crown Shaping below.
Diamond Version Only:
Rnds 1-3: knit.
Rnds 4, 12: *k6, p1, k5*; rep between *s around.
Rnds 5, 11: *k5, p1, k1, p1, k4*; rep between *s around.
Rnds 6, 10: *k4, p1, k3, p1, k3*; rep between *s around.
Rnds 7, 9: *k3, p1, k5, p1, k2*; rep between *s around.
Rnd 8: *k2, p1, k7, p1, k1*; rep between *s around.
Knit 12 more rnds.
Continue to Crown Shaping below.
Crown Shaping (Eyelet, Heart and Diamond Versions):
Rnd 1 and all odd rnds: knit.
Rnd 2: *k4, k2tog*; rep between *s around - 60 sts.
Rnd 4: *k3, k2tog*; rep between *s around - 48 sts.
Rnd 6: *k2, k2tog*; rep between *s around - 36 sts.
Rnd 8: *k1, k2tog*; rep between *s around - 24 sts.
Rnd 10: k2tog around - 12 sts.
Knit one more rnd even.
Cut tail and thread through remaining loops. Pull tight and tie off. Weave in ends.
Striped Version Only:
CO 72 sts with color A and distribute to dpns. Join, being careful not to twist.
Work k2, p2 ribbing for 6 rnds.
Switch to color B, without cutting color A. Knit two rnds with color B.
Switch back to color A, without cutting color B, by twisting the two strands behind work. Knit two rnds with color A.
Continue in stst, changing colors every two rnds, for 24 rnds above ribbing.
Follow crown shaping as above, but continue to change color every two rnds.
Ribbed Version Only:
CO 72 sts and distribute to dpns. Join, being careful not to twist.
Work k2, p2 ribbing for 30 rnds.
Crown Shaping (Ribbed Version):
Rnd 1: *k2, p2, k2, p2tog*; rep between *s around - 63 sts.
Rnd 2: *k2, p2, k2, p1*; rep between *s around.
Rnd 3: *k2, p2, k1, p2tog*; rep between *s around - 54 sts.
Rnd 4: *k2, p2, k1, p1*; rep between *s around.
Rnd 5: *k2, p2, p2tog*; rep between *s around - 45 sts.
Rnd 6: *k2, p3*; rep between *s around.
Rnd 7: *k2, p1, p2tog*; rep between *s around - 36 sts.
Rnd 8: *k2, p2*; rep between *s around.
Rnd 9: *k2tog, p2tog*; rep between *s around - 18 sts.
Rnd 10: *k1, p1*; rep between *s around.
Rnd 11: k2tog around - 9 sts.
Cut tail and thread through remaining loops. Pull tight and tie off. Weave in ends.
Feel free to comment here with questions.
This pattern is intended for personal use only. Please do not try to sell it or any product made from it. Thank you.
73 comments:
Cute, Cute, Cute! I love these preemie hat patterns. Thanks so much for sharing them. I've finished my first one and there will be more to come. I love knitting for the preemies and these hats will go to a NICU unit that I donate to.
Glad you like them. I'd love to see pictures of your versions if possible.
I'll take pictures before I mail the off and let you know when they're up on my blog. :)
Awesome! Thanks.
These are just wonderful! Thank you for sharing your great work!
Che
You're welcome. Let me know if you make any; I'd love to see pictures.
I think some of the pattern is missing. I am knitting the eyelet hat and it doesn't seem to be complete. Am I missing something?
I LOVE the patterns regardless! Thank you for posting them
The crown shaping for the eyelet, heart and diamond versions is the same, so I just put it at the end of those versions. I've edited the pattern to clarify that.
Is that what you were missing?
I think what I was missing was how many more rows to knit after I do the initial 8 rows or the eyelet pattern.
Oops! Yes, you're right. I had left that bit out. The 8 eyelet-pattern rounds are repeated twice more before starting the crown shaping.
I finished my first eyelet hat last night. Thanks for clarifying the eyelet repeat. I looked at the picture and just guessed! It turned out pretty cute! I am now in the process of making matching booties to send to "The Preemie Project" and they donate to a NICU in Iowa!
