Free Pattern - Freshly Sprouted

My husband and I are expecting our first Little One in a few weeks and I've been very slooooow in getting any knitting done for him. The one thing that I really wanted to do was to at least make him a cute little hat to come home in. I'm not a huge fan of the hospital hats and couldn't imagine not making anything at all for him. I've started on some pint-sized socks, but not sure that those will even fit. Sooo, using the same sock yarn that I used for the teeny socks, I cast on and blindly tried out a newborn-sized hat. After a few tries, I found a pattern that works well with sock yarn.

Materials:

• US 1 1/2 needles - dpns or circs will work (using magic loop for 32" circs)


• US 2 needles - dpns or circs again


• 1/2 skein of sock yarn or less (my 1/2 skein was only 175 yds and I've got enough to make at least one more hat); I used Sophie's Toes Superwash Merino Sock in "Fresh Lettuce" colorway


• darning needle

Gauge: Using US 2 needles, over stockinette portion, 8 sts/inch x 11 rows/inch. However, please note that the gauge is not hugely important since this will be stretching over a newborn head and not all newborns have the same sized heads! ;) Please feel free to change needle sizes to go with your fingering-weight yarn. You can also add or remove a multiple of 8 sts to the pattern to accomodate your needs.

Pattern:

Using US 2 needles, co 88 sts. Switch to US 1 1/2 needles and join for knitting in the round (as always, be careful not to twist your stitches when joining). K 2x2 rib for 5 rows, then switch back to the US 2 needles.

K for 3.5-3.75 inches, then start decreases as follows:

K6, k2tog; repeat around.

K 1 round.

K5, k2tog; repeat around.

K 1 round.

Continue decreasing in this manner until you have gotten to k2tog around. At this point, you will continue k2tog each round (no rounds of k1 in between), until you have 3 stitches left. Close to the last row, you will have an odd number of sts, just add that one into the next round of k2togs.

Once there are 3 sts remaining, cut the yarn leaving a tail of at least 6" and thread the tail through the remaining sts. Weave in all ends, add to the top of your favorite beautiful newborn baby and voila!