The local Children's Miracle Network neonatal intensive care unit needs hats and mittens for the preemies. What crossed my mind was to make a fleece tube with hidden seams. Then, have my 4-H students cut the tube, roll and hand stitch a small cuff, then tie the top closed to make hats. I thought a smaller tube for the mittens, (no thumb necessary, it's to keep them from scratching themselves.) My students could cut the tube with a round template, then blanket stitch the fleece closed. Then weave an elastic cord through half of the open end of the tube, knotted on each end of the elastic, to form a tightish fitting mitten. The students I have in mind would be middle schoolers.

The question I have is this: Will this concept work? When I worked NICU, we used orthopedic stockinette. We had boxes of assorted size rolls, and would just cut off what we needed, tie the tops with umbilical tape, for the hats, and attach the mittens with a strip of bandage tape. I have no idea of what sizes we had on the shelves. Now, the colorful blankets, hats and mittens are gifts which are more for the visual relaxation of the concerned parents than for the preemies.

If this concept sounds functional, what size tubes should we make?

Thanks for your input
Carol

What a wonderful project & a great way to get teens involved. I'm wondering if the fleece would be too bulky for such tiny mitts. Would flannel be an alternative?

The babies in the NICU really vary in size, so maybe call the hospital and ask them smallest to largest sizes?
Last time I was in one, the smallest baby was 5 months premature and the largest was full term and almost 9 pounds :D:D:D

before you get started....check with the NICU about fabric content...somewhere I remember reading that they couldn't use certain fabrics due to the skin on the preemies being so fragile.

sounds great i also would check at the hospital where they are going

I do Quilts for Kids very often, we CANNOT use fleece, it interferes with the machines somehow, they reccomend flannel

I volunteer in the sewing room of a childrens hospital. Fleece does not withstand the washers and dryers. Flannel would probably be better.

Some fabrics are more prone to static, not a good thing around oxygen. Good idea to involve the kids.

piney

Thanks for all the reminders about the static problems. Fleece had come to mind because of the 4-H projects we do for elder-care. It has that stretch to it which makes a nice fit. I wanted to avoid flannel because of the loose thread issue, and wool for the allergens and scratch factor. I guess for the hats, we could make the Knifty Knitter type looms and use cotton yarn, it would take a lot longer, but I wonder about the mittens.

(Knitting looms - a cardboard spool, like the ones on which ribbon comes; or for skinny belts, even a TP roll - craft sticks and duct tape. Every other stick is taped down to provide even spacing. A bent gem clip makes a needle. Wind and flip to make a tube scarf. OR, I guess, a tiny hat.)

why not T-shirt knits???