Volunteers Needed to Knit Hats For Babies At Upper Chesapeake

BEL AIR, MD — The American Heart Association is looking for knitters to make red hats for babies at Upper Chesapeake Medical Center. The red hats will be given to babies born in February as part of the association's Little Hats, Big Hearts project.

The campaign is meant to raise awareness of heart disease, which is the number-one killer of Americans, and congenital heart defects, which are the most common type of birth defects in the country.

More than 40,000 babies a year are born with congenital heart disease, according to the American Heart Association.

February is designated as American Heart Month, and through the Little Hats, Big Hearts project, all babies born that month receive a locally knitted or crocheted red baby hat along with a kit that provides resources and educational material for families.

The American Heart Association accepts donated yarn and baby hats from Aug. 1 to Dec. 31.

Little Hats, Big Hearts began in Chicago in 2014 and has grown to include 460 hospitals in 40 states.

Participating Hospitals in Maryland:

• Greater Baltimore Medical Center
• Frederick Regional Health System
• Howard County Hospital
• Johns Hopkins Hospital
• MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center
• St. Agnes Healthcare
• UM Upper Chesapeake Medical Center
• University of Maryland Medical Center
• Western Maryland Medical System

Patterns for Baby Hats

Sample patterns for baby hats can be found here:

• Crochet Baby Hat Pattern
• Crochet Preemie Hat Pattern
• Knitted Baby Hat Pattern
• Knitted Hat Pattern 2
• Knitted Preemie Hat Pattern
• Knit Baby Bear Hat Pattern

Yarn Specifics

The AMA recommends using simple patterns for hats.

"While we love bows and buttons, they can come off the hats and be dangerous for the little ones," according to information posted on the AMA website.
The following type of yarn should be used or can be donated:

• Red
• Cotton or acrylic
• Medium to heavy weight
• Machine washable and dryable

For more information about Little Hats, Big Hearts, visit the campaign's website.

Patch editors Kristal Dixon and Amie Schaenzer contributed.

File photo from Northside Hospital.