This little hat was inspired by a Partners in Health hospital in Rwanda, where doctors requested hat donations to help keep newborns warm and healthy, improving their chances for survival. The response to this particular donation request was so abundant that the need was quickly filled, but this need has been identified by many other hospitals worldwide. To donate your own hat, please check out Ravelry’s Wool Aid group for current donation requests from various parts of the world. (Please note, Wool-Aid only accepts donations made from yarn that has at least 80% wool content, as they ship to the coldest regions of the world. Machine washability is not an issue, as water is often scarce in these regions.)

Sized from premies to toddlers, this adorable hat is crocheted sideways in a shell-stitch pattern, shaped with short rows, and invisibly seamed up the back. The stretchy tension and stitch pattern allows the hat to fit a range of sizes, and the folded-up brim can be gradually let down to accommodate a growing little head. The sassy pom-pom top is sure to make proud parents smile. Ujima is one of three free Wild Bird Song baby hat designs inspired by Partners in Health, each named for one of the Seven Principles of Kwanzaa celebrated by many descendants of the African diaspora. The word “ujima” means “community responsibility” in Swahili.

This pattern is available as a free Ravelry download in your choice of US or UK crochet terminology. International stitch diagrams are also included for the first 9 rows, which are repeated in the rest of the hat. This free pattern also includes how-to stitch illustrations by artist Miranda Currie.

ERRATA: In the April 2011 magazine pattern, a few errors slipped in during editing that alter the shape of the hat. All past and present Ravelry downloads of this pattern, however, are correct and error-free! This version has been tested by a group of crocheters to ensure its accuracy and clarity.