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Sizing for a newborn hat?


Imp

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I need some help - I just made my first baby hat and followed the instructions explicitly in terms of sizing for a newborn (it's a tube that's gathered at the top so it's not worked in rounds, and the instructions simply say to repeat rows 3 and 4 until you reach between 10-12 inches). I finished it and, well, it fits my little girl's tiny doll head just perfectly, but there is NO way it's going to fit on a newborn head.

 

I tried to do some searching and I'm getting mixed messages on how to size a newborn hat. One site says to aim for about 12 inches for a newborn, but that's only 30.5 cm. One said that the average newborn head circumference is 35 cm. My twins were born at 37 weeks and fairly tiny but their heads were 33 cm, so I'm imagining a full term newborn has to be bigger than that. I know all babies are going to be a bit different but I'm figuring there has to be some rule of thumb!

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Thank you, those do help and I bookmarked them both! It seems that the 35 cm measurement is more accurate than the 10-12" I was working with.

 

The pattern didn't call for a particular yarn or size hook or provide a guage - since it's made as a flat piece which is then joined to form a tube and gathered at the top, it only called for me to continue repeating rows until I had reached 10 to 12 inches in width. It's a darling little hat that turned out well, it's just too small for an actual baby at those measurements. :)

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Well I don't understand how they can think every one will get the size they got unless you know what yarn and hook was used. Even just doing a tube different yarns and hooks used will give different sizes producing what ever size hat. Glad you are figuring it out though. I like doing the hats in the round better myself, easier for me. Mary

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I get why it wouldn't matter what kind of yarn was used. 10 inches is the same size in worsted weight yarn as 10 inches is in DK weight yarn. It would just take more rows and stitches to get there in DK weight yarn. What is the height measurement? If that isn't also given, then yes, the yarn and hook would definitely affect the size.

 

If you can link to the pattern, please do so. I'd like to see the pattern. 35 cm is just shy of 14 inches. It's possible that the instructions were for a preemie (showing the 10" - 12" size). A lof of times pattern with have several sets of numbers showing how to work various sizes.

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Thank you, those do help and I bookmarked them both! It seems that the 35 cm measurement is more accurate than the 10-12" I was working with.

 

The pattern didn't call for a particular yarn or size hook or provide a guage - since it's made as a flat piece which is then joined to form a tube and gathered at the top, it only called for me to continue repeating rows until I had reached 10 to 12 inches in width. It's a darling little hat that turned out well, it's just too small for an actual baby at those measurements. :)

 

If you are using an acrylic yarn, it will stretch to fit too, so making the hat about 12" width is a good rule of thumb cos it will stretch to fit most newborns whose head sizes are between 13"-14" normally.

 

Bev

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Head Size Chart

 

 

A guide for making caps

 

 

Use the following chart to determine the size of the hat needed. Each hat does not need to measure exactly as the chart. All hats can be used in a hospital. Hats that are knit and crocheted should be made approximately 1-1½” smaller than the circumference noted because they will stretch. The height noted is the total height of the hat including the brim.

 

 

My mom is a nurse. This information and chart was given to her by the hospital. My crochet group uses the chart to guide hat making for our hospital. It has been very useful. What I do is hold the bottom of the hat open and round (do not measure the hat folded flat). Measure the diameter of the hat. Use the circumference formula: C=3.14 x diameter. If your hat is 4 inches across, then 3.14 x 4 = 12.56. That means that the hat fits a 5 to 6 pound baby.

Hope this helps the hat maker.

post-62711-135897774923_thumb.jpg

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