YAY for the Leaky Cauldron!!!

I am so super excited!!!! I'm Leaky's featured crafter of the month!!!!!!!! I'm so honored and ridiculously giddy about the whole thing....

How insanely cool is that?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! It makes me want to drop all my current WIPs and do some more Potter crafting! Hahahahaha! (As if I don't do enough of that to begin with...) I wish I could have shown my two most recent Potter crafting endeavors, though...but I can't because they're for a current running swap, and I don't want Miss Clara to see anything yet! I guess that just means I'll have to brag about it here after she's gotten her kit. ;) In the meantime, I'll just have to do my best to keep on keepin' on with my current WIPs, swap-related and preemie items alike...I'm working on getting a whole box of preemie items for HSKS' S.P.E.W.! But right now....it's actually bed time. It's been a long past few weeks. (We took a weekend trip to Tuscany, a day trip to Verona and A just turned 5!!! I've been busy with birthday presents and the party and cleaning up the wrapping paper that's everywhere....) So I guess I should try to get some sleep!!!

Ribbed Crochet Preemie Hat

So in browsing the crochet preemie hats on Ravelry, I decided to have a go with this "10 minute" pattern. But for some reason, my hats came out much smaller than hers, and didn't really have and give or stretch to them, so I decided to do one of my own. :) So, without further ado, I give you my Ribbed Crochet Preemie Hat (the pattern is given in US terms, but there is also a UK termed version below it):

(I used Rheatheylia's Divine Hat join method...I love that join!)
To join each round: join with slip stitch around the first front post double crochet of previous round (or beginning ch 2 of the first round), ch 2, then fpdc down into the same front post double crochet you just did the slip stitch to (again, this will be a ch 2 for the beginning round). This pushes the ch 2 behind the fpdc you just made (ignore the ch 2, it doesn’t exist). This isn’t necessary, but it looks better than a standard ch2 and makes the join less obvious.

Sport/baby weight yarn
Size G/4.25mm hook

fpdc = front post double crochet
bpdc = back post double crochet

R1: 11 dc in magic loop, join

R2: ch2, (fpdc in dc, dc in same st) around, join (22 sts)

R3: ch2, (2fpdc in fpdc, bpdc in dc) around, join (33 sts)

R4: ch2, (fpdc in fpdc, dc, fpdc in fpdc, bpdc in bpdc) around, join (44 sts)

R5: ch2, (fpdc in fpdc, bpdc in dc, fpdc in fpdc, bpdc in bpdc) around, join

R6-14: ch2, (fpdc in fpdc, bpdc in bpdc) around, join

R15: reverse sc around, join

Fasten off and weave in ends.

UK termed version:

To join each round: join with slip stitch around the first front post treble crochet of previous round (or beginning ch 2 of the first round), ch 2, then fptr down into the same front post treble crochet you just did the slip stitch to (again, this will be a ch 2 for the beginning round). This pushes the ch 2 behind the fptr you just made (ignore the ch 2, it doesn’t exist). This isn’t necessary, but it looks better than a standard ch2 and makes the join less obvious. The site I found this method at is linked above the US termed version.

Sport/baby weight yarn
Size G/4.25mm hook

fptr = front post treble crochet
bptr = back post treble crochet

R1: 11 tr in magic loop, join

R2: ch2, (fptr in tr, tr in same st) around, join (22 sts)

R3: ch2, (2fptr in fptr, bptr in tr) around, join (33 sts)

R4: ch2, (fptr in fptr, tr, fptr in fptr, bptr in bptr) around, join (44 sts)

R5: ch2, (fptr in fptr, bptr in tr, fptr in fptr, bptr in bptr) around, join

R6-14: ch2, (fptr in fptr, bptr in bptr) around, join

R15: reverse dc around, join

Fasten off and weave in ends.

(The green is done in Caron's Simply Soft and the pink is done in Red Heart's Baby Soft yarn.)

I don't mind if you sell projects resulting in use of this pattern, but please don't sell the pattern itself, and always provide the link/URL to the pattern where you sell it so others can enjoy crafting as well!

Back to Preemie hats...

So the first hats I've made were knitted, following this lovely little pattern. It was the one I liked most out of the ones I saw on Ravelry. It was more than just a plain stockinette stitch cap, but still really simple.



But at the same time, to me personally, it didn't look much like a sprial. It didn't "lean" enough. So I made my own modifications and came up with these!



As you can see, it did come out a little bit shorter and wider than the original version, but I really like it! Besides, babies (even preemies!) come in all shapes and sizes, so I'm sure both styles will find heads to cover!




For anyone interested, here is the modified version I used of Bonnie Batten's Spiral Preemie Cap:

Cast on 56 sts, divide onto 3 DPN's. You may want to slip a stitch marker before the first stitch.

Rows 1 - 5:
Work in K2, P2 ribbing around.

Rows 6 - 8:
P1, (K2, P2) around, ending in a P1

Rows 9 - 11:
(P2, K2) around

Rows 12 - 14:
K1, (P2, K2) around, ending in a K1

Rows 15 - 17:
(K2, P2) around

Rows 18 - 20:
P1, (K2, P2) around, ending in a P1

Rows 21 - 23:
(P2, K2) around

Row 24:
K1, (P2tog, K2) around, leaving last st unknit; sl unknit st to beg of next round

Row 25:
(K2tog, P1) around

Row 26:
K2tog around to last st, K1

Row 27:
K2tog

At end of row 27, cut yarn leaving a long tail. Using a yarn needle, thread the yarn through the remaining stitches. Turn cap inside out and pull yarn tight. Tie securly. Weave in all ends.

Happy Knitting!!!

Making preemie hats

Wowzer! I haven't posted in ages! I've been keeping plenty busy since September, though, (which, in addition to another birthday, anniversary and Christmas, includes a trip to the States, the beginning of another deployment and the Ravelympics) and have plenty to blog about...if I would only take the time to. LOL

Recently one of the spouses in my husband's squadron e-mailed me a link to a site that promotes doing one nice thing a day for someone other than yourself, and one of them just so happened to be involving a charity called "Stitches From the Heart." And wouldn't you know, I've got 100% acrylic yarn out the wazoo that I am really trying to get rid of, and a fair amount of that being the soft or baby brands. So I've taken to making preemie hats. I found a knit pattern I liked pretty well, (though I like my modified version better, lol) but couldn't find a crochet one I liked so much that had some stretch and give to it. So I came up with my own! I'm super excited to share the pattern, but want to make sure it's intelligible and want it tested out before I post it, so keep your eyes peeled!

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Now playing: Dommin - My Heart, Your Hands
via FoxyTunes

Just keep winding, just keep winding....

...just keep winding, winding, winding...I'm so excited! I ordered a yarn ball winder from KnitPicks (along with lost of yummy lace yarn!) and it's already here!!!



Sadly, I don't have a swift yet (though a great friend in England is sending me a spare she has), so I've not gotten around to winding said new yarn yet...so I've been winding all my other yarn instead! LOL It's so much fun! I really can't wait to see all my new yarn wound...so many pretty colors!


So to keep me distracted until the swift gets here, I've been winding up all the sock yarn I'd previously hand-wound into actual balls...they're so pretty as center-pull balls!!! And my boys like to "help" as well....LOL

Off to wind some more!



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Now playing: The Guild - (Do You Wanna Date My) Avatar (feat. Felicia Day)
via FoxyTunes