Sunday, May 13, 2012

Hat sizing information

A few times a while back I did get some negative feedback on my hat sizes.  And as of recently I've had a lot of people throw out to me "normal" children sizes.  So I figured I would explain how I size my hats.  I have researched this a lot and this is what I have found to be very true.

Circumference of the head can vary from child to child. 

However, some things always remain the same on each child.  I've come to realize that all children through about 6 months, only have a 5-5.5 inch depth for hats.  But their head size can range anywhere from 12 inches to 16inches.  This is something I sometimes over look or don't know.  Which is why it's best to tell me when placing your order the AGE of the child.  For example my 4 months old has a 17 inches head, but the depth of his head is still about 5.5 inches, maybe 5.75. 

If you don't tell me how many inches I go off of these rules that I've found to be mostly true for each child.

A newborn tends to have a child 12-13 inches around and 5 inches or less in depth, so I make the hat 12 inches and it stretches.

I then go up by 1-2 inches for each size.

So a 0-3 months old with 13.5 inches and 5 inches deep.

A 3-6 months old is 14.5 inches around and 5.5 inches deep.

A 6 months old hat would be 16 inches around and 5.5 inches deep.

12 months is 18 inches around and 6 inches deep.

I have found that as a general rule, by the time your child hits 1, they have reached their head circumference.  It doesn't matter if their body grows, they're head circumference will stay the same for several years.  Possibly only growing about an inch or so by the time they're an adult.  I had been researching my children's heads and my nephews since I have been making them hats and they're still the same after almost 2 years.  My nephews head is still about 21 inches, and my daughter's is still 19-19.5 inches.  However, this is again where age comes into a factor.  Even though your child's head circumference stays the same, the depth does not.

For example.  At one year old a child can have a 19-20 inches head.  But the depth of the head is really only 6 inches.  At 2 their head depth is 6.5, and 3-4 and up is 7 inches deep.  So now your thinking here, wait....my head is 20 inches.  As an adult, my head is 20 inches.  But adults have deeper heads, an adult can have a 20 inch head, but our head depth is usually and 8 inches deep or more. 

So the whole point of this is to explain to me everything.  I don't know every child's age.  :)  I would love to, but well I'm not psychic.  And size information, well past a year, it doesn't do me any good at all!  None of my hats use patterns, I create everything myself.  So I base all my hats off of years of research and testing.  I measure measure measure, and then design and create. 

So I apologize to anyone if you have received a hat from me and it was to long or to short.  This is why, and why I've been asking so much for ages of the child when I make the hat. 

Thank you all for understanding! 

And look towards the summer!  I am busy making slippers again and crochet tiny sandals for girls and boys!  So we can cover those toesies and show them off too!  I can't wait, I wanted to so badly make sandals last year, but was working all summer long!  What fun this will be!

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Half Sweaters

About a year ago my sister law sent me a link for a half sweater.  Now I got to thinking, could I really do that?  What is the true purpose of a half sweater or shrug? 

I made a few anyways, and gave them to my daughter.

One I made for her about a year ago.

It's was made when we lived in our old house, so I know it was more than a year ago.  The clothes she's wearing are 12-18 months, so the sweater is probably right around that size, possibly 24 monthsish.

Well the summer came and went, then winter.  And my daughter became very much obsessed with Minnie Mouse that I was afraid to even ask if she wanted to wear a handmade sweater by mommy.

And then today they wanted to go outside and play and we needed to grab something to cover her shoulders so she could play. 

So I grabbed the shrug.

And even though now she mostly wears a 3t, it still fits perfectly.  And if your my daughter, it looks even better with a backwards kitty hat, a skort, and rubber boots.  



I think I'm a fan, that even after a year, this fits her.  I'll be making more of these for the kids!

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Re-Purposing Old Receiving Blankets

Let's all be honest with ourselves here. 

We all have receiving blankets.  All of us.  Ok maybe 99% of us.  Some of us got them when we were first time mom's and thought we would actually use them, and some of us for baby showers.  Maybe some of us actually did use them.  But let's all be honest with ourselves, after about 3 months, those receiving blankets you thought you had to have, tend to have served their purpose and are no longer needed.  Maybe you decided, "I'll use these for something soon," and maybe you did and maybe they're sitting in that box to save and use later or dump.

But for me, I love flannel, and I've found a new love for receiving blankets. 

They make easy inserts.  They're easily foldable, and easy to make.

Now I know, not everyone likes flannel, and that's ok, but me, I love it.  I love it for diapers.  To me it's soft and absorbs a lot, other people may not see the same thing I see and that's ok.  But I still want to share my 4 easy steps for re-purposing old receiving blankets.

Now the first step is easy.  Are you going to T&T or serge?  For me I've done both, and they both work well.  Both have their own benefits.

Once you have that worked out, your ready to get started.

Get out old receiving blankets.


Cut off Tags.  Don't worry to much about the extra serge edges.  If you'd like your more than welcome to cut that off.  Since I serged mine I just fed it through.



Cut to desired length and width, making sure there are at least 4 layers of flannel.

And sew.  If your T&T this link will help you with that.
http://www.candleonthehill.net/diaperinserts/index.html

If your serging, then BAM your done.



  And enjoy your inserts.  I love laying them under another insert, stacking them together, and what I call double stuffing them in for nighttime use.  And maybe you need to grab something in case of an emergency cause baby just puked every where?  Bam you have a spit up rag/ burp cloth.  These flannel inserts serve their purpose for pretty much everything.  My oldest even used one as a wash cloth once.  And if they're clean who cares?  (he did once I told him it was a diaper  :) ) Being only 4 layers of flannel, they also fold easy.

