Adorable Long Tail Baby Bonnet

Towards the end of my pregnancy, when my ankles had been renamed "cankles" and my feet no longer fitted into anything other than thongs, I stumbled upon this pin for an adorable baby beanie. I had wool, I had the right size needles, and hubby was taking care of the boys. 

I took up knitting after my first son was born, and whilst I have had spurts of productiveness, I have not managed to make a regular habit of knitting. I completed a scarf for Noah when he was one, and I have the completed pieces of a jumper for him, which I am still to sew together. The jumper is sized for an 18month old.  Noah is now 4...

Maybe Kyah will be the one to wear that jumper...

For this knitting project the wool I had on hand wasn't exactly the colours you would imagine for a newborn baby, no pastels or baby blues. But I was not about to drag my cankles around the shops to find something more "baby appropriate". Plus I love this wool! I had begun to knit a scarf in it, but that was going to take years, so I unravelled that and commenced operation baby beanie.  I was secretly hoping knitting would help induce labour. It didn't.

The hat took me 2 days. I had to undo it and restart after completing 50 rows because I didn't understand the shorthand pattern. However, when I read the comments below the pattern it appeared many people had the same problem, and someone had been kind enough to write the pattern out long hand for us novices!

Voila! Gorgeous hat. I even made another for a girlfriend who is expecting her 4th baby - the second time around it only took me 1 day to knit the beanie!

Whilst I waited for baby to arrive to wear the beanie, I had a few other willing models.

When she did finally bless us with her arrival, Kyah was more than happy to pose in her new hat.

The pattern:

(as I followed it)

Using size 7 needles, cast on 66 stitches.

Work 1x1 rib for 6 rounds

Switch to size 8 needles, work stockinette c/ stripe for 1 3/4"

Rnd 1: *K9. K2tog. Rep from * to end of round. 

Rnd 2: K. 
Rnd 3: *K8. K2tog. Rep from * to end of round. 
Rnd 4: K. 
Rnd 5: *K7. K2tog. Rep from * to end of round. 
Rnd 6: K. 
Rnd 7: *K6. K2tog. Rep from * to end of round. 
Rnd 8: K. 
Rnd 9: *K5. K2tog. Rep from * to end of round. (There are now 6 stitches per decrease) 

Rnds 10-14: K. 
Rnd 15: *K4. K2tog. Rep from * to end of round. 
Rnds 16-20: K. 
Rnd 21: *K3. K2tog. Rep from * to end of round. 
Rnds 22-32: K. 
Rnd 33: *K2. K2tog. Rep from * to end of round. 
Rnds 34-44: K. 
Rnd 45: *K1. K2tog. Rep from * to end of round. (If you cast on 66 stitches, there are now 6 stitches left) 
Rnds 46-56: K. 
Rnd 47: *K2tog. Rep from * to end of round. (If you cast on 66 stitches, there are now 3 stitches left) 
Rnds 48-58: K. 

Last section will be 3sts total, easier to K as icord. End of tail is braid with knotted end & tassel 

There definitely is something very satisfying about knitting something from scratch and having your child wear it!

What do you love to create? Knit? Sew? Do you have a favourite baby pattern to share?

P.S. There was some concern on other blogs that this beanie is dangerous. It should only be used/worn for photographic purposes and under constant supervision by an adult.