Sunday, February 5, 2012

Loom Knitting, Newborn Baby Hat, Newborn Baby Booties, Newborn Baby Mittens


Newborn Baby Hat Without Rim

Loom used: 31 peg loom (Knifty Knitter is what I used - blue color).

FYI... for loom sizes... Don't use the blue 24 peg for this. If you use two strands of yarn, with one of those strands on the bulky side (6), then the 24 peg would be for a preemie hat (blue), and the 31 peg (red) loom for newborn, and the 36 peg (Green) loom would be used for young children (1.5 years to 8 years). If you want an adult hat with two strands of bulky yarn (even for women!) you will need to use the yellow loom which is 41 pegs. I learned this the hard way... knitting a bunch of hats and trial and error.

The loom should fit over the head of the person you are making this for - not resting on the head. I know you can't measure for babies so just trust me on this. You don't want to use the smallest loom! It will be too small!!

Yarn used: I use two strands of yarn so the hat has less space in between each chain (no holes which makes it warmer!). I will usually use a normal cheaper yarn mixed with the nicer and softer specialty yarns that are bulky. I have also used a third strand that is super thin but adds additional color, variety, and texture.

Step 1: Knit 27 to 30 rows (I use the basic e-wrap - if you need help with the basics please check out Provo Craft's website - search Provo Craft Knifty Knitter and you will find it). I give you that window because I don't count my rows when I do a hat. I just look at it and estimate as I'm nearing the end.

** Do notice that I did not turn the cuff and make a brim on the hat. I tried this with one hat and realized the brim ends up being so thick (which is cute of course!) that I imagine this could cause some havoc on a little newborn neck. Remember, newborn babies sleep a lot with hats on and they shouldn't be putting the babies neck out of alignment. So I went with no cuff and the little curled rim that you see is just what naturally occurs with loom knitting.

Step 2: Take off with gather method
Step 3: I sewed on a cute bow for cuteness factor.




Newborn Baby Mittens

Loom used: 12 peg loom (Knifty Knitter is what I used)
Yarn used: I use two strands of yarn so the mitten has less space in between each chain (no holes which makes them warmer!). I will usually use a normal cheaper yarn mixed with the nicer and softer specialty yarns. I have also used a third strand that is super thin but adds additional color, variety, and texture.

Step 1: Knit 7 rows (I use the basic e-wrap - if you need help with the basics please check out Provo Craft's website - search Provo Craft Knifty Knitter and you will find it)
Step 2: Turn Cuff (It's like making a brim on a hat)
Step 3: Knit 11 rows
Step 4: take off with gather method
Step 5: I do not recommend weaving a ribbon to tie around the mittens. I'm a nurse and this sets off all sorts of alarm bells in my head. It would be so easy for mom or dad to tie this too tight and they wouldn't be able to tell because the blue oxygen-deprived foot wouldn't be showing! So I just sewed on a cute bow for cuteness factor.

Newborn Baby Booties



Loom used: 12 peg loom (Knifty Knitter is what I used)

Yarn used: I use two strands of yarn so the bootie has less space in between each chain (no holes which makes them warmer!). I will usually use a normal cheaper yarn mixed with the nicer and softer specialty yarns. I have also used a third strand that is super thin but adds color and variety.

Step 1: Knit 6 rows (I use the basic e-wrap - if you need help with the basics please check out Provo Craft's website - search Provo Craft Knifty Knitter and you will find it)

Step 2: Turn Cuff (It's like making a brim on a hat)

Step 3: Knit 2 rows

Step 4: Knit the Heel (you will not go around the whole circle. You will use only pegs 1-8)

Heel Template For 12 Peg Loom
This template is good and bad. Good because it makes a cute gradual heel like you see in a normal sock. Bad because it will leave larger holes than the rest of the bootie, and you will have to, at the end, repair the holes.

wrap pegs 1 through 8 knit off

wrap pegs 7 – 2 knit off

wrap pegs 3 - 6 knit off

wrap pegs 5 - 4 knit off

wrap peg 5 only knit off

wrap pegs 5 - 4 knit off

wrap pegs 3 - 6 knit off

wrap pegs 7 - 2 knit off

wrap pegs 1 - 12 knit off


Step 5: Knit 7 more rows (I've done 6 rows and it looks just a bit smaller than I would like. Next time I will try the 7 or 8 rows. This step is where you are making the length of the toe. Adjust according to your personal desire).

Step 6: take off with gather method - leave a REALLY long tail like 18 inches long

Step 7: Turn the bootie inside out (it already should be for the gather method). Use your really long tail to then sew up the holes that you find throughout the heel. If you use nice thick fun yarn you will not be able to see much of this. As I'm doing it I am very aware of what I am doing on the outside of the bootie to maintain a cute look. There is no real trick to this. Just sew up the holes.

Step 8: I do not recommend weaving a ribbon to tie around the booties. I'm a nurse and this sets off all sorts of alarm bells in my head. It would be so easy for mom or dad to tie this too tight and they wouldn't be able to tell because the blue oxygen-deprived foot wouldn't be showing! So I just sewed on a cute bow for cuteness factor.

19 comments:

  1. THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!! I have been looking for an easy to understand pattern/instructions for baby booties. I just made a pair for my first Grandbaby ( Boy ) they came out great. Maggie :)

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  4. How do you turn around on the heel?

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    1. If you follow the heel template that I have above, step by step it will take you through it. Try making one and it will make a whole lot more sense. Happy knitting :-)

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  6. How many rows do you flat knit the heel?? I keep reading it to figure it out then it says wrap pegs 1-8 and knit off but you don't wrap when doing the flat stitch help please

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    1. Hey Lindsay - I'm not sure what you mean by "flat knit". Could you please explain that to me? This template is for loom knitting. Are you using a loom to knit? If you use a loom, the peg you start with is number one, and then you e wrap to peg number 8 and so on. I hope this helps. Please help me understand what you mean by flat knit and we can go from there.

      Thank you,
      Gwen

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    2. One more question, step 4 is to make the heel on the bootie. Did you start with step 1?

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    3. I think I got confused by the way it was worded in the pattern as I thought you were going from e wrap knit stitch to flat knit stitching for this pattern but I did one row of the flat knit then the rest I did e wrap and it looks just fine so I guess it didn't matter too much. I just wanted clarification of the wording in the steps thats all

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    4. (this will be done as flat knitting not going around. this is the comment that got me confused as to which stitch we were using it sounded like you changed from e wrap to flat knit that was where my confusion is hope this helps explain my issue

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    5. I started from step 1 then when I got to step 4 that is where i got confused

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    6. Ooooooh. Got it! I'm so sorry for the confusion! I had no idea there was such a thing as flat knitting. I'm a novice. I'm so sorry for the confusion. Thank you for helping me clarify this.

      I was trying to tell everyone, that at this stage you don't go around the whole circle, but instead knit on top of each other. Do you have a better way to word this so it is less confusing? I would love any suggestions.

      Thank you!

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  7. It is worded ok I think if you just take that one line out ( (this will be done as flat knitting not going around.) take that out and it won't be as confusing to some knitters that knot the flat stitch. Hope that helps

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  9. Please Help! I am new to this loom knitting thing and I really need to know a few things. How do you "turn cuff"? Also, the smallest loom I have is a 16 pegged loom can I use it instead of a 12 pegged loom or will it be too big for a 3 week old baby?

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