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.

Scarf #1 Completed!

Just one class and I was inspired and motivated enough to take out that scarf my Grandma had started me off on and complete it! I really love the wool I used to knit this scarf for my son. It is a hand painted New Zealand wool on red, burgundy and grey tones. It is adorable and so textured. Who knew you could hand paint wool?

There is definately something intensely satisfying from knitting something yourself and seeing your child wearing it. This

is a sense of achievement I first experienced when I learnt to embroider and made baby singlets for all my pregnant friends, and later for my own baby. I can understand why knitting is a "time honoured tradition".

I can't say that the scarf is without flaws. I have dropped stitches and changed the ordering of knit and purl stitches more than once. But it is a great first project - and I don't think Noah will mind if there are some imperfections. I am so glad I resisted the urge to unravel the scarf on Saturday and start over. I am even quite fond of the little imperfections - they show my learning process.

The Art of Knitting

A friend invited me to join her at a "Knitting Step 1: An introduction to this time honoured tradition" class every Wednesday night in February. I have long been wanting to improve - actually develop - some skills in knitting. In fact, when pregnant in LA a friend and I had intentions of doing a knitting lesson down at the knitting shop on West 3rd Street. Alas, our plans were foiled more than once and we remained knitting-wanna-be's.

When I was home in Sydney back in March 2009, my Grandma tried to impart some knitting knowledge and skills onto me and got me started on a scarf. I even bought a simple pattern book for baby jumpers, and some wool, telling my Grandma that I would have a scarf and jumper knitted for Noah by winter. Well, it is now February, and the scarf is on its way, the jumper pattern is gathering dust - except, that is, for the few times I have flipped it open to follow the instructions for a purl stitch when on rare occasion I have picked up the scarf.

But all that is changing.

Last Wednesday was class number 1. We learnt a whole new vocabulary and a plethora of abbreviations. Cast On (CO) - for which we learnt 2 different versions, Simple and Long-tail (neither of which are at all like the version my Grandma taught me). Knit (K). Stitches = STS. Bind Off = BO. Needless to say I was glad I had brought along a notepad, and regretful that I had not thought to take my glasses. By the end of the 2 hours, I was dizzy from eye strain, from hunger and from thirst - mental note, take food, water and glasses to the next class (oh, and scissors).

We have homework, and I have been sitting at the computer watching You Tube video's entitled "How to knit: Cast On" or "How to purl" etc. I have been browsing blogs and informational websites about patterns and projects and inspiration for us knitters. It is a whole new world.

So what did we achieve in our first class? I made my few rows of K STS (knit stitches for those knitting-illiterates) into a keyring chain. My fellow Knitters mocked and laughed at me, but I hear on the grape vine, that they may have followed suit once we had parted company.

What do I hope to achieve by the end of the 4th class? I am hoping for a scarf and at least enough knowledge to tackle the baby jumper by next winter. I'll keep you posted.