Knitting for the twins

My neighbour 3 floors below me is expecting twin boys on the Feb 14th, Valentine's day, but I think they will be delivered before then. She is about 35+ weeks and the last scan showed them to weigh about 5.5lbs each, they are hugging each other in the 69 position, but both lying in the transverse, so an elective caesarean may be necessary if they do not move.

I began knitting for them not long ago and bought some easy care soft baby wool in double knitting/DK to work with.  I decided to make a couple of hats, some booties or shoes and some mittens.  There are so many things I would like to make, I love making baby things as they do not take much time, and the results are always pleasing. Cute little things.

I decided to make the bear hat pattern that came with the yarn, and it required knitting in a round which I love doing as there's hardly any need to do a purl stitch, every knit row turns out as stocking stitch.  So I started off making the lining of the hat, cast on 8 stitches and divided them equally onto 3 double pointed needles, and knitted with a 4th. It's a bit fiddly knitting with so few stitches on 4 needles, but luckily stitches were increased rapidly.

the marker marks the start of the round

Knitting in rounds produce a stocking stitch and the lining was beginning to look like a hat

Round and round we go till the correct number of stitches were increased for the main body of the hat.

To prove that it was me doing the knitting, Dave took this rather unflattering photograph of me.

Happy knitting, but not happy about pic!

I have not knitted a hat with a lining before, and so when the lining was done, I then had to knit the same amount in the main colour, in light green but in reverse. It made quite a sturdy hat, will keep the baby's head very warm, but I think it will be too big for a new born... I will make some smaller items for the twins, till they grow into the hats.

Main body of the lining, a long way to go still

 Here is the finished item, the ears were knitted separately and sewed on. The mouth was embroidered in stem stitch with some scrap yarn I had, and the eyes were buttons I sewed on securely. I don't really like using buttons for baby things for fear they come off and the babies choke on them. You know how they put everything in their mouths.

I put the hat on one of Jasmine's soft toys to see what it would look like on a head

Hat on toy mouse

I also made some little shoes/booties, very simple pattern, all in garter stitch, knits up and sewed in no time at all, I think they look quite cute, they are so small, wonder if they will fit. Dave says they will, I have forgotten how small baby's feet can be....

Here's an image of baby's feet, back to knitting, lots more to finish before the twins arrive...

cute or what?