Baby Knits: Tips, Patterns, Yarns
The best emails are the ones announcing a new arrival, seeking a recommendation for a pattern or yarn. My once-tiny baby is four now, but I knit so many things for her while waiting for her to arrive and when she was new. Baby things fly off the needles! But I remember fretting, fretting, fretting about what she’d need or wear. Knitting for a baby and want to be sure your efforts get worn?
Tips for knitting for babies
Stick with light gauge: I found worsted weight garments, in general, to be very bulky until my daughter was around 18 months - if you’re knitting for a small baby, consider DK or fingering weight yarn.
Consider a luxury fiber: Laundering a small sweater by hand isn’t a huge deal — simply soak, swish, and lay flat. Things are more challenging in the mud-pies-and-fingerpaint ages, but you may find handwashing during the first two years to be a breeze.
Tiny bodies are fragile and floppy: Pullovers were a tough sell until my daughter was six months or so. Cardigans and shrugs are perfect for infants. Tiny fingers may snag in sleeves with holes, such as lace or colorwork floats.
Think outerwear: We live in the Pacific Northwest, and for playing outside, my daughter picks a thick sweater over a coat every single time. Sweaters are less cumbersome, more breathable, and generally more her style. Planning a sweater that goes over other clothes also gives you more fiber choices since there will be something between the sweater and the baby. Outerwear also needs laundering less frequently. Use layering pieces and outerwear to showcase a spectacular 'wooly' yarn!