Just wanted to say thanks for writing these out. I am in a bit of a panic in that I have to knit for at least six new babies. I was wondering where to find a pattern - and here they are! Thanks again!
The patterns are great, thank you, but I have just started knitting the diamond pattern and it is the heart pattern. I think they are the wrong way around ;)
Oops! You're right. Sorry about that.
Thanks for pointing it out. It has been fixed.
These are the best little premmie patterns I have found. Thanks for sharing them. Happy knitting
Kind regards Lynne
Thanks!
I was tickled to see your patterns. It is good to have something different. Can't wait to try your patterns..thank u
You're very welcome!
those are all great patterns. my knit group at work just gave away over 100 preemie items to a hospital in chicago.
for our next go round, i'd love to use your patterns. i just sent my group your link. thanks for sharing!!
100? Wow! I'm sure the babies would thank you if they could.
And I'm honored you want to use my patterns. Please do.
I would like to know if there is an easy way to adapt your pattern for knitting preemie socks...it would be nice for the parents to have a matching set. I was thinking of putting the hearts on the top of the sock before knitting down to the heel. Thanks! I will check back to see if you have replied to this post.
I would think you could take any little sock pattern, such as these, and just add the heart/diamond/eyelet pattern around the leg part.
Thank you so much for creating these patterns using sport-weight yarn. It's so hard to find preemie patterns that don't use 4-ply yarn which I feel is too bulky for such tiny babies. These are so pretty and delicate-looking, I can't wait to get started.
Thank you for sharing your patterns. I look forward to knitting them for the premmie babes here in Australia.
THanks for such an adorable pattern! I've just started knitting them to donate for the first time--I hope my turn out as cute as yours. Have linked to this on my blog.:-)
Thank you for the wonderful patterns! I need full term patterns so I may play with these and see.
Thank you sooo much for posting these patterns ! I have a 2 week old nephew who was born at 32 weeks weighing 3lbs2oz...still a very sick little boy. He needs little hats even while he is in the NICU...so I have been making desperate searches for tiny patterns. Thanks again for helping me keep him warm, cozy and feeling that his aunt loves him.
Thanks so much for these great patterns!! I have a knitting retreat and everyone brings a knitted preemie cap for charity. In January, I collected 68 hats and bootie/hat sets. They were distributed to Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC and Medical College of Virginia, in Richmond, VA. People are still giving me hats! I'll circulate your patterns in case people are getting tired of the others I circulated. Again, thanks - they're sooo cute!
Lovely patterns and I´m guessing they are quite fast... My dad´s sister (yes, my aunt, but she´s only older than me for a year and a half)had a baby girl last week and we are going to meet her this weekend, so this would make a great present...
I have been wanting to learn how to knit, and after seeing a segment on charity knitting on Knitty Gritty and then finding your pages on the web, I found the ideal way to build knitting skills and help a few babies in the process! So far I've done 24 preemie hats using your patterns. I've learned how to knit both continental and English style, how to make stripes, how to master the magic loop method, and even devised a simple Fair Isle pattern. They always turn out so cute! I am most grateful for your generosity in sharing these lovely patterns. Thanks so much, DD
I am having trouble printing these out. I only get parts of the pattern. When it finishes page 1 printing and goes to page 2 it skips some of the instructions. It does that for each page.
Huh. I don't have a printer hooked up to this computer, but when I go to print preview, it shows everything. I don't know what could be causing that. I guess the only thing I can suggest is to print it out and then jot down the missing bits in the margins. Sorry.
Thanks for the great patterns. I have six hats made and would like to donate them to a participating hospital. At the time I found your webpage, I know I saw one that had a list of the hospitals that would accept preemie hats. Somehow I have lost that information. Can you direct me?
Unfortunately, I cannot. I'm not familiar with the website you are referring to. Sorry. I would try contacting any hospitals in your area, especially ones with busy NICUs or in underprivileged areas. Good luck!
Carissa,
I was wondering if you'd ever done any of these hats on circular needles instead of DP's. I'm really awful with DP's and like circulars better. Do you think it's work with a 16" circular?
