Thanks, Jean!

For those who read this blog on a regular basis, you know how much The Preemie Project means to me. It truly has become one of the joys of my life. So imagine how touched I was when I went to Jean's blog today and read about the contest she's running. Not only has she knit a hat and a pair of booties for the little babies, but she is going one step farther by encouraging others to do the same. Her kindness means so much to me. The contest rules are simple: knit a hat and a pair of booties, mail them to Laura, then leave Jean an email letting her know they are in the mail. Your name will then be entered for a chance to win. The prize: a beautiful seagrass basket, just perfect for knitting. So, if you've been thinking about helping out, now would be a good time. Remember, the hat and booties don't have to be fancy, just be sure to use very soft yarn that can be machine washed and dried (no wool please) and also refer to this guide for sizing (be sure to scroll down some to find the finished hat circumferences, which are a little smaller than the actual head sizes). You will find the address of where to mail your donation at the bottom of the same page. Here's a simple set I made the other day.

It only took three hours to knit the whole set. See, I told you it was easy.

Hat
Pattern: Knitted Preemie Hat-double pointed needles
Needle size: US 5
Yarn: Bernat Softee Baby (Sport D.K.)
Notes: I cast on 56 stitches and knit until the hat measured 4" from the cast on edge, then began the decreases. This hat measures 11" in circumference, which will fit a 3-5 pound baby. For those not comfortable with knitting with double points, you might try this pattern.

Booties
Pattern: Michelle's Preemie-Newborn Booties (and a nice hat pattern too)
Needle size: US 5
Yarn: Bernat Softee Baby (Sport D.K.)
Notes: I cast on 25 stitches and followed the pattern as instructed. The sole of these booties measure approximately 2 3/4" in length, which will fit a 3-5 pound baby.

I hope this will help you get started. The Preemie Project needs hats and booties for all sizes of babies from 1 pound to 11 pounds, so any size you come up with will fit some baby. The trick is to make a pair of booties to match the hat size. I have figured out the needle size and the number of stitches to cast on for all weights of yarn for these two patterns. If you need some advice on sizing, I'll be glad to help out. Just leave a comment and an email address so I can get back to you or you can find my email address by clicking on the View My Complete Profile link located on the top right of this blog.

PS. If the set you make doesn't match in size, send it in anyway. It will still be used.