Finally!!!! Knit baby helmet!

Get ready for picture OVERLOAD!

I finally did. Working for a week straight, this is the 6-8 one that I am trying. All the others I would make, didn't fit, take it out and do it AGAIN!

And so when I put it on the baby this afternoon and it fit perfectly I screamed! All the kids were looking at me like I was outta my head but I was so excited!!!! I DID IT!

Now for the pictures!

I so coulda used one of those for my first! lol

Quoting Marjolaine:" I so coulda used one of those for my first! lol"

I've been attempting to make a baby helmet since he was born! so finally getting it was pretty freaking EXCITING!

That is so adorable! I want one lol

Quoting Amanda Mada-chan Waldrop:" That is so adorable! I want one lol"

I actually wrote it down this time so I can make more for the bazaars this fall!

Quoting TheCoopersKnitWitch:" I actually wrote it down this time so I can make more for the bazaars this fall!"

Thats great, I'm having my first son this november/early december & this is just too adorable!

I have decided, I really do want one of these. how did you make it? is there a specific pattern or anything that could help me make one?

Quoting  Amanda(::" I have decided, I really do want one of these. how did you make it? is there a specific pattern or anything that could help me make one?"

Nope I don't use patterns.

I made a panel down the center of the head. Not very big. My son's head is about 17 inches, so I made it about 5-6 inches. I did a few small wrap and turns or short rows to make it a little bit contoured, then at the back of the neck I decreased a little bit to make kind of like a V. Then I picked up the stitched around the sides of the flap to make the ear flaps, and decreased drastically in the beginning then slowly until I got it. It was easy once I got the hang of it but it took a lot of testers to get it right!

Quoting TheCoopersKnitWitch:" Nope I don't use patterns. I made a panel down the center of the head. Not very big. My son's head ... [snip!] ... the beginning then slowly until I got it. It was easy once I got the hang of it but it took a lot of testers to get it right!"

I was going to look to buy one somewhere but I couldn't find any like this one! That & I might want to start out smaller if i'm going to learn how to do it at all lol

Quoting  Amanda(::" I was going to look to buy one somewhere but I couldn't find any like this one! That & I might want to start out smaller if i'm going to learn how to do it at all lol"

Start with a tester going down the middle.

Best idea is to start by measuring the head. If you don't have a baby yet to test on often this is how newborn-6 months are. They usually measure 12 inches from earlobe to earlobe, and about 10 inches from forehead to the back of the neck. So you can start with about 3-4 inches for the center panel. Make it approx 8 inches long and then start decreasing on each(alternating rows, dec, knit one row, dec etc) to make a v-like at the back of the neck.

Then pick up an even number of stitches(or short it to start it off contured).

Knit the first row after pick up then start decreasing. Start off by decreasing at least 6 stitches. So a SSK or a PSSO x2 each row. Once it looks round enough lower your decreasing to 4 or 2 stitches per row.

Test this out for a while until you get something you like and fits and works well.

does that make any sense at all to get started?

It does, thanks so much!

Quoting  Amanda(::" It does, thanks so much!"

My last advice is to make sure your decreasing in the center of the ear flap. That's why mine looks kind of weird in the middle of the ear flap, I did 2 PSSO's or so right next to each other for the drastic decrease to make it round. I also did a decrease every other row.

The only real problem I had is that it's a little wide in the back of the neck on my helmet, I'm thinking I might of needed a bigger decrease and more of a V in the back of the neck(maybe its more like a U?   )

but it's all trial and error and it fits well. It's easy to make the chin strap too. Especially cause the ear flaps are so long in my case I only needed a few inches under the chin to make it close. And that stitch(which I'm thinking is garter stitch?) is extra stretchy so that was a plus!

And once you have the right inches you need on top you can start working on a pattern to fit it.

Anyways that's just me. I'm no pro, I've only been knitting for about 12 years off and on. Crochet is my forte for sure!