Baby Hats for Heart Association - Pattern Included

I haven't blogged much lately.  I had several seminars in a row, then a vacation, and then a rush at work.  However, I've been knitting some red baby hats for the American Heart Association.  Here's a link with information about their baby hat project:

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Affiliate/Little-Hats-Big-Hearts_UCM_487734_SubHomePage.jsp#

For the American Heart Association, your hats need to be mostly red. 






I've been playing around with different patterns, just making them red.  For my standard gauge machine, I found that I have several pound cones of red cone yarn that I even didn't realize I had!  I don't knit with red much, and I'm enjoying working with this bright, cheerful color for a change.

There's a couple of the cloche hats sized down for baby, two Brioche hats (my favorite has a Brioche stitch flared brim), some ribbed hats, and then there's a pile of the basic hat that aren't sewed up yet.  I was putting some fair isle right after the ribbing.

I figured I better get a basic hat pattern put together so I could share it, even as I fool around with the other ideas.  It needed to be a hat that would work on almost any machine, ribber not required.  My hat has standard, mid-gauge, and bulky instructions and preemie, baby, and toddler sizes.  Here's a photo of that basic hat.  The one in the photo is standard gauge.  I used ribbing, but you can use mock rib or any hem.

This plain pattern doesn't have to be boring.  In fact, I hope you will decorate your hats and really make those mommas smile!  By knitting for people, we give a human, personal touch, and I love to come up with something nicer than the average spit-it-out speed project.  Make your baby hats safe by avoiding loose strings, holes, and anything that could become a choking hazard. 

The Little Hats Big Hearts campaign at the AHA is asking us to make hats that are red or mainly red.  You can certainly dress them up a bit.

I am sharing this pattern for any charity baby hats you'd like to knit.  There are quite a few organizations that always need baby hats - childrens' homes, clothing closets and drives, pregnancy assistance charities, and hospitals. 

Now for a contest - embellish your hats and email me photos!  There's an envelope icon on the left hand side of this page that you can use to send emails.

I'll pick favorite hats, with your permission, post the photos here, and send a surprise to the winners.