Favorite baby yarn?

Hi everyone. We are expecting a blessed event in the family. I get to knit baby stuff!

I have read and experienced wool for babies is impractical with all the various ways babies soil their clothes. But I knit exclusively in wool & natural fibers. The only synthetic Im familiar with is “I Love This Yarn” from Hobby Lobby.

The Layette set I have settled on calls for DROPS BabyMerino. Which is rather fine fingering superwash wool. Does anybody have suggestions for something synthetic, easy to wash & care for yet still warm & soft for baby?

I can regauge it if necessary, but it should be fingering.

Also do y’all do newborn size? It seems they are out of them before they ever wear them once! I have picked a kimono style jacket which I believe will be forgiving size wise…

Can you tell I’m. Excited? All suggestions appreciated.

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Congratulations! Be as excited as you can with this great news.

I’ve used Cascade 220 Superwash which comes in fingering. It’s lovely yarn which is machine washable (in a laundry bag) and tumble dry low.

I don’t make the newborn size as cute as it is. I usually make at lease a 12 month. A kimono sounds like a good choice. Have fun with it!

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Oh my word, how exciting!

Is this yours? Or another family member?
Is it rude to ask?
One of the reasons I ask is beacuase I am just nosey (ha!), another more practical reason is because it may help to speak to the parents to be about their ideas of parenting style and life style with little one. For instance I only used a pram/pushchair a handful of times as my baby was always in a carrier attached to me when we went out (or in a car seat) so I had no use for little blankets. Plus when I had mine blankets for night use were frowned upon as a safety risk, sleeping bags or onsies or pj’s were safer.
I also had almost zero use for onsies, dungarees, or anything with the top joined to the bottom (vests that fastened under the crotch) as we were using a potty from 10 months and those clothes just got in the way, every outfit needed to be separates, top and bottom (some parents choose to use the potty from birth and onsies are quite impractical). One the flip side I knew parents who preferred a one piece outfit and never used anything else.

One of the things I loved and got great use out of was baby leggings like these

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Backbuy-Toddler-Leggings-trousers-Knitted/dp/B01FLR5ZE2/ref=sr_1_28?crid=34FCCBP5FG33N&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.UGC8XE2SkqyIw3MYDDAWJct6t13-mq7092qLP9wICgY1ZwWMP4o0yvVI0UMg_3eAYuUBzACyVs10e5i_5FqOY5anKD2n5XcIqAhUsnXPZ1jth3BpXgYmt-5povSEWkUW4DVBfa7JEoEvC7XI1-5cGNhn3mBsVQ9NBsgO30M0LA-aUGpxepWkYEd-HSCN4VhDzsY-DXXaS_FS-8RFZmAOJZh6YBfCXfeggXc7ffpVRSYR57cMdwsxCV3paKWln0_sSfcirpuH3t3QDDC3zVQFygtqUQMUQQQvTGV8uLIfaOI.7tKdTKhny0wmALpe32PPcYXyGutt-thlr-BbUMVVFIA&dib_tag=se&keywords=Baby+leggings&qid=1710575086&sprefix=baby+leggings%2Caps%2C126&sr=8-28

They lasted absolutely ages, the leg cuff can be turned up or just pushed up on shorter legs and leave room for growing in length, the bum area was roomy enough for cloth nappies and stretchy enough that they fitted for a long long time. They were cute, colourful, comfortable and especially adorable when he started rolling and crawling and showed off rhe great designs on the bum. I loved them. They make great day wear and good for colder nights as pjs too. They were also so easy to pull up and down we used them for nappy free time at home.
Another, similar item I loved was ‘baby legs’ which are leg warmers and can be pulled right up the leg to the nappy but don’t go over the nappy (we had gorgeous cloth nappies which did not look ugly), these were great for crawling as they protected the knees. Size wise they lasted a very long time. They are like pants but with super easy access for changing a little baby.

