The Scrappy Sock Yarn Preemie Hat pattern includes instructions for two versions of a sock yarn preemie hat: stockinette and lace heart. The stockinette version is particularly suited for using up bits and pieces of scrap sock yarn. The pattern is available in three sizes. The small hats will fit micro-preemies. The medium hats will fit preemies. The large hats will fit large preemies and newborns. For the lace heart version, pattern includes both written and charted instructions.

This is a great pattern for beginners and pattern support is available from the designer. Visit the “Knitting Daddy Designs” group on Ravelry to connect with other people knitting this pattern.

Big thanks to the following knitters for testing this pattern: amdezo, Kaydidid, keatime, kittywithstring, linnetknits, muttiruth, and QTheresa.

Thank you your interest the Scrappy Sock Yarn Preemie Hat. Let me tell you how I came to design this pattern.

In May of 2012, I was blessed to become a father. The kicker was that I wasn’t expecting to become a father until August of 2012! My daughter (whom we call “Blueberry”) was born two-and-a-half months prematurely, and as a result, she spent five weeks in the NICU before she was healthy enough to come home. We are very fortunate that Blueberry is doing well now, but those first few weeks of her life were full of ups and downs as we adjusted to what life is like with a premature child.

One of the high points that will always stick with me from our NICU stay was the night that we received a few hand-knitted and crocheted preemie hats for Blueberry. It happened in the middle of the night, when my wife and I were sitting by our daughter’s isolette, watching her sleep. One of the nurses stopped by, gave us a few hats, and went along to distribute hats to the other families. These hats were such a welcome gift for us. They were practical — hats helped Blueberry regulate her own temperature outside of the isolette, which allowed us to hold her — and they were whimsical and fun, bringing some joy and color into the NICU atmosphere.

As I admired these preemie hats, I resolved to learn to knit. I completed my first hat while Blueberry was still in the NICU. That started me on my knitting journey and I’ve been knitting ever since. I’ll never know who made those hats that brought so much joy to us, but they really made a big difference. I want to give back to the preemie hat knitting community, so I designed this hat to be able to take advantage of the leftover bits of sock yarn that seem to be so plentiful in a knitter’s stash. Each hat takes less than 15g of sock yarn. The stockinette version is especially well-suited for bits and pieces of yarn, if you’re up to joining in a new scrap when you run out of the old one. Sock yarn is machine-washable, which is a must for donating hats to a NICU. The resulting fabric is stretchy, so it is easy to take on and off the delicate heads of a premature babies, and does not irritate the skin.

One of the other highlights that will also stick with me from our NICU stay was the amazing support and encouragement we received from Family Support Network of Central Carolina. Their mission is to provide support, education, and caring connections to those who have a child with special needs or those born prematurely. When our daughter was in the NICU, she received excellent medical care through the hospital, and FSNCC was there to help us with the flood of emotions we were experiencing at the time. The more I’ve learned about the work FSNCC does — not just with families affected by prematurity, but also with families of children with special needs — the more impressed I am with the organization. That is why I am honored to now be serving on their Executive Board.

To help give back to the organization that means so much to me and my family, all proceeds from the pattern sales for this Scrappy Sock Yarn Preemie Hat will be donated to FSNCC. If you would like to support FSNCC directly, please visit the “Donate” page on their website.