Scrappy Preemie Hat KAL

Howdy, Knitters! Thanks for stopping by for another post on the Knitting Daddy blog. I’m so grateful for both new and returning readers, and I hope you enjoy the content you find here and keep coming back for more. If you’re a new reader, you might enjoy checking out my knitting origin story to read about how I started my knitting journey. This post is going to be a little different from most of the posts I make on the blog, because I’m announcing a special Knitting Daddy Designs event. Never fear, regular blog features will return in the next post. Let’s go ahead and jump right in to our special event!

Preemie Hat Family

The family of some of preemie hat samples I knitted while designing the Scrappy Sock Yarn Preemie Hat pattern.

Scrappy Preemie Hat KAL

In this blog post, I’m thrilled to announce the first-ever Knitting Daddy Designs KAL! I’m hoping to make this an annual event, so let’s have a great time this year and make the first one a success. All of the details are in a forum post on the Knitting Daddy Designs Ravelry group, but I’ll go over some highlights here to get things kicked off.

What is a KAL?

Some of you might not be familiar with what a KAL is, so let’s do a quick review. KAL stands for “knit-a-long,” and it’s an event where people all over the world join together to knit the same thing over a set period of time. When I first started knitting, I had never heard of this concept, but when I encountered my first KAL, I thought it was pretty much the coolest thing ever. Participants will knit the same pattern during the time the KAL is running, and share their experiences — including pictures — on a message board. It’s a great way to build a community and find other people who are interested in knitting the same kinds of things you’re interested in knitting.

That sounds great! What are we doing for the Scrappy Preemie Hat KAL?

This KAL will be focused around the Scrappy Sock Yarn Preemie Hat pattern I published earlier this year.

Where do I get the pattern? How much is it?

The Scrappy Sock Yarn Preemie Hat pattern is available in my Ravelry store. The pattern normally costs $3.00, but until November 17, 2015, $0.50 will be taken off the purchase price of the pattern, in celebration of this KAL! No coupon code is required, the discount will automatically be applied at checkout and you will only pay $2.50 for it. As always, every penny you spend on the pattern is donated to Family Support Network of Central Carolina (FSNCC). I keep track of the amount of donations that are generated through the pattern sales and report them in a publicly-viewable spreadsheet that you can inspect any time.

Sweet! I love that pattern! What are the dates of the Scrappy Preemie Hat KAL?

The Scrappy Preemie Hat KAL is running from October 1, 2015 – November 17, 2015. November 17 is World Prematurity Day, so I thought that would be a fitting date on which to end the KAL. I am starting the KAL in October so that it will run alongside the Preemie Hat Charity Drive that I am hosting in the Itty Bitty Knits (IBK) Ravelry Group. While the KAL is specifically for my hat pattern, the charity drive in the IBK group is for any preemie hat pattern and general donations to FSNCC. Feel free to participate in one or both of these events!

Are there rules for the Scrappy Preemie Hat KAL?

Yes, there are few rules. They’re listed in the “Chatter” thread in the Knitting Daddy Designs Ravelry group, and I’ll re-post them here, too:

  1. Dates of KAL: October 1, 2015 – November 17, 2015 — any hat finished during this window is eligible.
  2. What to knit: the Scrappy Sock Yarn Preemie Hat , in any size, with any yarn, incorporating any modifications.
  3. Post a picture of your hat in the FO thread. Each finished hat can be a separate post. So the more hats you knit, the better chances you have of winning a prize.
  4. Tag your Ravelry projects and social media posts (Instagram, Twitter, etc.) with the #ScrappyPreemieHatKAL hashtag.

What should I do with the hats I knit for the Scrappy Preemie Hat KAL?

If you personally know any families who currently have babies in the NICU, by all means, you should give them any hats you knit for the KAL. Receiving the gift of a hand-made hat for a tiny, fragile baby is a tremendous ray of hope and love for these families.

If you don’t know anyone with a tiny baby currently in the NICU, I highly encourage you to donate your finished preemie hats to your local hospital. If that’s not an option for you (some hospitals have specific rules about what can be donated, e.g.) and you’re looking for a place to donate your finished hat, you can mail it to me and I’ll donate it to FSNCC — send me a message, and I’ll give you my address.

Are there prizes?

Absolutely! At the end of the KAL, I will randomly select posts from the FO thread to receive prizes. The current prizes are:

  1. A 120-yard hank of Unplanned Peacock Studio Superwash Merino/Nylon Peacock Sock yarn. I don’t see a color listed on the tag; it’s blues and white. Donated by KnittingDaddy Greg, found in his stash.
  2. A 60-yard (18g) hank of The Fiber Seed Seedling Superwash Merino/Nylon Seedling sock yarn in the Ruby Slippers colorway. It’s all sorts of reds and pinks. Donated by KnittingDaddy Greg, found in his stash.

Both of these prizes would be fun choices for knitting preemie hats, or contrasting heels/toes for your socks, or any of a number of scrap sock yarn projects, like blankets or hexipuffs.

As the KAL goes on, I might find more prizes to add. If you would like to donate prizes for the KAL, let me know and I’ll add them. The more, the merrier!

This is the awesomest KAL ever! How can I let all my friends know about it?

Spread the word about this KAL by using the #ScrappyPreemieHatKAL hashtag in social media. Take pictures of your hats and post them on Twitter, Instagram, Flickr, etc. using the hashtag. Tag your project pages in Ravelry with the hashtag. Your friends will see how sweet your knitting is and want to find out more. As the KAL goes on and more people participate, everyone will be able to look up the hashtag and see all the awesome projects that are being knitted.

I have more questions. Where should I ask them?

The best place to ask questions about the KAL is in the “Chatter” thread in the Knitting Daddy Designs Ravelry group. Post your question there, and someone is sure to answer.

I can’t participate in the Scrappy Preemie Hat KAL right now, but I still want to help families affected by prematurity. What can I do?

I’m a big fan of supporting local causes. Check with your local hospital and see what organizations in your community work with families affected by prematurity and how you can help those organizations. Of course, I’m also a big fan of the organization that meant so much to my family when Blueberry was born prematurely — Family Support Network of Central Carolina (FSNCC) — and would be thrilled for you to make a donation via the FSNCC donation page, too.

Let’s do this!

All right, friends! Let’s get knitting some preemie hats!

Until next time, keep on knitting for the ones you love!

-greg

2 thoughts on “Scrappy Preemie Hat KAL

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