I was just wondering.
Thanks!
Kristen
Kristen, since these hats are only about 12 inches around (and get smaller at the crown), you wouldn't be able to stretch your stitches onto shorter circular. You may be able to make them on a longer circular needle using the magic loop method. Or you can work them flat, adding a couple seam stitches and then sew them up. Hope that helps.
thank you so much for sharing these patterns.
i've just started knitting hats for the NICU unit, and will surely knit these!
Thank you!!
-Linda, The Netherlands
Thanks so much for posting these wonderful patterns. I have just started knitting preemie hats for my local hospital and they just love them. This my first attempt with all those needles, but it has been easy. Now if I could figure out how to do a bunny I would be in heaven. LOL
Thanks again,
Dyan, Reno NV
Wow - such lovely preemie caps. Our ladies group is getting ready to knit baby and preemie caps this year. May we use your patterns for this charity effort? Such great ideas and creativity.
Absolutely!
Great patterns! I will never need another hat pattern. What do you suggest to make these patterns application to a full term baby? I wasn't sure if I should change the needle size or add another inch. Your thoughts? You are most kind and generous to share your gift with the world of knitters. I am so grateful.
A full-term newborn's head circumference is about 2 inches larger than this pattern. You could use a thicker yarn and larger needles to make a slightly bigger hat. Or if you added 12 stitches at the original gauge that would increase the circumference about 2 inches, and you could just throw in an extra decrease round (*k5, k2tog* around) at the beginning of the crown shaping. Hope that helps!
Thanks for posting the pattern. My son's in NICU right now. I am so happy there was a little knitted hat there for him, so I want to make some more to add to their stash.
Thanks for these patterns Carissa :) they are a God sent just as you.....
I have been making premie/newborn hats for differnet facilities. I have been looking for different patterns. These look great - just what I was looking for. Any different patterns would be appreciated.
Sue @ SueFCCOD@AOL.com
Thanks very much for sharing these wonderful patterns! My LYS is providing yarn for people to stay and knit preemie hats for donation to local hospitals and I was able to get two of these out of a skein.
Thanks for sharing these patterns. I'm using them to knit hats for the Knit One, Save One campaign. I'll post a picture on Ravelry when I'm done.
Thanks for sharing the pattern. I love these little hats.
I'm an experienced knitter who loves to knit while watching TV. But living in a warm California climate has taken the joy out of knitting, because I don't need sweaters here. Last night the thought of preemie caps came to me and I just found your website. It's by far the best of all the "free patterns for preemie caps". I'm going to the yarn shop tomorrow....
Thanks for the patterns! I found it on Ravelry. It's perfect for the tons of pastel yarn I have laying around from a friend. I'll be sure to post pictures to Ravelry when I'm done. (lesjoujou on Ravelry)
Carissa: do you have a favorite brand of yarn for the preemie caps? All your pictures are simply adorable. I learned to knit in Europe and we don't have labels on our yarn, like sport-weight or 4-ply, everything goes by gauge. So what's your favorite sport-weight yarn, if you have any? And what's the difference between that and 4-ply yarn?
I'm not sure what brand of yarn I used for these hats. It was all random balls from my stash that had long since lost their labels.
Sport-weight is usually somewhere in the 23-26 sts per 4 inches (10 cm) range. 4-ply could still vary depending on how big the plies are, so I don't usually pay attention to the number of plies. Here's a nice site for standardized yarn measurements used in the US. Hope that helps!
Is there any way you can help me convert this pattern for a toddler? My neighbor saw me knitting the preemie hat and wants to make one for her daughter!
I knit and crochet preemie hats, leaving them at "The Knitting Nest" in Austin, TX. This generous shop owner collects hats and blankets in a large jar for a hospital here in town. A group of knitting nurses pick up what's in the jar after their weekly knitting sessions at the shop. I've done 40 or so and really enjoy using your patterns, which the shop owner provided for those of us less adapt at making our own patterns. One thing I have done was to create very small hats using just half your patterns for the very smallest of preemies, who usually don't make it. It lets me provide the parents with something for their babies to keep as a remembrance or something nice to bury their infants in. I understand many parents are young and/or don't have a lot of money to afford something nice for their deceased infants. Thanks for making your patterns so available for uses such as these. You have allowed me to partake in a very special ministry by using smaller amounts of yarn, I'd have otherwise thrown away. You are indeed special!!
