Amanda Keeys - Baby Beanies: Happy Hats to Knit for Little Heads

Senior Acquisitions Editor: Julie Mazur
Editor: Linda Hetzer
Designer: 3&Co.
Production Manager: Salvatore Destro

Text copyright 2008 by Amanda Keeys
Photographs copyright 2008 by Amanda Keeys

First published in 2008 by Watson-Guptill Publications,
Crown Publishing Group
a division of Random House Inc.,
New York, NY
www.crownpublishing.com
www.watsonguptill.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Number: 2007942906

eISBN: 978-0-7704-3421-2

All rights reserved.

v3.1

To my own four goobers: Jakob, Madison, Isaiah, and Lilly. Thank you for being my inspiration, always. And to Matt, for the endless cups of coffee and putting up with more insane yarn ramblings than any one should ever have to endure in a single lifetime. xoxo.

i started knitting for one reason: to make beautiful baby hats. As a professional childrens photographer, I have an obsession with having a range of cute and quirky caps for children to wear in the photographs I take. There is nothing cuter than a little one wearing a knit on their noggin! But the problem was, I wasnt having much success finding hats that would look good in photos. I wanted something with great texture, fun color, and, really, I didnt want the hats to look perfect and store-bought. They needed to have some attitude, a bit of whimsy, and be able to complement the character of the child wearing it. So picking up the needles myself was my next best option.

I had actually been taught to knit before. Several times, at least. By my nan and my mum as a little girl, and then in my teenage years, by my future mother-in-law. It didnt stick, though. Inevitably Id become frustrated at my lack of skill and the clumsy stitches I was producing or grow bored with the miles and miles of plain garter stitch scarf that was supposed to be the perfect beginners project.

With the help of various books and websites, I finally taught myself how to knit while pregnant with my youngest daughter. I wanted to make cute little hats for her newborn photographs, but I never managed to find a pattern I liked or that was easy enough for me to finish with my very limited knitting skills. Fast-forward a few months, and finally decided to just grab my needles and a ball of yarn and knit a hat. No pattern. No real clue what I was doing. But somehow, it worked. And from the moment that tiny little hat was formed, I was HOOKED. I could not stop making hats!

It was soon apparent that not only did my children have more hats than they could ever possibly wear (not even counting the ones Id bought before I started making them), but that I had more than enough for any photo shoot I might have. So, what to do? Fellow photographers urged me to start selling them online, which I did, and I was amazed by the response. It turns out I wasnt the only one looking for fun, colorful, whimsical baby hats! And before I knew it, I was opening up an email asking me if I was interested in writing a book!

One of the best parts of knitting is the online knitting community. It is huge. So many websites, blogs, podcasts, and forums devoted to knitting are out there. And so many fellow knitters, happy to share advice, feedback, encouragement, and camaraderie. Its easy to feel overwhelmed and lonely spending nearly every day at home with my kids, but the knitting community helps me feel like I am part of something. I can go onto a forum and chat about what I am working on, show off my new yarn purchase, or just chat with others about our days (and kids!). In short, it has opened up a whole new world to meand it can for you, as well.

Hats are perfect for beginning knitters, as well as for anyone who has a little one in his or her life and enjoys quick, fun knitting projects. Theyre small, usually quick to knit, and an easy way to try out new skills without investing loads of time and money. Theyre wonderful presents, whether for your own child, a grandchild, or as a quick shower gift for a friend.

My hats are playful and whimsical, sometimes adorable and sometimes serious, just like the babies I photograph wearing them. Ive tried to make them slightly unusual and off-center, to give them just that little something to make themand the little heads they coverstand out.

I hope you will enjoy knitting these hats as much as I have enjoyed creating them. Be prepared to be inundated with admiring comments when your little one wears the hat out in public!