PREEMIE
CAPS 29
A
HUNDRED CAPS
I
started off making this donation of caps thanks to a message that came on
Facebook for a requirement at the Ronald McDonald centre in Australia (just as
I was thinking of a trip to Australia!).
I immediately decided to make at least 50 caps for donation and started
collecting ideas.
I
started with a set of simpler caps and then as the tempo (and caps) grew, I too
grew innovative and along came my long line of ‘character caps’
Thank you for joining me.
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Do remember to add my blog URL when you make and show off your creation. Cheers. Enjoy
So
on with my story.. when I reached Australia, happy with my donation of 100
caps, I heard about the two charity centres – one each at the Gold Coast
Hospital and the other at the Redlands Hospital. The lovely ladies that man these centres sell
the handmade donations, and donate the money to the needy at the hospital. I
immediately decided to divide my character caps (that will sell well, I was
told) between these two centers.
BUT
I had decided to donate to the Ronald McDonald center anyway.. so my sister in
law and my son bought me more yarn from the lovely Spotlight store and I
proceeded to make 100 more caps to complete my donation!
So
thanks to Providence and my loving family, I over-exceeded myself! I am
blessed! Here are some of the other caps that were donated here - patterns are in my earlier blogs.
I'd like to acknowledge the loving contribution by my friend, Prabha, who quickly made about ten caps in the short span of time I gave her before I left. Her love and creations now adorn some new born babies at the Ronald McDonald centre too.
This is my final blog on the
donation spree and I hope you have loved this series as much as I have. Thanks for coming along and spreading smiles.
In case you have just joined me, know that you can access all of my earlier creations by checking under ‘categories’ on the right hand side of this blog under “Labels”. Then, for your convenience, follow me here or on Facebook, You Tube, Pinterest, Twitter or Instagram.
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Materials used : Today I’ve used a 4-ply acrylic baby soft yarn with a 4 mm crochet hook.
For Indians : You could use Anchor , Red rose ; Red rose metallic or unbranded knitting cotton as well as Oswal or Vardhaman acrylic yarns
It does not matter what yarn / hook you
use. My pattern here gives you sizes in
inches – so follow the pattern idea and head size chart to make it to any size
you want.
International yarns : Among the international yarns I have used in this thickness, I’d suggest Aunt Lydia Cotton 10, Aunt Lydia Bamboo-Viscose 10, DMC Petra, Sullivans knitting cotton (Australia), Milford Soft, Hilaza Rustica Eclat , Alize cotton yarn and Alize bamboo yarn.
Abbreviations used :
ch
: chain ch-sp
: chain space
sp
: space rep
: Repeat
fsc : Foundation single crochet
dc : Double crochet
Stitches used :
Starting slip knot : Here’s how you start with a slip knot. https://youtu.be/lJcqsVcs8cw
Starting slip knot 1 or the Sloppy Slip knot : This is a neat new way to start your work without a slip knot. https://youtu.be/YfC7KmGpifs
What is a chain stitch ? Here is an easy video tutorial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXx5ukBjKkY
Single Crochet : Sc : yo, insert hk into st ; yo (2 lps on hk); yo, draw through both lps. One sc made. Check out the video at https://youtu.be/ghACqBpA-3k
First stitch for Single Crochet : This is how I like to start my row of sc. Check out the video at https://youtu.be/6pVYRfsf4_M
Half Double Crochet : Hdc : yo, insert hk into st ; yo (3 lps on hk) ;
yo, draw through all 3 lps. One hdc made.
Check out the video at https://youtu.be/sDiELJdB2Dg
Chainless start for Half Double Crochet : I dislike the ch-2 start, and this is what I do to start my row of hdc. Check out the video at https://youtu.be/lWXpl1KdbZ8
Front post single crochet : fpsc : Post stitches are stitches worked around the post of a stitch on the row below. Here is an easy video tutorial for the fpsc at https://youtu.be/OQa8YLpkdXs
Back post single crochet : bpsc : Post stitches are stitches worked around the post of a stitch of the row below. Here is an easy video tutorial for the bpsc at https://youtu.be/L1K_MMLl-D4
Here is a sizing chart for general head sizing :
Instructions using U.S terminology
Please note that I start all my rounds with a ch 1 turning chain for ease.
Please check the top of this blog for video tutorials of all the stitches used in today’s pattern.
Please note that I take a lot of trouble to give loads of tips through my pattern sheet, so please read through the full sheet before you pick up your hook n yarn.
For
this final set of 100 caps, I used a combination of ‘my’ pattern below and the lovely
pattern I used right at the start Lisha Baby Cap.
Free pattern at
So
go ahead and check out that link above for the original pattern. I tweaked the pattern just a bit, so do come
along and see what I did with my Shelled Baby Cap.
