Good news on the family front: I am going to be an auntie (again!) However, this time, it is my own sister, Mimi, who is pregnant. She is due in early October and just found out last week that it is a girl! Mimi and Daniel have lots of life changes happening right now: they are moving to central California next month and then baby comes in the fall. Kris and I are quite excited to get another west coast trip in this year to go meet baby (and to explore more of the central coast!)
…as you can imagine, any time a knitter hears about a baby – and in my case, many babies, as several friends are also “with child” – the mind wanders to all the possibilities for little knits. I have not ventured deeply into baby knit territory yet. My knitting resumé includes two baby blankets, a bib, and a pair of booties.
…I can add one more baby blanket to the list now…
Cotton Ball Baby Blanket – cuddly and snuggly in every way. I got some cones of undyed unmercerized cotton at WEBS awhile back. Initially, I intended to do some weaving with them, but instead, I decided to make a nice gender-neutral baby blanket with two strands knit together. Simplest of the simple – stockinette with garter ridge edging. Luckily, I have some more of this yarn for another one – it was such a simple and enjoyable knit that I already want to make another one!
Baby knits seem like the ideal way for me to do some major stashbusting. This blanket was a great stashbuster (perfect for the Ravelry Stanley Cup Stashbusting KAL) and I have several skeins of yarn that fit well in the category of baby knits:
Do you have a “go to” baby knit? Any ideas for the yarns I show here? I have a lot of baby knits queued up over on Ravelry (and I received some emails and private messages asking me if *I* was going to be making a big announcement… nope… other than the fact that I will be an auntie!) but I would love to hear from you if you have a favorite – specifically little and quick things for small amounts of yarn – booties, hats, or toys!
i’ve been meaning to make these:
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/baby-ball-rattle
for a friend of mine.
but i love love LOVE these bibs and cloths:
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/down-cloverlaine/patterns
they have such cute designs on them!
I just did the offset wraplan… and I love the Umbilical cord hat from the first stitch and bitch book! (Everyone is having babies!)
There are some really great patterns on Ravelry for washcloths… any soft cotton works well for those and babies tend to need a lot of cleaning up! Have fun!
congratulations!! my go-to baby knits are ysolda teague’s toy patterns, particularly elijah the elephant. also, louisa harding’s “natural knits for babies and moms” has some great sweater patterns
Congratulations…..I will be an auntie again around the same time! I don’t exactly have go to baby knits but have made the Baby’s Pure & Simple Pullover & Cardigan from Weekend Knitting and also the facecloths from the same book (nice quick knits/gifts)……I’ll be making another Hap Shawl for my new niece/nephew….not such a quick knit , but fun nonetheless!
Hi Lolly — Glad to see you back. I admit that your brief absence combined with notable baby-related additions to your Ravelry queue made me wonder about babies on board… Anyway, CONGRATS on being an auntie again — so exciting. I absolutely love knitting for babies and, as a matter of fact, one of my favorite resources is titled just that: Knitting for Baby by Melanie Falick. I also love Itty-Bitty Hats and Itty-Bitty Nursery by Susan B. Anderson. Baby hats are a fabulous use for leftovers, by the way. If you make a striped hat, you only need a few yards of each color — and it only takes a night or two of knitting to complete a hat. Finally, I am happy to report that I am no longer blogless!!! Leslie p.s. I am so glad that your sister’s move will bring you to California more often.
Congrats on being an Auntie! Oh how sweet — a little girl! My favorite is EZ’s February Baby Sweater.
Congrats on becoming an Aunt again! It’s really the best, and girls are so fun!!
I love the FBS and I’m making my 2nd one now! I also love Saartje’s Bootees for easy, quick, and great for left overs! I like doing two colors to mix it up!
Personal, I love the BSJ. It was the most worn knit in my daughter’s wardrobe and a newborn size can be used with sock yarn. Daisy (by Yarn Harlot via Knitty) is a fab little cardi with a hood and takes less than 450 metres of DK for even the largest size. Again, tons of use in this house and it calls for cotton, although I’m currently making one out of wool (my third Daisy). I also love the February baby sweater and tomten. I’m about to start my third tomten. Eyelet Yoke cardigan by Lion Brand is also a nice little cotton cardi.
For small items, I like Sarjtees booties and magic slippers for booties. Miss Dashwood (via Knitty) is a great girly hat. I also like earflap hats (I did a Norwegian Star hat by Tennie) and Adrian’s We Call Them Pirates out of 4ply for a baby. Thumbless mittens with long cuffs and strings attaching them are great if they are cold climante babies.
