i love babies. it also seems sometimes that the pure purpose of kniting and crocheting is to make the most adorable stuff just for them. i just found out that my sister is pregnat with her second child. know if you are in the same situation your just about ready to go buy a ton of yarn go wild with making booties and hats and just about any thing under the sun there are a few guildlines that you need to follow.
1. Until you know the gender of the baby only make colors that would work on both, such as green and yellow. If you make the wrong color you will be stuck keeping it till some one else has a baby.
2. Keep the colors pastel. Babies are cute and adoralble so keep them that way. No one wants to see them in black or dark red. Stick with light pinks, baby blues, and other pastel colors.
3. Scratchy yarn is a no no. Babies have skin that is so much more softer than ours. No one likes those scratchy sweaters but for babies it could cause irritation and rashes which will lead to the item to never being worn again.
4. No buttons or small objects. No matter how cute it would look if there were buttons all over an adorable little sweater dont do it. If one of them falls of the baby think ohh shiny puts it in their tiny little mouthes. Its a terrible hasared and if they get hurt you will feel guilty the rest of your life.
5. Don't go insane. Its totally nice of you to make a pair or to of booties, a hat, and a baby blanket but if you make 10 or 20 things its going overboard. No baby needs 10 crocheted hats and 10 pairs of booties. if you want to spend a lot of time doing something make a blanket for them.
6. Only make things that the parent can use. Usalble things include but arent limited to :booties, hats, mittens, blankets, and maybe crib garland. Not usable things include but are not limited to: Scarves (see #7), crocheted/knitted baby toys (see #7), boob warmers for breast feeding, and anything like bottle warmer or anything else.
7. Remember saftey. Things like scarves (choking hazard), home made toys (easily breakable means its harmful), and buttons could be harmful to the baby. there are hundreds of websites with complete lists on baby safety. BEFORE you start a project check to make sure that it is 100% its safe for the child to use. You dont want the baby to get hurt.
8. Use soft but strong yarn. The yarn that you use is almost as important as what you make. It has to be soft to not cause irritation but it also has to be strong for when the child plays with it or pulls on it. When choosing a yarn pull on it really hard to check how easily it breaks. If it breaks easily then dont buy it but if it doesnt break then it will be okay. There are tons of yarn that are made perfectly for the use of babies and this will usally be indicated on the packaging but still break test it just in case.
9. Dont forget the mom. If you know how to make sweaters for pregnant women make one. Or make and adult size blanket. Do some thing nice for her because right now she could use something to brighten up her day.
10. Dont only make one size. Babies get bigger a lot faster than adults. If you make two pairs of booties make one a 4-6 month and the other a 8-10. Also dont make 1-3 month sizes or premie. If the baby comes out already in a size 4 month (which does happen comonly) there will be no use for the small clothes so they will prpbably be given away or stay in the bottom of a bin forever.
This is only the start of what to think of when crafting for babies so before you get working on the cutest project ever think it through. I will have more tips and guildlines for baby crafting soon!!!
Alex
