a few of my friends are having babies and i wanted to do something special. i decided to make them baby blankets…but i am a beginner and these will be my first blankets!(i figured mini sized would b a good start! lol.) If u have any tips for me that would be great!! Thanks alot for ur time!
Check out the free patterns at knittingpatterncentral.com, thedailyknitter.com, and knittingonthenet.com
suzeeq pretty much gave the best list of pattern sites that I could think of… If you are a ravelry member, you can search the baby items even easier, and by photo.
My biggest tip for a beginner is to try not to promise blankets to everyone… If you make them for everyone, and surprise them with them that’s fantastic, but I made the mistake of actually telling everyone who was having babies I would make them a blanket or something, and not a single person ended up getting a blanket. I became very overwhelmed, pressed for time and eventually depressed because it wasn’t fun anymore.
I decided to purchase items for some people who weren’t especially close to me, and for my one friend who was very close, I knit her baby some small items hat, toys, booties.
Just remember to keep knitting fun for yourself. It is not fun to be stuck underneath a bunch of obligations, if you find knitting the blankets a little much for you after a while, there are tons of little tiny baby items they will love also, that will be much easier/quicker.
Good luck with the blankets, and whatever else these little babies inspire you to knit.
As a beginner, plan to purchase a circular ndl in the proper sz for your yarn and pattern as most blankets require more sts than’ll fit on a standard 14" ndl. (Plus, the ndl can be used on other projects.) Make sure you use a yarn capable of handling whatever care it’ll be given…usually machine wash and dry. Avoid patterns with fringe as it can get caught in fingers, stuck in little mouths and pose a problem with choking. New babies see bright, strong colors (not pastels) so keep that in mind when selecting colors (unless the receiving parties have indicated otherwise).
cam
i like to use my book of patterns, pick a pattern, and then make it a baby blanket size. www.dailyknitter.com is my fav pattern site. right now i am working on a baby blanket with a fans and laces pattern- if anyone wants that pat. just tell me! 
For some of them you could make Lionbrand’s bunny blanket. It’s not hard and it’s small so it will go faster.
Oh and if you haven’t signed up at Ravelry do it… lots and lots of patterns and ideas and it’s just great, second best knitting site in the world.