I haven’t answered your question at all. I have no suggestions whatsoever for fingering weight synthetic yarn for babies! Sorry!
I’m not sure you need synthetic though, I understand the need to be easily washable but I was always on the look out for leggings or pants in wool as they are highly recommended for use with cloth nappies. I never found any and I wasn’t knitting then, I was quite jealous of those parents who had knitters to make them.

I’m currently using stylecraft naturals bamboo and cotton which is a DK but I’m getting 24 to 25 sts per 10cm on 4mm needles as it is really quite fine compared to other DKs. It’s really smooth and soft and it washes well. Although I should leave the yarn recommendations to people who know.

I am too excited, please post pics of everything you make!

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Thanks for all the great ideas! No, not me. I never had any kids & barring an Abraham/Sarah type miracle I never will.

My niece is the soon-to-be mother. And I can guarantee you her main priority will be easy care. Both in dressing and laundry. She used to live with me. I know.

Since I spin, Ive always felt it wasteful to buy superwash wool & have no experience with it either. Do you really think it can withstand all that babies and careless mothers can put it thru? Im willing to try, The baby is due in Oct. So he/she will be facing winter for the first 6-7 months. Wool would sure be nice for that. Im guessing that there will be lots of outside strolls with the dog too. So maybe a stroller (Pushcart?)

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I really don’t have the experience in yarn types to say whether the suoerwash will hold up or not. I’ve made a swatch in drops karisma which is superwash but it’s only been washed once. Colours and stitch definition held as did size but as a swatch its not enough to go by for recommendations.
I made Mister a multicoloured stranded cardy in cotton which has been washed and hung on a rack to dry a zillion times and never even properly flattened or straightened out (someone else does the laundry and i mustn’t be too picky about how it’s done), it’s treated pretty roughly and it’s held out brilliantly. The only part I no longer like is the button band which isn’t very straight any more, the neck is folded and has kept brilliantly.
Acrylic does tend to wash and wear well though… it depends how your niece feels about fabric types too. Could be worth asking what her preference is.

As I’m sure you’ll be making for the next, forever, number of years, one idea would be to try a few different types and make swatches, then throw them in the laundry every time you do laundry for yourself and see which holds up over a period of time.

Mine was January and snowing outdoors and quite chilly indoors despite central heating. The nurse came for a home visit and told me off for having a little hat on baby. Made me wonder why there are so many baby hats if babies are never allowed to wear them.

The onsie type style but used as a blanket/coat over the regular clothes is good in my opinion as it can be used in a carrier, a car seat and a stroller, there is nothing to get in the way of the safety harness in the stroller being fastened up. They are good for cold weather trips (and also as night wear instead of blankets).

The superwash sweaters I’ve made have stood up very nicely to multiple washes over the years. Probably not as many washes as a baby sweater but close.
One of the small items that pleased me was a tiny hat that I made for a newborn to wear in the hospital nursery. It was soft, simple, quick and made even the staff giggle. It was a precurser to many sweaters and hats to come.

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Congratulations! I have seven grands, so I’ve knit a lot of baby things! I usually pick a yarn first. HL I Love This Baby Yarn is very soft! I often make the pattern in whatever weight yarn I’ve chosen; it will fit the baby sometime! But now I remember that the first little sweater I made was supposed to be for a newborn and it fit a two-year-old! :crazy_face: Have fun!

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Congratulations! Having experience with allergies I would be careful choosing yarn. My son (now 30) had allergy on feathers that we didnt have a clue and affected his respiratory system getting a allergy bronchitis. He was only 6 months old when diagnosed. Doctor warn us to remove wool too for precaution.

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I like those baby leggings & will look for a pattern or might buy some. I fell in love with a pattern on printerest that was a hooded bunting with legs. Had a zipper down the front & all the way to the foot on the one leg. But I cant find the pattern for it. Looks warm and practical.

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Well I hope the baby isnt plagued with allergies. As a family, we’re pretty resistant to skin allergies. Ive "inherited"many a woolen item from elsewhere because they couldn’t wear it & I could. My brother, the grandfather-to -be is the same. I dont think my niece has any allergies either. But know nothing of her mate’s family at all.

