I double dog dare you . . . .

I've been knitting premie hats for Aunties in Stitches for the local hospitals Neonatal Intensive Care Units and issued a challenge on the PDX-Knit-Bloggers Yahoo Group and want to repeat it here. I've knit 15 hats so far (they only take about an hour each) and dare anyone to knit more hats than I do by the deadline of October 13, 2007. I want to show the NICUs the power of knitters by burying them in premie hats.

Duffy of Aunties In Stitches came to knit night at Streets of Tanasbourne tonight and handed over custody of a large bag of donated baby yarn so if you're in the Portland, Oregon area and need yarn to make them, let me know and I'll make sure you get some. The hats need to be made out of washable very soft baby yarn, any color; they should be k2p2 rib with no pompoms; they should fit any size from a small tangerine up to a grapefruit. Just cast on 40 to 70 stitches and work in rib for about 6 inches, then decrease down to about 10 to 15 stitches and tie off. Nothing difficult, just easy mindless knitting for a good cause. So you have NO EXCUSES for not making premie hats. (Insert my evil laugh here.)

The bait, er . . . prize for the challenge (which is in a really cute green and turquoise retro print gift bag, by the way) currently has two (yes two!) skeins of Socks That Rock yarn in two different colorways, and a pink and red ceramic mug which is stuffed full of assorted Stash teabags (including herbals, English Breakfast, Earl Grey, and Chai). And just to ensure that it will be possible to beat my current number of 15 hats before the deadline of October 13, I have promised not only to NOT knit premie hats until September 22 (come on, you don't really expect me to follow something with a pattern at OFFF, do you?) but also to add to the prize bag periodically between now and deadline.

Come on, people! I double dog dare you to beat me at premie hat knitting.