For toys, my daughter loved her Celestine (by Norah Gaughan) with a set of bells inside, a basic ball and her favourite stuffed toy was Amineko (crocheted cat) by WebMite. If I were to knit for a new baby, I’d suggest a set of Uh-Ohs (interlocking rings). A knit rattle would also be on that list. There are tons of toy patterns out there, but most of them would be enjoyed by an older (1 year +) baby rather than a wee one.
Hope that is helpful and big congrats on becoming an auntie again.
Oh I super love the cotton baby blanket. It looks snuggly, warm and somewhat organic. I think it’s a great idea, especially for mommies that want everything natural!
oh congratulations to your sister and her husband. How lovely.
My current go to baby knit is a top down baby kimono. there are lots out there. Fun and simple. The possibilities are endless, even if it turns out to be a little boy.
I love the idea of burp cloths, too.
The Moderne Baby Blanket from the first Mason-Dixon book is a classic. I’ve also become a recent fan of Wendy B.’s Tender Blankie, which is a free pattern (knit and tonic). Thanks for a great knitting blog!
Congratulations! Such exciting news for your family. My go-to baby knits: EZ’s baby surprise jacket and the socks in “Better than Booties” (free from Interweave Knits). The BSJ isn’t super quick, but it is super cute. And the socks are a breeze.
Well, the BSJ and FBS–two EZ classics–are so much fun to make. If you do the former, make sure to get the written out instructions off the web, they are super helpful.
I am so bummed I wasn’t knitting when my friends were having babies – now I knit for my children’s teachers when they have their little ones. My go to quick knit which every mother has loved is the Baby Bolero from One Skein. It is perfect for a newborn and when they grow out of it the sweater looks great on a teddy bear.
Have fun knitting for the niece to be!
I LOVE the Fiber Trends CH33. It takes less than 400 yds of worsted weight and I can make one in about a week.
It’s a favorite in the store where I work part time and we’ve even upsized it to larger toddler sizes (with the designer’s permission).
It works for a boy or a girl and it works with solids or variegated yarns. I’ve made more than five of these already.
Congrats to your sister! And how great for you: being an auntie is so much fun! Enjoy!
My ‘go to’ baby knit is EZ’s BSJ. Simple garter stitch, clever construction, an infinity of variations!
That reminds me, I’d best cast on another!
Yay! I LOVE having babies to knit for! My two favorites are 1) Patons 8-hour Baby blanket – basically alternating blocks of garter and stockinette – easy as pie, and 2) the Baby Surprise Jacket. LOVE that one, and I always use it as my excuse to visit Build-A-Bear to serve as the model for the sweater (actually, this works with any sweater, and is a good excuse to visit that store!).
Can’t wait to see what you decide to knit up! – Oh, there’s an “Anouk” on Knitty.com that knits up really cute for girls, and would be very wearable, from baby stages through toddler and little girl, since it can transition from a dress to a halter!!
:O)
You will be terrific at knitting baby clothes, because you are such a speedy and prolific knitter—- you will have them done in no time!!!!
My favorites at the Zimmerman Baby Surprise Jacket (I think you will LOVE this knit)—the Mason Dixon Baby Kimono Wrap sweater and the 5 Hour Baby Sweater (it will probably only take you two LOL!)– it is especially PERFECT for a girl!!!
Have fun–I love your blog and can hardly wait to see your knits!!!
I’m currently knitting the Baby Shrug by Debbie Bliss for my own daughter. That pink bulky yarn might be perfect for it (sizes run big though!) My favorite knits have been toys though, quick, fun and they get lots of love and wet, slobbery kisses!!! Very cute! And of course she’ll need lots of hats! When she gets a little older, definitely knit up the Wonderful Wallaby. It’s a fantastic pattern that is so versatile! Have fun knitting lots of little things!!
My go-to pattern for baby knitting is a cardigan that I’ve knit three times now: JoJo by Bees Knees Knits. Actually, they do a few different baby sweaters out of colourful sock yarns (e.g. see Devan, at Knitty.com). The knitting and finishing takes some time, but the result is totally worth the effort. And the mom’s have really been delighted.
I always love a good baby hat, put some little ears on it, maybe some fun sprinkles… or a fruit hat. The good fall back gift. I also have made a thousand pairs of tiny socks which so far, everyone loves. Less than a quarter skein of sock yarn and you can do almost anything with the pattern.