Monday, May 7, 2012

Inserts, and hybrids

So I'm constantly looking for the next best fabric for my inserts.

I was using organic cotton velour which was mislabeled as fleece.  I really wanted to try bamboo.  So I bought some, and I love it.

Secondly, I really wanted a foldable snake like insert that snapped apart.  I bought a diaper and really liked this concept, but the fact that folded up it was SO bulky for a little baby, I couldn't use it.  And was really disappointed.  So I wanted to make a snake like insert that snapped apart.  So it could be snapped apart for smaller babies.


The new inserts are roughly 4 inches by 20 inches(possibly 21)


In the AI2 there will be one 3 layer soaker, and then an additional 3 layer soaker that attaches to it. 

For my hybrid diapers, I found the more the better.  Since it is technically a fitted diaper, the more inserts, the better at having the inserts absorb the liquid then the cover itself.

Now my 3 layers(9 layers total) is far to bulky for an itty bitty baby.  But I like to think more into the future.  As babies get bigger, they pee more.  So I made a typical 6 layer petal soaker, 4 inches by 20 inches, and then an additional snap in insert as baby grows.

Here's what it looks like


Here's what it looks like with a 6 layer petal soaker on the smallest setting


Here's what it looks like with the extra snap in insert on the largest setting.

It's bulky but it definitely works great!  And I love these diapers at night.

Also, another change that I had posted was coming was reducing the snaps to only 2 rows.  Here's what that looks like

This is a really good change, now I have room to case elastic better, and still have room for the snaps!

Sunday, May 6, 2012

New Rules for Orders

So after sitting on several items, I'm realizing I really need something in writing for orders.  These rules apply to all custom orders.

So these are the new rules.

If you need to place an order please email me at adrianna @ adriannaknits . com  No spaces.

Once we have worked out all the bugs on your order, you will be invoiced.

Once invoice you will have 3 days to pay, or work out an email agreement with me.

I will then make your order and it will be shipped within 2 weeks.

In case of an order where it is a new pattern, or a tester pattern here are the new rules.

I will make the item.

Once the item is finished it must be approved in writing by you.

Once it is approved you will have 2 weeks to pay or else have an agreement between you and me via email(in writing).

If you do not pay for your item, your item will be re listed and attempted to be sold to someone else.  If no one buys it there is a possibility it could be trashed.

 In event of large items such as blankets


After everything is worked out and there is a written agreement a payment plan will be established. 

The final payment will be due upon completion of project and your approval. 


In any case of you not liking an item, your monies can be refunded.

In event of already made purchases

You will provide an email to be invoiced.

You then have 3 days to pay after which the item will be re-listed.

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Hybrid diapers and helmets

Sometimes there's just no way to sugar coat where you get your ideas from.  It's awful sometimes but it's true.  And every since MAC got burns from his Oeko Popo's, I knew something had to be done.  And quick.  What had happened was the Oeko Popo's had changed style a little bit, and the PUL was rolled over the leg by the designer, this, combined with MAC's eczema and all his other "issues" caused chafing and developed into blisters.  I knew then, I only wanted AI2's with soft liners.  And then I was introduced to a "hybrid" diaper.  And not like the Flip system, or the GroVia, but an actual hybrid system.

Pretty much what it is, is a few layers of fleece with a softer inner and a soaker.  So an almost waterproof AI2.  Well since this idea came upon me suddenly, I of course had to try it out.  So I rushed to the store and without knowing where to start, I bought a ton of blizzard fleece.  Well it didn't turn out as I had hoped, but honestly what tester ever does?  I put 2 layers of blizzard fleece and a cotton print outer.

Well, to be honest, it hardly went through my sewing machine, but it works, it's actually pretty durable.  I'm going to change some things if I want to list these to sell, and probably won't for a while.  I may wait to closer to the bazaars and make this for them.  I honestly love it.  I can use this as a cover with a doubled up soaker about 2x before it actually becomes damp.  It doesn't leak, just gets damp, and it has NO PUL, it's completely breathable.  I personally love it, besides the bulk.

Here's my tester for this.






I'm also having a hard time because I am constantly trimming this pattern.  Since hardly any of them sold, I only have self preference for these diapers, with the help from some of my family.  So the rise snaps have been 3x3, but I can't get the elastic cased properly, so from here on out, they'll be 2x3.  So that way you can have more elastic.

Lastly, ever so often, I head on over to ravelry and browse.  Just to see what other people are making and if people have ideas like mine.  Because often I'll have an idea, but not quite remember all the stitches to put it together.  And there it was, my complete vision.  I have been having this bright idea of making a helmet, a knit baby helmet since making my pixie hats.  But I have never seen one.  I knew there had to be one, and then there it was.  A picture of the Aviatrix hat by JustJussi.  Just one look and it was what I thinking.  I knew I could do it.  But I don't use patterns, like ever.  I create my own.  Seeing that I knew I could do it.  And after sitting on this pattern for a week.  I made my own.  It's going to take a while to perfect this hat since I don't use patterns, even though she offers hers, I don't use them, I also don't know how to read patterns unless I write them down or they're printed in an actual book.  I want to eventually make these to perfected sizes and make them with patterns.  Right now I think I made mine to big for MAC and he won't be able to wear it long.  But here it is.


And  to credit her for confirming an awesome idea.  Here's her website if anyone who can read patterns that people write want to make their own.  She has pattern for all sorts of stuff!