KNITTING FOR BABY

One of the nicest things about being a knitter is being able to make beautiful clothes for babies. Whether it's as an expectant mother, or knitting for a close friend or family member who is expecting, there is very little that satisfies the knitters urge to create something special, than crafting those tiny gifts.

Although I learned to knit as a child, and pursued it as a hobby on and off for many years, it wasn't until after my own children were 4 and 5 that I reached the level of obsessive knitter that I find myself today. And so, my babies were sadly deprived of any gorgeous knitted garments to wear until they were rather older. I think it's this that makes me so excited to knit for babies and small children now. Rather like knitting cute toys, the instant gratification is a sure hook, but knitting something in miniature also entices and enchants me like nothing else.



When Katarina told me that she was having a baby, my knitters mind went into thrilled overdrive! I was overjoyed for Katarina and her husband, of course, but I was also ecstatic at the thought of the endless knitting possibilities that lay before me. The ideas tumbled through my mind as I hurriedly tried to finish up my current projects, and I found myself trawling the Ravelry pattern database for hard-to-resist baby knits that Katarina may not have seen.

I knew that I wanted to use our Naturally Soft Merino, of course - I love to knit with it, I know Katarina loves the colours and in my opinion, there is nothing nicer to put next to a new baby's precious skin. I've knitted a good few of the MillaMia patterns for other babies, and they were lovely to knit and to gift. One of my favourites was the Lova Babygrow from Wonderland which I knitted it in petal and grass. An unusual combination you may think, except that I knew the expected baby was a girl and her mothers favourite colour is green. I changed the stripe pattern a little to put more focus on the pink rather than the green and also choose pink buttons - you can see my project on Ravelry here - lova yu.


I've used a neutral palette - storm, putty and snow as we currently have no idea if the baby is a boy or a girl, and these colours will pretty much tone with anything. The construction is tricky, but so clever with short row shaping providing the 'foot shape', a knitted-on i-cord around the top of the instep and the sock attached by picking up and knitting in the round - great for preventing the eternal problem of losing just one baby sock! You can see my project on Ravelry here - tiny shoes.

With this precious baby due to arrive sometime towards the end of February, I'm feverishly knitting. There are some truly lovely knits on my needles that I'm excited to give to Katarina . . . all in good time!