It’s free on ravelry… email me for the pattern.
I love the tiny baby kimono from the first Mason-Dixon Knitting book. I saw one person on Ravelry made a whole set of different colors and then did applied i-cord in white or cream on each. so cute!
I don’t have a go-to baby knit because no one in my life is having babies! Darn it!
I have all kinds of plans though!
I definitely want to knit Ladybug and Sunflower from Twist Collective. And Topaz from Knitty.
Congrats!!
Yum, snuggly blanket! I totally hear you about people assuming that baby knitting = pregnant. Babies are great for stashbusting though!
Hi Lolly, congrats to your sister and your family on the impending arrival. I always love knitting the stripey hat from DB Cashmerino 2 which is lovely. I also love knitting up some things from the Miss Bea books but that would have to be when she is 1 and up I think. Special Knits Ribbon Edged cardigan is a favourite and so easy to knit, just add ribbon to pretty it up and voila, instant prettiness. I hope you share all the fun knits you are going to do for your new niece. Has Mimi asked for anything specific yet.
Congrats on the impending auntiehood! How exciting!
I haven’t done a lot of baby knits either, but the one I’m planning to do soon for a friend’s new baby is the DIC Tulip Sweater…I just think it is too cute! I found all kinds of fun colors of Bunny Hop on sale, which will work perfectly for it, too!
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/tulips-a-colorful-cardigan-for-baby
yay for aunties. i am hoping i get to become one again soon. i just posted about all the baby knitting going on round here. i did not link to ravelry for the projects but the names are in there…happy baby knitting to you.
http://mamieknits.blogspot.com/2009/05/return-to-making.html
the baby slippers are killer cute.
Congratulations to your sis.
The only baby knit I’ve ever made are the very pretty Saartje’s Booties so I’m interested to see what you go for.
Congrats on being an Auntie again. I have two nieces, and just love them to bits. So far the only things I have finished making for them are hats. One hat pattern that I have made twice is this one.
http://www.ravelry.com/projects/GumnutBaby/baby-beanie
I have now made two of them as gifts for friends, it is a really quick knit, and uses up very little wool. It is a great pattern to use up leftovers, so you might even be able to do hats to match little cardigans or other things you make. Enjoy making baby stuff, it is great to knit for special little people.
Peapod baby set. Quick and cute knit!
That’s so exciting! Congratulations to all of you. I have knit a few Baby Surprise Jackets and they are fun and quick. I just finished Trellis (from knitty) and that’s another fun baby sweater. I know you’ll find wonderful things to knit for your new niece!
saartje’s bootees
kanoko pants
child’s cotton hat
miss dashwood hat
magic slippers
all can be found on rav.
AHA!!! I knew someone was pregnant with all the things you were queuing but I figured it wasn’t you as you were still doing inversions and everything
Congrats Auntie!!
Hi Auntie Lolly! Of course I had not re-discovered knitting when I was pg myself so Jessica missed out on tiny handknits. I haven’t seen anyone mention the two Yarn Harlot baby sweater patterns available thru Blue Moon Fiber Arts – Baby Yours and Baby Mine. In the first Mason Dixon book there is also a cute baby bib pattern that you can make out of the Sugar n’Cream.
congratulations to mimi! that is such exciting news
where in california are they moving to? that should be a fun change! are they in MD now, too? my favorite baby knits are the BSJ and the february baby sweater by EZ. they’re so simple, and yet so pretty and quick to knit! have fun 
Congrats Auntie! I have seen some very cute baby sweaters made from the self striping/patterned sock yarn. Not a real fast knit but fun to do and with some contrasting yarn for trim it could be very dear!
Congrats, auntie! Not sure if anyone else suggested this, but my fave baby knit is the Better-Than-Booties Baby Socks by Ann Budd http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/better-than-booties-baby-socks From what I hear, they stay on better than booties, and every baby needs lots of socks! I’ve also given knit toys as gifts, and they have always been greatly appreciated. Esp. jess hutch toys–one little boy I know is super attached to the Henry the Bear I knit for him.