Aside: the only fiber that itches my bro & me is German angora rabbit. I used to raise them! But only that breed. English, French, and Satin angora does not bother us. Raised for production, each rabbit gives about 4 lbs of fiber per year. German angora is the commercial grade. Grown mostly in New Zealand now days where they crossed them with short hairs & raised the production even more. Im not sure if the guard hair fiber is still as coarse. I think its because the guard hair is so stiff & bulky in Germans. Often 27 microns. That is much coarser than merino & comparable to Shetland. But Shetland does not bother us. So I switched back to my first breed, English. The softest of all of them. I still use the German but mostly felted into outterwear.

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I don’t think you’d likely find a pattern exactly like those leggings but I’m sure there are easy enough ways to adapt available patterns. There are lots of baby tights (without feet), baby leggings, baby pants patterns and lots of patterns with anjmal intarsia charts which you could combine and the kegs are just sttips which is easy enough.
If I had a little one to knit for I would definitely adapt a pattern. I just love em!

Edited to add - Mister, aged 13, just told me he wants some! Why am I not surprised!?

This is a great example of using a plain,ain (and free ) pattern along with co,ours and motifs that are added, so cute

Oh, Im glad to see the pattern for soakers. A neighbor crocheted some of those for us when bro was a baby. They were super helpful. He too had cloth diapers. Disposables had just come out, but my parents were 100% convinced they were wasteful.

Yea I didn’t expect the exact pattern for the leggings. I was thinking of charting one of our local sports team logo. The father is really into our local teams. All of them. Hes also a huge Star Wars fan. So I was thinking maybe something symbolic of that too. I made this for the mother when she was into all things Hunger Games. I was digitizing a lot of stuff for machine embroidery at the time. Sold my embroidery stuff tho. Ill have to chart it for knitting.
rsz_mockingjay-1

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Your parents were correct, very wasteful. The modern cloth nappies (diapers) are very different to the old ones, there is so much choice, patterns, colours, etc they’re beautiful and very easy to use and wash.
Bamboo was a popular insert for nappies when mine was little, for the absorbancy and natural properties…I don’t know if dyed yarn is the same?? but there are nice bamboo mix knitting yarns.

Drops have quite few free patterns for the soakers/trousers/leggings, and shorts in addition to the one I linked via ravelry. There’s bound to be something that can be adapted. I like the idea of making them so personal with the sports team colours etc. That will be great. The parents will be thrilled!

I was also surprised to see patterns for baby cocoons, have you seen those? They are small, snug fitting to mimic being swaddled. I never had one but they were popular.

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Hi Beth. I will be making many items. So I will certainly try HL I Love This Yarn Baby. I made a sweater out of the worsted version. White, even. It is about 10 year old and in great shape. Still soft & very little pilling - just under the arms. I do wash it in the machine on gentle cycle & just hang it on a towel-padded hanger. And it has held its shape beautifully.

Did you use it with your knitting machine? (I think Ive seen you post about machine knitting before?). I was thinking of doing the larger items on the machine.

So much fun in your future! I love making things for my grand babies (now ages 4-13).

I think my latest was a little blanket for my preemie great nephew!

I don’t remember if I’ve used it on a knitting machine. I haven’t used my machines for several years. I’d love to sell them but not motivated to clean and test them. I have to relearn every time I get them out only to have all the family come and need the space, so I put them away. Too much trouble!

HL Baby Bee Sweet Delights Puppy Kisses (I was mistaken about the yarn!) 3.7 oz.

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22 repeats

Icelandic Bind off

https://youtu.be/PYLBNQCGU7E

Last summer I made this corner to corner for a friend’s grand baby who was having surgery at age 3 months! Their appreciation really blessed me! I had the yarn on hand (Bernat Blanket) and was inspired at the last moment to whip this up.

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Enjoy!

Beth

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I love those! Thanks for pattern and the links. Im always interested in new bindoffs too.

Hobby Lobby is in walking distance to my home, So Ill be sure to check out the puppy yarn…

So many cute baby items!