BellaOnline Forums Hobbies and Crafts Knitting Knitted baby items

Do any of you give your knitted items as baby shower gifts? If so, which do you find seem to be the most popular?

LOL this very question is actually on my mind - my brother got married about a month ago and we think that pregnancy is in the air due to an incident at the New Year which I won't bore you all with.

My mother usually knits little jackets, bootees and mitts for the babies her friends' daughters have had but really I haven't had much opportunity for baby knitting in recent years. I'm thinking of maybe a couple of little baby sweaters and possibly bootees, mitts and a bonnet since if it does happen it's likely to be a winter or early spring baby and the UK can be very chilly at that time of year.

I like to knit them in the fine yarns though, and usually stick to English 3 or 4 ply tensions with 3 or 3 1/4 mm knitting needles for such little items.

I always get complements and thank yous on baby blankets. I make them out of lighter weight yarns and not lacy patterns. Moms seem to appreciate no fluff to get into little noses and no holes for fingers to get stuck in.

Andy

****disclaimer to my best friend who reads the forums- DON'T READ THIS****

I am working on my first baby blanket for my best friend's baby girl. I'm using a really pretty white and a light blue. Mom likes blue and with the white it gives it a girly touch.

I'm knitting both yarns together at the same time. Does that have a proper name?

I would like to knit a little poncho and I'd like to add a hood but I'm pretty sure that I won't take the time to learn how to do that. I think baby booties would be cute, I'm just not sure how.

I still knit the older baby sets with the booties. people have told me no one wears the booties anymore but I still like to make them. I use baby yarn and usually get good a favourable response from the mom to be. I guess I am just old fashioned that way.

Oh, knitpick! The moms in my area still seem to let babies wear the booties and it's over 100 most of the year! Keep knitting those booties and hats!

Bleah, I never knit anything for babies. I find it too risky afa the parents not liking it. My husband's godmother knitted our first son a beautiful layette, but it was white acrylic and was so lacy it looked like some Victorian girl outfit. Plus I have a strict 'no-acrylic' rule (not in my house, not in my stash!). So I put it away for posterity, but he never wore it. I never know what kind of weirdnesses parents will have, so I don't knit for babies.

Yes i knitted 6 little jackets for my DIL and our 1st grandchild but she never wore them. I enjoyed knitting them so hope some baby got them to use.
I find from experience it's best not to buy clothes at all .
Gill

I understand your policy in re: to acrylic yarn. There's just not enough "cozy" quality about it even for a throw, much less an item that will touch a newborn's skin. I haven't used any since the early 80s. Red Heart acrylic would work up so pretty, but just didn't feel right. It felt....plastic.

Gill70, you can just bet that some mother spotted those beautiful jackets for the treasures they were and enjoyed them! What a find!

I just found out that my niece is pregnant so I asked her if she was into putting knitted stuff on her baby...she walked past me putting a hand on my shoulder saying "if someone will knit it for me" *hint* hint*

OK there seems to be a lot of interest around knitting baby items, so shall I set up a baby item knit along for you all to participate in? If you don't have a baby in the pipeline amongst friends and family you could always knit items for the local maternity hospital or one of the charitable organisations listed in the Knitting Charities section of the knitting site.

I'm knitting a baby sweater right now, for a former student and friend who is expecting her first in about 6 weeks. And EVERY TIME I get out those impossibly small needles to make a present for a friend, I SWEAR I will never do it again <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />! This one is a lovely fair isle cardigan from one of Debbie Bliss's children's books. I'm using a cotton/tencel blend, and it's just lovely, but oh, those stitches and rows are soooo tiny! I keep reminding myself that I bind off for the armholes at all of 7 inches though, so the fact that I've only gone about 3 1/2 inches means I'm halfway there.

Regarding the question of whether to hand-knit for people's babies, I can say that I LOVED the hand-knit things I got for my kids, but then again, I'm a knitter, so of course I would. My other piece of advice, and it goes for clothes, too, is to knit bigger sizes. You always get TONS of little bitty clothes, that they outgrow in like the first 3 months, so things that can be put away for awhile were oh, so appreciated. The sweater I'm knitting should fit baby bean at like 18 months.

I like to spin a yarn that is 50% angora (from my own bunnies) and 50% lambs wool. From that I'll knit baby booties, socks, a lacy sweater. My girls liked the wool 'soakers' that helped keep diaper moisture wicked away from sensitive skin. Little wool sweaters are desired too.

I had always wanted someone to knit sweaters, hats and such for my babies. Never had any luck, nor got any as shower presents.

The most popular things I've given are angora booties, cabled sweaters and hats, and tiny socks out of funky sock yarn.

***Gillian, I think a baby knit-a-long would be a nice thing to do! I've never done a knit-a-long and baby gifts are always nice to have on hand.

Plus, we are expecting our 6th grandchild on Christmas. My fingers are itching to start creating!

Bunny

I would love to have a Knit Along. It would be fun!

I always ask before I start knitting. I would much rather the mum to be choose a pattern and colour and then I know I can't go wrong. I know there is then on element of surprise but I am not into surprises anyway.

I love to knit baby blankets and I have one basket weave pattern which is always popular.

Hello everyone, I have been receiving BellaOnline newsletters for some time now, but this is the first time I am logging in to the forums. If it isn't too late, I would love to participate in the Baby Items knit along! I plan to start 2 baby projects soon, one for a girl due to make her appearance in early December and another, a boy, due in early January. I say that I will start them soon because I am finishing up a sweater for my husband and will probably get that done in another week to 10 days. Looking forward to the company!

Hi there's no reason you can't join in the knitalong! There is no end date.

My mom likes to knit. When I was ten years old. My mom knitted a sweater for me. It was so beautiful with the lovely rabbit patterns. She was awarded the first title prize of a knitting competition by making that sweater. Although I am growing up and can't wear it again, I still keep it in my clothespress.

Congratulations to your mother for winning that prize. I'm glad you liked the sweater so much.