Most years, I make a handful of newborn hats, prompted by an amazing young woman who cares for a LOT of very new babies, generally weighing 5-10lb (something like 2.5kg to 4.5kg). The unit are not bothered too much about style, so long as they keep the babes warm, and so long as they will survive an industrial washing machine. As some units ask for no ties or buttons, I knit pull-on hats, and avoid yellow because that would make jaundice harder to spot.
In previous years, I've had problems with sizing, so this year's batch all started with the pattern (web) published by the Royal Hampshire NHS trust. Double knit yarn on straight 4.00mm needles, bottom up on 71 sts, starting with 3" of rib and ending with a ten section crown
My own preference is to use dpns or magic loop, knit top down, but easy enough to adapt the pattern. The first one knit was 10 section on 70 sts, green, on the right of the photo. It felt rather stiff at the crown, and looked pumpkin-like. The second one knit, in the same mid-green yarn, was 70 sts with a 7 section crown, much smoother but more domed. I prefer it, but more counting for beginner knitters. Of course I then had to try 8 section (white, centre left) and 9 section (white, centre right). Either of these are quite like the published photo, a flattish top. And the bonus is a little extra width since 72 sts works better for these.
Had to try some double increase crowns, too. The green striped yarn on the left was 70 sts with five double increases per round. The bottom right 72 sts with four double increases - functional but there's a misplaced increase so it's not as attractive as the others. The top right was my personal favourite, a purl stitch halfway between the four double increases makes it more leaf-like* and much easier to count than its companion. *I happen to like natural motifs. This is simple enough to survive washing and isn't heavily gendered.
As well as playing variations on a theme with the crown, I did a variety of rib patterns. Bottom left k1p1, then k2p1 above it. Right hand side k2p2 in white, k3p1 in stripe remnant and white rib. I'd expected k1p1 to be the softest and most suitable for little bruised bonces (and it was) What surprised me was that k3p1 felt softer than k2p2 - and no harder on the hands to work up. All cast off (bound off) using a bigger needle in the same stitch pattern.
Now for a game of yarn chicken. The hats above weighed about 15g, and I had less than that of the two ends of white. The stripy hats, warts and all photo, were eked out with short lengths rejected when I was stripe matching. The blue and grey were my wristwarmers in 2021, the green variegated leftover from matching arms on a tiny cardigan in 2022.
The left one is OK-ish. However the stripes are too narrow for a good jogless join. The right one is better, a continuous spiral (thanks toTechknitter.com barber pole). Even the needle changeover point moves around the spiral.
You might also notice the crown sections are more defined on this pair of hats - they were knitted bottom up which is better for yarn chicken. I was also trying out the Latvian cast-on because my tension is rubbish with the thumb-method, and the Channel Island is too stiff at the edge for tiny people. I'm happy with the Latvian, and intend to use it lots.Right-ho. That's all my double knit yarn in pale or medium colours used up. A tiny ball of pink aran leftovers were put with two even tinier balls of white. Think this was 64 sts on 5mm needles. A little short of rounds, but will be fine for a baby at the top end of the newborn weight.
The other two were from a full 100g ball of an interesting yarn labelled as DK. It varies from blue to white to a sandy-brown. No way could I rib this thicker yarn on 3.5mm needles. So moved the stocking stitch to 5mm, 64 sts (left) and 54 sts. Took a lot of care arranging the colour changes, and was pleased how they ended up.
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