Celebrate BABY — little hat: finding the stretch

I found this awesome hot pink/white striped knit fabric at the FIDM scholarship store last year. It’s super stretchy, medium weight (heavier than your standard T-shirt jersey knit), and has a slight brushed nap on the surface. It is so soft.
And I knew it would be perfect for a baby blanket one day.

So we’ve been using it for Clara to swaddle and get cozy. And I didn’t even do anything to it….just left the edges raw and threw it in the wash.
Done.
I did however, cut off a small strip to make a little baby hat.
You know I love stripes!

But a funny thing happened.
Like most striped knits, I assumed the fabric would stretch horizontally. So I made a hat (using an old newborn hat as my guide. Sorry no pattern to share with you….right now at least. You might—shhhhh—maybe see something in the next book though?….just sayin’).
Well, the finished hat had no stretch around the brim.
Grrrr.

The stretch was on the vertical stripe.
Who does that?
And who sews an entire hat without noticing that?
Uh, me apparently.
So I recut and sewed it with the stripes going down, using a zigzag stitch along the brim to allow extra stretch in my stitch.
And I actually kind of love it even more.
And, it totally reminds me of this:
Mmmm. It’s 75 degrees here today in TX.Ā  I’d totally trade my hat for yummy one of those.

So now we’ve got 2 hats. One that fits Clara, one that fits a doll.
And one baby who only wants to cry when I take pics of the hat. I promise she loves it!
Happy Monday.
Check out the Celebrate BABY archives HERE.

  1. 2) Emily W.

    I think I had a grin on my face the entire time I read this!!!! šŸ™‚
    I do like the end result though. Very cute!!! šŸ™‚

  2. lol… had to laugh when I got to the picture of hot dog on a stick. I was totally phrasing a comment in my head while I read your post that was gonna be like, “this totally reminds me of …”. šŸ™‚ But I guess you’re already there.

    p.s. that fabric looks really cozy!

  3. totally you (and so cute on clara). hmm, the new book already sounds fun!

  4. 5) Leanne

    This is so cute! I have to say, your blog makes me want to quit my job and go home to sew every time I come here. Great stuff!

  5. 7) Amy

    I did the same thing the first time I used tricot for a swimsuit – totally expected the stretch to go one way & it went the other. (Luckily, it’s pretty stretchy no matter which way you use it!)
    Either way, Clara’s hat turned out cute!

  6. 9) Leigh Anne

    LOL! This totally happened to me too! I was preggo with #3 and making a baby hat for the hospital. It was adorable and I only had a tad bit of fabric. Got done and admired my handi-work….only to realize there was no stretch. I packed it in my hospital bag just in case, but it didn’t even fit her in the hospital. So bummed. Happy you had more material to work with. It is super cute in the vertical version šŸ™‚

  7. ha…cute post! I like the vertical stripes too…although I didn’t think I would at first. But on her – adorable!

  8. i like the 2nd one better! glad it worked out!

  9. It totally reminded me of Hot Dog On A Stick, too! So cute. šŸ™‚

  10. I could really go for a hotdog on a stick right now! I love the hat. So cute and what fun pictures too!

  11. 16) themissymom

    You make me smile ;0)

  12. LOL! The Hot Do on a Stick killed me! Thanks for the 80’s mall memories!

  13. Love the verticle stripes—and if does remind you of Hot Dog on a Stick that’s perfect because Wednesday is “Something on a Stick Day”. (It really is…)
    liZ

  14. 19) Ruth

    I made the same mistake last week in making a much-needed shirt for myself! It’s Knit fabric that has a really cool puckered texture to it, and I thought for sure the stretchiness would put the puckers horizontal. After sewing everything except the hem, I tried it on and couldn’t believe my mistake. It was droopy in the armpits, way longer than it should have been. I (briefly) contemplated wearing it anyway, but just can’t bring myself to do it. I plan on cutting it up to make an outfit or two for my 9 month-old baby girl. At least it won’t be a complete waste. *sigh*
    BTW, I’ve been soaking up you fabrics book. It’s exactly what I’ve been needing.

  15. 20) Kathy Laird

    I love the hat, but the baby is even better! šŸ™‚

  16. 21) Ashley

    Haha it totally does. Love!

  17. oh I did that a few weeks back with a toddler tee!! Annoying! Of course she won’t wear it because it’s now a little snug. Two adorable hats anyhow. šŸ™‚

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