Hi Lolly. I always make a new baby a hat, then do other things if I want to. Newborns need a hat, and the ones they sell, or sometimes get in the hospital are nothing as soft and warm as a hand knit one. Everyone loves the ones i make with berrocco comfort yarn – it is very soft, warm and washable! moms love that. (even me!) I just use a basic hat pattern, and do the edging any way I want, or add color if I want (but I usually don’t, i’m boring, or classic, whichever title is more flattering!) just a note: the ann norling pattern infant size does not fit until they are 2 months old or so – 72 stitches around is too many. Booties are fun, too, and my son is now all about knit toys, which are not my thing, but if you liked making them, there’s probably nothing sweeter than a homemade teddy bear!
Your blanket is beautiful – makes me want one…. for me!
-Kristina
I have made several Sweet Baby of Mine blankets from the Encyclopedia of Knitting. Everyone who has received one has been glad to hvae it.
[http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/sweet-baby-of-mine
Elizabeth Zimmerman’s baby surprise jacket and or booties. I made them first for epsilon. The booties were the ONLY thing I could keep on her feet until I started her in robies. Every one I have given booties to (including non-knitters) have raved about how they actually work which is so rare on the under 3 mo category. One of my friends actually complained that the only problem with them is that she couldn’t use anything else and was having a hard time getting the pair I gave her washed! I also think that you can’t go wrong with blankets, but with those err on the generous side. If it is “too big” at the beginning it will end up getting a lot more use through the toddler years when people are not throwing stuff at you constantly.
Congrats, Auntie! I love all of the patterns from the “Knitting for Baby” book (Falick and Nichols) – I’ve made many baby sweaters from that book!
And remember me when you come to central CA – it’s not that far of a drive for us, and we’re always looking for excuses to get up that way!
Hands down — the Baby Surprise Jacket! It’s quick, fun to knit, and every expecting parent loves it. The last one I made used verigated Misty Alpaca yarn and was gorgeous.
Baby surprise jacket! I love it, and I can’t wait til the age when all my friends are pregnant – you can make it out of any yarn or needles for a different size! I love it!
Ooh, I’ve been torn as to what kind of blanket to make for our peanut – I love how yours shows off the interesting yarn texture with a really simple pattern.
I’m working on a Baby Yoda & Wraplet right now, both of which are quick & simple, and I’ve also queued up another Sweet Pea Sacque, the February Baby Sweater & a hooded bunting bag by Debbie Bliss (all on Ravelry). The recipient of my first Sweet Pea said she loved it because it kept the baby warm but made diaper-changing really easy, so maybe your sister will appreciate one, too, since her little one will be a fall/winter baby?
Congratulations, auntie!
I don’t have a favorite pattern for babies, but I do like vests. The central coast climate might be similar to ours here where there’s a long time of cool but not really cold. I found a vest was the perfect thing last fall for baby H. I didn’t think one layer would be enough but two long sleeve layers seemed too much.
Have fun!
First congrats to your sister and you.
I have a few favorite baby patterns–most of which are easy enough for Playoff and Stanley Cup finals knitting
A Corner to Corner baby blanket–it’s a simple pattern but very useful.
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/corner-to-corner-blanket
Newborn socks
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/little-16-newborn-socks
And a hat. I don’t really have a specific pattern for one but there are a ton of adorable ones out there; especially for a baby girl
Happy baby knitting!
Such fun news! Having a niece is the best, you’ll love it
There are so many cute patterns out there, especially for little girls, you’ll have far too many to choose from. For the dishcloth cotton, there’s a little wrap sweater in the 1st Mason-Dixon knitting book that would be perfect. If you want to do some sock stash busting, there are lots of great patterns. This looks great in hand-dyed yarns: http://www.garnstudio.com/lang/en/visoppskrift.php?d_nr=b14&d_id=27&lang=en This is also adorable and good for different kinds of weather: http://www.pixiepurls.com/p_countryKiddie.html
There’s a new book out with vintage-inspired baby patterns, it also looks like it has some really cute stuff.
I have a “for zb” tab in my Rav queue, you can check it out for ideas. xoxo
hey – congrats! my co-workers have all been getting pregnant so i’ve been on a 3 year baby knitting binge. for sweaters, i love the Knitting Pure and Simple top down baby cardigan (free from their website). Its super easy to customize or change a bit, great in sock yarn (takes just about 100 grams of sock yarn), and looks great.
For booties, I like Christine’s stay on booties or modified Sartjee’s booties (if its a girl). Sartjee’s pattern is super cute but has too many ends and seaming for my taste, so I modified it to be knit in the round from the top down (see susanmgrossman.googlepages.com).