As
a general rule, for my preemie caps I have worked the pattern ensuring I have a
total length of 4 - 5” and a circumference of 11 - 12”. This is what worked for
me, using my yarn(s) and hook.
Please
check the top of this blog for a sizing chart to make it to your preferred size.
In
general the pattern I’ve used for my caps is as follows. I have given links for the caps I’ve been
inspired by, but the general principle I’ve used is the same for all of my caps
– ensuring I get the preemie size right.
1. Hat circumference = measure around the head just above ears and subtract one inch for a nicely fitted finished hat.
2. Crown width = (this is a flat circular top of the hat) you need to divide hat circumference by 3.14 (pi).
3. Hat height = Head circumference / 10 x 4.
So you need to measure circumference of the head (round head measurement) and keep checking the outer circumference of your work.
There is another trick for measuring circumference (without running your measure tape all around the edge of your circle as you are working).
This works for a cap that you are working top down, from the crown of the head.
It works by dividing your round head measure by pi (3.14).
So say your head measurement is 22, divide 22 by 3.14 = 7.
Remember when calculating diameter, you must account for the stretch of your yarn too.
So once the ‘flat portion’ for the crown (or the first few rounds while you are still increasing) of your cap is 7” diameter, you can stop increases and start increasing just the length (without increasing stitches for the round)
Right then, back to the pattern sheet.
Start Round 1 : with a magic circle and 10 hdc in that circle.
Join
with a sl-st to the 1st hdc. (10)
Round 2 :
(Increase round ) :
2 hdc in the 1st hdc and in each hdc all around.
Join
with a sl-st to the 1st hdc. (20)
Round 3 :
(Increase round ) :
hdc in the 1st hdc ; 2 hdc in the next hdc ;
*hdc
in the next hdc ; 2 hdc in the next hdc* ;
rep
*to* all around.
Join
with a sl-st to the 1st hdc. (30)
Round 4 :
(Increase round ) :
hdc in the 1st 3 hdc ; 2 hdc in the next hdc ;
*hdc
in the next 3 hdc ; 2 hdc in the next hdc* ;
rep
*to* all around.
Join
with a sl-st to the 1st hdc. (36)
Check
that your hat circumference is about 12” for preemie.
Round 5 :
hdc in the 1st hdc and in each hdc all around.
Join
with a sl-st to the 1st hdc. (36)
Rep
Round 5 till you have a finished length of 4”.
Shelled Baby Cap
Start Round 1 : with a magic circle and 9 hdc in that circle.
Join
with a sl-st to the 1st hdc. (9)
Round 2 :
(Increase round ) :
2 hdc in the 1st hdc and in each hdc all around.
Join
with a sl-st to the 1st hdc. (18)
For
convenience (further in this pattern), let us call these 2 hdc a “V”-st. After all it does form a “V”, doesn’t it?
Round 3 :
(Increase round ) :
hdc in the 1st hdc ; “V”-st in the next hdc ;
*hdc
in the next hdc ; “V”-st in the next hdc* ;
rep
*to* all around.
Join
with a sl-st to the 1st hdc. (27)
From
this round on, we will work our “V”-st in the space between the 2 hdc or
“V”-st of the row above. What does this
mean? Now usually when we work a “V”-st,
we have a ch-sp ; but even without the ch-sp there is a space, and it’s in that
space that we will now work all our “V”-sts.
Got it?
Round 4 :
(Increase round ) :
“V”-st in the 1st hdc ; “V”-st in the next “V”-st
;
*“V”-st
in the next hdc ; “V”-st in the next “V”-st* ;
rep
*to* all around.
Join
with a sl-st to the 1st hdc. (36)
Check
that your hat circumference is about 12” for preemie.
Check the ideas for calculation of hat circumference above.
Round 5 :
“V”-st in the 1st “V”-st and in each “V”-st all around.
Join
with a sl-st to the 1st hdc. (36)
Rep
Round 5 till you have a finished length of 4”.
Final Round finishing :
I
used the ‘shelled’ idea from Lisha caps and worked a 5-dc shell all around with
one set of 50 caps. As our end count
differs, here’s what I did.
Shell finish :
sc
in the 1st hdc ;
*sk
next 2 hdc, 5 dc in the next hdc ;
sk
next 2 hdc, sc in the next hdc* ;
rep
*to* all around and join with a sl-st to the 1st st.
Simpler crab stitch finish :
You
could end your caps with a round of crab stitch or reverse single crochet st,
if desired.
Crab Stitch or Reverse Single Crochet stitch : Here’s an easy video tutorial at https://youtu.be/cG3crwyHPnk
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Here are some of my other creations.
