[*Anna*]

I am working on a scarf for our new baby.... and I want to knit a baby hat too. I've only done scarves... and a friend taught me how, so I get confused on all the "purl" and "knit" and numbers. I make scarves and just knit with out counting.

DO you have any instructions for simple baby hats? I'm using some pretty thick yarn, I'll put pics below. And any sites you know of that has maybe a tutorial or something like how to with a video to show me how to do a hat?

Thanks

[*Mrs.J.2011*]

i'm no help, but I wanted to say that the scarf looks great! cant wait to see pics once everything is done!

I'm not Caroline either but I'm very much a beginner - gonna PM you a hat recipe until Caroline reads this...

ETA: LOL @ recipe.... I meant pattern

[*Anna*]

Thanks Kaleigh!!!

[~Caroline~]

I love baby hats!

You will find a bunch of patterns here.

Most hats are knit in the round, which means you will have to use a set of 4 or 5 (your choice) double pointed needles. It looks difficult but it's no more difficult than knitting with regular straight needles (you're always using only two needles at a time anyways). This pattern seems pretty easy and it looks like it would work with a bulky yarn (it says to use two strands of yarn but ignore that and use only one if you're using thick yarn).

I tried to find a pattern for two needles only with bulky yarn and couldn't find anything. Most baby patterns call for thinner yarn.

Oh and here's a great site for techniques. Lots of videos! I use it all the time.

[*Anna*]

Thanks Caroline . I'm off to check it out. So I'll go to Michaels this weekend to buy needles, I still have another 2-3 hrs on this scarf.

How do the needles come?

Caroline, are you knitting anything just now?

[~Caroline~]

Anna, I'm not sure I understand your question! They come in a pack of 4 or 5 (it depends on the brand) if that's what you mean. I prefer to use 4, but I know many people who prefer 5.

Fiona: I'm trying to finish my Christmas gifts! I'm making mittens for my mom:




And then a hat for my stepdad and I'll be done. I still think I can make it!

ETA: Anna, these are double pointed needles in my pics (yours will have to be bigger cause you have thicker yarn).

[*Anna*]

Thanks Caroline- off to buy needles and another thing of the yarn. Now, I am confused, cuz the way I learned to knit scarves was "watch me and do it"... and I did. I don't know the terminology.

BUT, I need some help: in bold- I have NO IDEA what that means.... (what are the astericks below for?) Thanks
Crown Decrease
Change to double points when sts no longer fit on circular needle.

Rnd 1: *k2, p2tog; rep from * - 36 sts
Rnd 2: *k2, p1; rep from *
Rnds 3 & 4: Rep Rnd 2Rnd 5: *k2tog, p1; rep from * - 24 sts
Rnd 6: *k1, p1; rep from *
Rnd 7: *k1, k2tog; rep from * - 16 sts
Rnd 8: k
Rnd 9: k2tog around - 8 sts

[~Caroline~]

Crown decrease: That's where you start decreasing the amount of stitches you have so you can close the top of the hat.

Change to double points when sts no longer fit on circular needle: That means that if you're starting with circular needles, you will need to change to double pointed needles at some point because you'll decrease the amount of stitches on the needles and it won't fit on circular needles anymore. But you can also just start with double pointed needles and not use circulars at all.

*k2, p2tog; rep from * - 36 sts: That means "knit 2 stitches, then purl two stitches together" then you repeat that until the end of the round. You should have 36 stitches left at the end of the round.

*k2, p1; rep from *: "Knit two stitches, then purl one stitch" then you repeat these steps until the end of the round.

Rnds 3 & 4: Rep Rnd 2: For rows 3 and 4, you just repeat what you did on row two, above (knit two stitches, purl one stitch and repeat until the end)

Hopefully that helps. Explaining knitting is hard!

[*Anna*]

Thanks again Caroline. I'm going to work on it! I have 4 months til our baby is here to do it Its harder than it seems.... but I can't wait to do it

The thought of the double ended needles scared me I would get so confused if I had to use those. I have a hat link which uses normal needles, it turned out well. I plan to keep doing blankets though. They seem to turn out fab size for the car seat and pram.

[~Caroline~]

I'm telling you, double needles are used just like normal straight needles! You're holding two at a time, the other 2 or 3 are just hanging there. I swear it's eaaaaaaaaaasy! I taught myself how to knit and if I can do it, believe me, anyone can!

hmmmmm I might look into it then cos ALL baby cardigans are done with DP needles and it's really put me off attempting any

[*Anna*]

Fiona and Caroline- can u post some pics of some knitting projects u made? I would love to see for inspiration

[~Caroline~]

You can see all my projects from my first ugly uneven scarf to my latest ones here.

Some of my favourites:







I haven't made many baby things yet though, but I've been working on a baby cardigan for ages (I'll have to pick it back up when I'm done with Christmas knitting):

[*Anna*]

Very cute!!!! They are all very nice!!! Thanks for showing

I've only done the blanket and hat I posted previously...





I have done another grey marbly type blanket, you can just see it on the cot here:


Done 1 bootee as well but it didn't turn out good and I don't have a piccie.

[*Anna*]

Fiona- I love the hat and blankets you made!!! So cute!!! You two are such great knitters! I find it easy to do scarves, but its so hard to do the other stuff!!!!

Thanks for inspiring me