Charity knitting

For anyone who has just "winged it" when making newborn knitted hats for hospital nurseries, here are some sizes worth noting:

Since there is a need to cover the heads of full term babies, down to the small preemies--here's a simple guide to follow: needles: size 6---- yarn: 4 ply---- Make a K1,P1 ribbing for 1 in.
Full term: 66 sts. 5.5 in. of stockinette st./ 10 in. across
Lg. Preemie: 50 sts. 4 in. of stockinette st./ 8 in. across
Med. Preemie: 44 sts. 3.5 in. of stockinette st./ 7 in. across
Sm. Preemie: 40 sts. 3 in. of stockinette st./ 6 in. across

This is just a guide. You can knit to the full length of the hat, then gather your yarn through the stitches and end off there; or you can knit to within an inch of the length then decrease the last few rows with K3, K2 tog.
You can add a pom pom or bow or just leave the hat plain. When using Simply Soft by Caron, I like to use a stockinette stitching throughout and turn up a brim of an inch or two. This makes a soft, stretchy hat that is flexible for a good fit.
It's helpful if you place the hats in plastic bags before shipping, with the sizes marked on the bags.