I finished mine! Pictures here:
http://lesjoujou.blogspot.com/2009/02/ribbed-lace-bolero-preemie-hats-for.html
and on Ravelry. :)
Melissa,
Here's a handy list of hat sizes for different ages. These preemie hats are meant to be 11-12 inches around, and a typical toddler's head is 18-20 inches. So you'd need to increase 7-8 inches. For these patterns, I used a multiple of 12 sts, so I'd cast on about 120-132 sts, depending on your gauge. I'd also recommend working even for longer, maybe 4-5 inches from cast on, before beginning the crown shaping.
Hope that helps!
I printed out the patterns quite a while ago and knitted the heart pattern and it turned out to be the diamond. Tonight I started the diamond hat and the directions are exactly the same as the heart pattern which is the diamond pattern.
Yes, originally, I had the heart and diamond patterns switched accidentally. That has been corrected now, but if you printed it out a while back, your copy may be from before I fixed it.
There is a wonderful organization (http://www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org/) that provides professional photographers & their photos free of charge to people who suffer the loss of a newborn. I have just been asked to make caps for these tiny babies by a local photographer. Thanks so much for the patterns.
I love these patterns thanks for sharing them :)
Hi Carissa! I love your work! I have been looking all over trying to find a hat like the eyelet ones that you knit. Although I have no knitting skills at all...I was wondering if you sell them also? I would be more than interested in purchasing atleast 2 of them, maybe more. I am pregnant with our second and have been looking for a hats like yours for a while now! If you would be interested in selling any, my email is tab.mack@gmail.com
Thank you for your time! You're work is beautiful!
Thank you so much Carissa for making your preemie hat patterns available on the internet - for free, no less. I was in desperate need of a pattern for an about-to-be-born-early grandson and found your site. It calmed me greatly to sit and knit, and the finished product was beautiful. Many thanks again to you. Lorna
Too cute! My daughter is almost due with twins (boy and girl), I have been knitting baby stuff for 7months. I like these hats so much more than what I have finished. Starting these hats today! Thank you!
Thank you Carissa! On Ravelry's home page there is a listing for Andrew's Preemie Hat Project. It's a 10 yr old boy collecting preemie hats for charity in NC. I live in CA but have a large stash of baby yarn. I'm going to start using it up and sending the hats to Andrew. This is great!
This info is for the person asking about using a circular needle - you can use two circulars, knitting from one to the other in a circle. You can work down to the smallest of decreases this way. socks are made using this method.
Please advise the length from beginning to start of the crown section on these adorable hats.
The hats should measure approximately 3-4in/8-10cm before beginning the crown shaping.
Hi Carissa! I just finished your eyelet hat and I love it! I'm now making your diamond version and got to the 8th round with half a diamond, the pattern says knit 12 more rounds, how will that finish the diamond? I must be reading it wrong, should I go back up the pattern to finish the diamond or did I screw it up? It's such an adorable hat and I want to finish it!! Thanks so much!
The 12 rounds after you finish the diamond are just knit, as in stockinette, until you get to the crown shaping. Hope that helps.
i finished the first 8 rounds of the diamond pattern and ended up with half of a diamond,
(Rnd 8: *k2, p1, k7, p1, k1*; rep between *s )around. was the last round I did. I haven't done the 12 knit rounds yet, how will the rest of the diamond show up with the 12 Knit rounds?
You still have Rnds 9-12 of the diamond pattern before the 12 even knit rounds. If you look closely at the pattern, Rnd 9 is the same as Rnd 7; Rnd 10 is Rnd 6; Rnd 11 is Rnd 5; and Rnd 12 is Rnd 4.
ahhhhhh thank you so much! I adore these hats and want to make a bunch! My pregnant brain must be shrinking! Thank you for getting back to me so quickly, I am so excited to work on it tonight! Thanks again!!!
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