Preemie hats finished

N's 5 weeks in the NICU gave me plenty of time to knit - but mostly frog. I completed just one hat, which was too small by the time I finished it:

Sewing is so much easier and faster. Yesterday I made these for him:

Basic instructions: sew up a tube using stretch fabric, the circumference of which equals the baby's head circumference less 1 cm. Draw 4 darts at the top (about 2-3" long--these were a little too short so the hat was too boxy):

Stitch up 2 darts on opposite sides:

Stitch the remaining 2 darts in one long seam:

Turn up a deep hem and stitch:

Done!

Double your sewing pleasure

...or halve your sewing pain, as the case may be. What I've learned in the process of sewing 24 capes for M's 5th birthday party (theme: superheros):

1. A rotary cutter is not only more accurate but also many times faster (I could cut 8 layers of broadcloth in a single bound). Mine is by Fiskars and it's GREAT.

2. The sewing machine is not supposed to make that knocking sound. Clean out the lint below! I used the dustbuster (rather than the teeny lint brush that came with my machine). The smooth silence is such a joy, as is the absence of skipped stitches. In my defense, my mother's machine (a beautiful sage green all-metal Kenmore, probably from the 60s) always sounded like that, I just assumed it was normal!