Knitting For Premature Babies

A premature baby has very delicate skin so make sure you use baby soft yarn. Sometimes premature babies are allergic to wool, so it's best to steer clear of using wool mix. You can use cotton and acrylic yarn. 100% Egyptian cotton is very soft, a fantastic soft yarn for delicate skin, warm when it is cold and cool when it is warm.

  Don't put too much emphasis on trying to perfect the size of a preemie garment. There is a great variation between premature baby sizes that an item of any size should be suitable for at least one baby. As a general guide premature babies head circumference is approximately the same as their chest circumference. The average prem baby's chest measurements are 8"-14". However clothes of all sizes are required for preemies, so no matter how big or small your item is it will most likely fit at least one baby.

Plain flat half-inch buttons are best to use for fastening. Avoid nylon and metal fastenings, as they get very hot under the incubator heaters. Do not use Velcro as a fastening, it is very scratchy on the hook side and also damages knitted garments when they are laundered. Ease of dressing is vital for preemies and as a general rule it is best not to use ribbon as a fastening as ribbon can often be fussy to tie on a garment so small.
Knitting items for premature babies can be very rewarding and is definitely appreciated by the charities and the families who receive them.
'LILY' Love In the Language of Yarn has  teamed up with several non profit organisations in Turkey helping to raise awareness of premature births, and have been asked to help provide knitted garments for several neonatal intensive care units in Aydin, Izmir and Bodrum.  If you would like to help out here are some knitting patterns to get you started.

You will need:

1 skein of Any kind of Baby DK Yarn

Size 4mm needles

Stitch Holders (or large safety pins)

3 buttons for hoodie

Abbreviations:

K Knit

P Purl

St stitc

K2tog Knit 2 stitches together

YO Yarn over

HOODIE

BACK

With 4mm needles cast on 40 sts.

Work 3 rows in garter st. ( K each row).

Work in stockinette st ( K 1 row, P 1 row) until work is 4inches, ending on purl row.

SLEEVES

Cast on 18 sts at beginning of next 2 rows.

Next row: K across.

Next row: K 2, P across to last 2 sts, K 2.

Repeat these 2 rows until sleeve measures 2.5 inches,

ending on purl row.

Cast off 18 sts at the beginning of next 2 rows.

Next row: K 2tog across to end of row.

Cast off 4 sts at beginning of next 2 rows. Put remaining 12 sts

on stitch holder.

LEFT FRONT

Cast on 20 sts.

Work 3 rows in garter stitch.

Next row: K across.

Next row: P across to last 3 sts, K3

Continue last 2 rows until work measures 1".

Next row: K1, YO, K 2tog, (buttonhole), K across.

Continue in stockinette stitch until work is 4" ending on prl row

**after you have 9 ridges from 1st buttonhole, make another buttonhole.

SLEEVE

Cast on 18 sts beginning of next row.

Next row:K 2, P across to last 3 sts, K3. (continue front edge)

K until sleeve measures 2.5 inches.

Add another buttonhole when you have 9 ridges from last buttonhole.

Make sure front measures the same as the back.

Cast off 18sts, P across.

Next row: K2tog across to end of row. (10 sts)

Next row: Cast off 4 sts, P 4, K2 (6 sts) Place on stitch holder.

RIGHT FRONT

Cast on 20 sts.

Work 3 rows in garter stitch.

Next row: K across.

Next row: K 3 sts, P across.

Continue these 2 rows until work measures 4" ending on purl row.

SLEEVE

Cast on 18 sts beginning next row.

Next row: K across.

Next row: K 3, P across to last 2 sts, K2.

Continue these 2 rows until piece measures 2.5 inches.

(make sure measures same as the left front)

Cast off 18sts, K across.

Next row: K3, P across.

Next row: K2tog across to end of row (10 sts)

Next row: K2, P across.

Next row: Cast off 4sts, work to end. (6 sts) Place these sts on stitch holder.

HOOD

With right sides facing you, place right front, back, left front

(24 sts) on needle. Right side facing you, K across.

Next row: P across.

Next row: Increase knit front and back in each stitch. (48 sts)

Keeping 1st and last 3 sts in garter stitch, work in stockinette stitch until hood measures 4". Cast off all 48 sts.

Fold hood in half at cast off sts.

Sew seam for hood.

Sew sleeves and side seams.

Add buttons to match the buttonholes.

HAT

With 3.75mm needles cast on 64 (72) sts.

Work 6 rows K1 P1 rib.

CHANGE to 4mm needles and continue in stocking stitch

(1 row K, 1 row P) until work measures 3.5 inches.

DECREASE:

Row 1: K6 (7) K2 tog, repeat to end row.

Row 2 and alternate rows: purl.

Row 3: K5 (6) K2 tog, repeat to end of row.

Row 5: K4 (5) K2 tog, repeat to end of row.

Row 7: K3 (4) K2 tog, repeat to end of row.

Row 9: K2 (3) K2 tog, repeat to end of row.

Continue decreasing thus until K2 tog across row.

work 1 row.

BREAK off yarn and thread through remaining sts.

SEW up carefully with a seam as flat as possible.

BOOTIES

WITH 4mm needles, cast on 23 (25) sts, fairly loosely.

WORK K1 P1 rib for 8 rows.

DIVIDE INSTEP (RS)

Next row: Knit 16 (17) turn

Next row: Purl 9, turn

WORK 12 rows in stocking st.

BREAK off yarn.

REJOIN yarn at point of needle and pick up and knit:

9 sts from side of instep,

9 sts from needle

9 sts from side of instep

sts of left needle. 41 (43) sts

WORK 9 rows in garter st.

NEXT row: work 2 tog, patt 17 (18), work 3 tog, patt 17 (18) work 2 tog

NEXT row: Knit.

NEXT row: Work 2 tog, patt 15(16), work 3 tog, patt 15 (16) work 2 tog.

KNIT 1 row. 33 (35) sts

Cast off.

Sew up the seam. There is no need for ties or ribbon for these booties.