There’s been an explosion of soon-to-appear babies in my life – cousins, friends, coworkers, they’re everywhere!  The news causes my two-part reaction of a) “Congratulations!” and b) furious knitting of wee baby things.

The only problem is that, since these babies haven’t arrived, I have to show you my finished projects photographed flat on a table instead of on a cute round head.

This hat doesn’t look like much plopped on my kitchen table, but it is my favorite baby hat pattern.  It’s the Stella Pixie Hat, adapted from a 1944 baby hat pattern, and it’s available as a free download on Ravelry.  It’s easy to knit, a great stashbuster for sock yarn, and it also allows you to pick cute singleton buttons from your collection.  It’s also a fast knit, which is nice when you’re racing to beat a baby shower deadline.  It’s a super-stretchy hat (it even fits my head!) and I made it with three button holes so that the strap is adjustable.

I have a weird feeling of affection for this tiny button.  I got it at Stitches West in California about two years ago (I think), and it was from this fantastic booth (I believe it was “The Button Lady“) with vintage buttons.  The woman running the booth showed me her collection of hand painted “calico” buttons made of china – there’s some interesting information online about these collectors’ buttons.  Anyhoo, she threw this little guy in for free with my purchase, and I’ve been saving it for something special.  

I knit this hat in Stroll Sport in Cocoa, and it took two skeins (I only used a small amount of the second one).  It’s washable, although I recommended washing it using a delicate cycle because of the button.  I’ve already given it away to the to-be mom, and I can’t wait to see it on her kiddo.

Pattern: Stella Pixie Hat (Ravelry link), free pattern

Yarn: Stroll Sport in Cocoa, two skeins (only used a small amount of second skein)

Needles: US size 2