Hats in Honor of the Sandy Hook Victims

For the last 3 years, I have knitted hats for the "Coats for the Children" organization.  I usually start in January and make the last one in November.  I stuff them in a large plastic bag and put them in the designated donation box in a bank.

This year I decided to make the hats in honor of the Sandy Hook Victims.  I read the biography of the victim and decide what might meet their personality.  The first hat was in honor of Daniel Barden, age 7.  He liked to make S'Mores around a bonfire with his cousins.

The hat was made by casting on 80 stitches with no. 7 needles.  There is about 1 1/2 inches of ribbing in knit one, purl one.  Then knit 6 rows of stockinette stitch. The next was two welt rows followed by another 6 rows of stockinette stitch.  There are four s'mores using the welt stitch for the crackers (3 rows), the chocolate, (2 rows), and 3 rows for the top cracker. The cracker is 12 stitches across, the chocolate is 12 stitces across, and the marshmallows are 6 stitches across, increased on each stitch. To do the marshmallows, so they seemed puffy, complete four rows of the welt stitch but on the first stitch, increase on each of 6 stitches and then decrease on the last 4th row of the marshmellow.  Inbetween the s'mores is the stockinette stitch of 8 stitches and 14 between each marshmallow.  When the s'mores are finished, the next 6 rows are stockinette stitch, and the next 2 rows are the welt stitch.  After 3 rows of stockinette stitch, begin decreasing, on every knit of the stockinette as follows:
Purl on decreasing rows 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16
1st row decreasing, knit 8, knit two together, repeat across
3rd row decreasing, knit 7, knit two together, repeat across
5th row decreasing, knit 6, knit two together, repeat across
7th row decreasing, knit 5, knit two together, repeat across
9th row decreasing, knit 4, knit two together, repeat across
11th row decreasing, knit 3, knit two together, repeat across
13th row decreasing, knit 2, knit two together, repeat across
15th row decreasing, knit 1, knit two together, repeat across
Last decreasing row, knit 2 together across.
Cut yarn using long string of yarn, thread yarn needle on yarn, and pull through remaining stitches.  Pull tight, and stitch the hat together.  Now, there will be many ends that may need to be hidden.  One of the best techniques I found is by Theresa Vinson Stenersen.  Check out her site.

Some of the other hats, but not all, will be used making this basic pattern.  I'll probably also use my looms for making a few.