My current work-in-progress (erm, well, one off them) is for a baby, which is a bit of a novelty for me. Although knitting for wee ones occupies a large part of Ravelry's pattern database, and most craft stores with a yarn section will have a full selection of baby yarns, I've never had much need to make tiny versions of jumpers and socks.
However, the idea of knitting for babies has always been very appealing to me, for a few reasons:
However, the idea of knitting for babies has always been very appealing to me, for a few reasons:
- Short knitting time. In the time it takes to make a sleeve for an adult, you can whip up a full jumper for a baby.
- Cheap(er) yarn. Babies, and the parents in their life doing the laundry, don't have much need for luxury alpaca. Cotton, acrylic, or blends of the two with small amounts of animal fibers are all that's needed.
- Mistakes are okay. Not huge mistakes, mind you - I will never give up my borderline obsession with mistake-free knits. But little mistakes, such as an incorrect stitch or cable twisted the wrong way, are just going to end up with baby barf on them at some point, anyway.
- Bad colors choices are okay. See #3.
When my college roommate told me she's expecting a little girl this summer, my first reaction was absolute joy: she and her husband will make excellent parents, and have been looking forward to starting a family. My second - and stronger - reaction was excitement that there will be a BABY TO KNIT FOR. I hope this kid likes funky handmade knitted/crocheted clothes and blankets, because she's going to turn into a catalogue model for the baby section of Ravelry.
First up: a crocheted blanket. I've made this pattern before and loved the results. My initial thought was an off-white with a dusty rose and light pink. However, my former roommate is very proud of her Irish roots, so I thought that a little green might be appreciated.
Stay tuned for further baby knits!
Stay tuned for further baby knits!