Choosing Yarn for Baby Gifts to Knit
Choosing baby gifts to knit is so enjoyable. Hand knit gifts for babies are very special and you want to make sure you choose the right yarn.
Major online yarn stores sell yarns from all over the world and choosing yarn for knitting baby clothes can be daunting.
The pattern will tell you which weight of yarn to choose, but you need to decide on the fibre content, the way it is laundered and the colour.
Fibre Content
The most popular yarns for baby knitting are acrylic, cotton, wool, and bamboo.
They all have their pros and cons.
Let’s start with what is important for baby!
It goes without saying that the yarn needs to be soft. Baby’s skin is very sensitive. Acrylic, un-mercerised and organic cotton, merino wool and bamboo are all soft. Avoid mercerised cotton.
But what is often overlooked is that it also needs to be breathable and moisture-wicking.
A newborn baby cannot regulate it’s body temperature. This gradually improves as the baby grows. Cotton and wool absorb moisture from the skin. Manmade fibres such as polyester and acrylic are not as breathable and the amount of chemicals used to produce them can cause skin irritation. For this reason, I would rule out acrylic yarns if you are making sizes below age 6 months.
Babies love putting anything and everything in their mouths, so I would also avoid yarns that could shed fibres such as mohair, angora, alpaca and yarns with a microfibre content.
You may also want to consider what is important to the parents.
Many parents are environmentally conscious and prefer natural fibres both for their feel against the skin, their breathability and the fact that they are biodegradable. Cotton, bamboo or wool would be a good choice in this instance.
Bamboo is soft, breathable and hypoallergenic, but is usually blended with another fibre. Used alone it can stretch out of shape. If using bamboo, check what the blended fibre is.
Other equally eco-conscious parents would like to know that the yarn used has a recycled content.
Some parents are sensitive to wool next to their skin and would prefer to avoid it in case their baby has the same sensitivity.
Laundry Method
This is definitely not to be overlooked and most online yarn stores will include a description with each yarn of how it can be laundered.
New parents are often sleep-deprived and even with the best intentions to do otherwise, may end up accidentally throwing all the baby laundry into the washing machine. A luxury merino wool item that needs to be hand-washed, will shrink beyond usability if it goes in the washer and the parents will be very upset that this has happened. Ask me how I know!
A ‘superwash’ merino yarn laundered on a 30-degree wash will fare much better and is more likely to be worn regularly without the parents worrying about spoiling it.
A yarn that needs to be hand washed could be reserved for an extra special item such as a celebration outfit or an heirloom blanket.
Colour
Gone are the days when all baby clothes were pastel shades of pink, blue and yellow or just cream and white.
A quick look around the baby department of any store will give you an idea of the trending colours.
Parents may choose not to know the gender of their baby before it is born, or choose not to tell everyone!
If this is the case choose a gender neutral colour. Greys, browns, taupe, mustard and sage greens are all good choices.
When choosing yarn for knitting, a gender-neutral colour will also make it easier for your precious hand-knit gift to be passed on to future siblings.
Some of my favourite DK weight yarns for baby knitting are shown below.
