Anderson - Itty-bitty hats: cute and cuddly caps to knit for babies and toddlers

itty-bitty hats

cute and cuddly caps to knit for babies and toddlers

Susan B. Anderson

ARTISAN NEW YORK

Copyright 2006 by Susan B. Anderson

Photographs copyright 2006 by Liz Banfield

Step-by-step illustrations copyright 2006 by Harry Bates

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproducedmechanically, electronically, or by any means, including photocopyingwithout written permission of the publisher.

Published by Artisan

A Division of Workman Publishing, Inc.

225 Varick Street

New York, New York 10014-4381

www.artisanbooks.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.

eISBN 9781579654559

THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO

Brian, the love of my life and father extraordinaire, our fantastic fourEvan, Ben, Holly, and Mary Kateand my hero, Mary Ann Barrett.

I started knitting at the age of nineteen with an instruction, acrylic yarn, and needles from a fabric store. Most important, I had the determination to learn on my own. At that time, about twenty years ago, knitting wasnt as popular as it is today. I knew absolutely no one who knitted, and certainly teenagers such as me werent knitting. I struggled and struggled, but in my own funny way, I began a love affair with knitting that hasnt wavered over the last two decades. Being a self-taught knitter, I have always figured out my own solutions for creating finished products. Sometimes I have gone about things in an unusual way, but as a result, I feel as though I can create almost anything through knitting. If I make mistakes along the way, I dont worry about them too much. Instead, I try to find a new way to make things work. Upon completion of every finished project, I still get a feeling of exhilaration and satisfaction. This feeling of joy, curiosity, and excitement about knitting is what I want to share with you in this book.

About ten years ago, after knitting seemingly every conceivable project, I knit my first baby hat, and a new journey began. On completion of that red cotton hat, I felt a lightbulb come on in my head. Something about that hat just fit. First of all, I love babies. More specifically, I love babies heads. What could be better? Delicious chubby cheeks, soft fuzzy hair, cuddly ears, the backs of their necksI could drink them in forever.

The idea of focusing on baby hats came so naturally to me, it seems like fate. Having four young children of my own, I already had enough heads to cover for a lifetime. I started slowly creating and refining the perfect baby hat. I measured lengths from crown to ear; I tried as many different styles as I could imagine and maybe some I didnt. Every time I finished one hat, I ran straight back to my needles to start another one. I have never tired of creating hats, for one reason: Everyone loves a baby in a great knitted hat! This simple act of knitting a hat has brought more joy to people than I could ever have guessed. You will see the happiness it creates when you begin your own journey in hat making.

The patterns in this book are meant for every knitter, whether novice or experienced. When you begin knitting these hats, youll see that the sky is the limit. Try everything. Add your own colors. Mix and match embellishments and styles. Create, create, create. Anyone can do it.

The many baby hat classes I have taught over the past couple of years have only inspired me more. I have taught grandmas, young and not-so-young mothers, expectant mothers, teenagers, aunts, friendsyou name them, they learned to make wonderful baby hats. After two short classes, everyone (yes, everyone!) went home with a completed baby hat. To their amazement, it is not as difficult as it appears, and for me, that is the thrill of it. It is like letting people in on a really fun secret. The accomplishment these students felt is gratifying beyond words.

If you have made a scarf (or twenty), it is time to move on. Hats are the perfect next step. Start with a simple, one-color hat to hone your techniques. I guarantee that you will want to add an embellishment, stripe, ribbon, or appliqu to your next hatmaybe even to the one you have just made.

My knitting philosophy embodies an easy, fun style that keeps things simple. When knitting, I never like to be too tied to a pattern. That is why a lot of the embellishments on my hats are put on after the main knitting is completed. This makes it easier to simply enjoy the knitting process. Perspective is also important when I am designing. I like to think about the big people looking down at the baby or toddler and what they will see. Keeping this in mind, I love to make the hats fun to look at from above. When people see the baby you love wearing one of these hats, you will see them burst out in a smile or giggle. I hope new knitters realize they can start simply, then quickly add new dimensions of their own choosing to their knitting repertoire. I also hope experienced knitters will find new inspiration here. Knitting represents love at its finest, and who better to shower this love on than a baby?

Knit for beautiful babies everywhere. Enjoy!

I wish someone had given me direct guidance in selecting the materials I would work with throughout my knitting life. I would have saved a lot of money and time along the way. Id like to offer that guidance to you. In this chapter, Ill describe the variety of tools you will need for knitting, and Ill also provide you insight into some of my specific favorites. I have done much research on toolsthrough trial and errorthroughout the years. Please consider my recommendations, then choose what feels right and comfortable for you as you develop your own knitting style.

Combine needles with yarn and you dont need much else, which is why knitting is ultimately such a simple art. Using the correct needles for your projects is key to achieving delightful results. Needles come in many materials, lengths, and sizes. They also may be straight, circular, or double-pointed. You have a lot to choose from, and the more you knit, the more particular you will become about the needles you work with.

Different types of needles work better for different projects. For baby caps, I find that circular needles and double-pointed needles work best. Although circular needles are designed for knitting in the round, in order to form a seamless tube, I use them not only for knitting in the round but for knitting back and forth as well. In fact, I dont use straight needles at all. Learning to knit on circular needles is a benefit because you are immediately comfortable with using them. The advantages are many. You can put an enormous number of stitches on longer circular needles, and since the stitches rest on the cable, they are not as cumbersome to maneuver when you are knitting. You can knit in compact spaces with circular needles because your knitting is held directly in front of you or on your lap. This also creates less stress on your arms and hands. My favorite lengths for circular needles are 16 inches for hats and 24 inches for just about any other project.