OMG, a post about knitting.

I just finished a hat for the new baby girl of one of Smokey's co-workers. He had asked me to knit a baby gift for them, then later said they asked for a pink hat. Easy peasey!

I knew I wanted a hat that tied under the chin because babies have a hard time keeping their hats on. Then the weather got cold and I decided that ear flaps with strings were the way to go. After searching Ravelry (yay, Ravelry!) I decided on this baby chullo (photo stolen from Ravelry):

Isn't that just the cutest picture? Even though I am not big on babies, I want to snorgle that one.

So I got myself some pink and some white DK superwash merino -- because I wasn't sure if one skein would be enough and the store only had one skein of the pink -- and set out. But before I even cast on, I began to wonder whether anyone besides me would see a chullo as appropriate for a baby girl. So I punted and designed my own hat, based on the chullo and other stocking caps and beanies I have made.

The result:

 

Yes, the ear flaps are a little too close together. I suspect the baby will end up wearing the hat *backwards* like this, with the jogs in the so-called jogless stripes in front:

 

Darn. I tried to frog one of the finished earflaps so I could re-position it, but I had buried the end so well into the i-cord that I couldn't find it.

A closeup of the Fabulous Fibonacci stripes, which I started a little too late:

 

Yarn: Ecco DK superwash merino, 32 grams/70 yards of pink and 14 grams/20 yards of white. The yarn comes in 50 gram skeins.
Gauge: 26 st / 4 inches. If your gauge were 24 st / 4 inches -- which is what I was shooting for -- the hat would probably be the correct 16" size (see below).
Size: The model I used -- an ostrich egg -- is about 15" around. According the text with the baby chullo hat, the average newborn head is 16". I think the hat will easily stretch to accomodate that extra inch if necessary.
Needles: Susan Bates US#2 (2.75mm) circ, Magic Loop; Crystal Palace #2 dpns for the earflaps and the i-cord, just because that was easier than wrangling a 40" circ on the itty bitty parts.
Pattern: my own design! If anyone is interested I can write it up without the stupid mistakes I made.

* * * * *

Now I am off to a three-day land conservation conference in Appleton, Wisconsin. If you know who lives near there, you will know who I am meeting for dinner and knitting tonight. Catch ya on the flip side!

Comments

[Nora]

Angie???

Cute hat! I love that you modeled it on an ostrich egg.

[Chris]

I was confused at first since that first picture was obviously not a pink hat. ;) Have fun in Appleton!

[Carrie]

Why wouldn't a chullo be appropriate for a girl?

[Vicki]

Adorable baby -- snorgelicious, indeed -- and a very cute hat!
Yippee skippy!!

[5elementknitr]

Yes, that Rav baby needs a daily snorgeling - so adorable!

And you should publish your hat pattern - it's very cool!

[Cookie]

I think every baby living that far north needs earflaps. It's an adorable hat. Well done!

Have a fabulous safe trip!

[Sheepish Annie]

Love it! Baby knitting is fun! And I'm not much for the babies either. But sometimes they do snorgle their way right into your heart...

[Helen]

that baby chullo hat is ADORABLE!!!!
can I say that again? A.D.O.R.A.B.L.E.
Must knit one.....

[Diane T]

Ah now that hat reminds me I have a great nephew being born in January....and Jack's PT is expecting son #2 any day....and a friend has a new grandchild born this fall....there goes the knitting queue...

[Suzanne V. (Yarnhog)]

Is that an ostrich egg standing in for a baby head?

[Carrie K]

That Rav baby is darling! *Snorgle, snorgle* Your hat, while lovely, does not make up for the inferior model. What is that, anyway?

Chullos are gender specific?

[Lucia]

So CUTE! And lucky you, getting to combine business with knitbonding.

[Miss T]

Cute hat!