FO: No Scratch Newborn Mittens

#1

A few weeks ago I finished a newborn hoodie using Knit Picks Shine Sport yarn in “River”. I have quite a bit of yarn left over, so I decided to make up a pair of these No Scratch Baby Mittens to go with it.

They were super fast and easy to knit up. The ribbing seems a little bit long, but I guess that will help them stay on better. I think I might make another pair or two, maybe in slightly larger sizes for as the baby grows. I was thinking I might try connecting the next pair with I-Cord as well so that they don’t get lost if they fall off!

#2

Cute! I wouldn’t use i-cord on anything with for a baby. Too easy to get tangled in and possibly be a choking hazard.

#3

Hmmm I hadn’t thought about that (I don’t have children of my own yet, lol). Is there some sort of similar solution that I haven’t thought of? Or would it be best to just leave them as is?

#4

Very nice! You could use some kind of clip to keep them together.

#5

You mean while they are on the baby? I can’t think of a solution really that wouldn’t involve something the baby can get into his mouth. Babies chew everything.

#6

Yeah I suppose that is true! They’re super quick to make and don’t use much yarn, so maybe I’ll just make a few pairs and not worry about it if they get lost. Thanks!

#7

Very cute - do you have a pattern?

#8

Those are really cute!
Especially nice for outside when the temps are cool.

I never used mitts on my babies to keep them from scratching themselves, just kept their finger nails cut short.

There are a lot of safety concerns with babies’ and kids’ clothing. Manufactures no long put ties in hoods because of strangulation hazard.

I never put ties through beading rows of the bonnets or infant sweaters as in older knitting patterns.
Ribbon ties can be a huge concern, if not sewed on [B]very[/B] securely.
My 2nd baby sucked about 4" of ribbon down her throat before I saw it. I had doubled sewed it to the bonnet, but the experience was still very scary.

I use adjustable button bands, or I make crocheted ties that are part of the neck band itself.

#9

The pattern I used is available for free here. I think that there might be a minor error in the pattern in terms of the stitch counts given at the end of each round … I ended up with two less stitches than indicated after the first increase round. I may have just made a mistake, but even if it is an error in the pattern it’s very easy to fix … I just did an extra increase round to get the indicated number of stitches before starting the decreases.

#10

How about a loop or button hole on the mitten cuff and the button tightly secured [B][U]inside[/U][/B] the sleeve cuff?

Would that be enough to keep the baby from getting to the button?

:think:
Turn the cuff of the sleeve inside out before dressing the baby to avoid fingers catching on the buttons.

Another idea is for a band of buttons for the diaper bag to keep all those extra mittens organized and handy inside the bag. The ribbon or strap can be clipped in or sewn to the diaper bag and the unused mittens can be buttoned to the ribbon/strap and easily found.

Just a though or two. If the ideas works safely then please remember where you got them. :wink:

Crossed Fingers
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#11

My original thought was as you suggested - to have a button on the inside of the mitten cuff to attach the I-Cord. Then I thought that perhaps having a button near the hands might be risky as it would be very easy to get it to their mouth. My next thought was to eliminate the buttons altogether and just have the I-Cord sewn directly to the mittens … the cord wouldn’t be removable, but you would always know where the mittens were! Then it was suggested that the cord itself might still pose a hazard … so I’m re-thinking the whole idea.

Your idea of just having a button hole on the mitten and having buttons to attach them to when they’re not in use (eg. in your diaper bag, etc) is a cute idea though … thanks for the tip! I might just see if I can find a way to make that work! :thumbsup:

#12

How about a small patch of light weight velcro sewn in?

#13

I’m like Lana- never used those mitts or the cuffs they have on some gowns. My oldest started thumb sucking at 5 weeks so that would have been a problem. Anyway, I just kept the nails short, too. I know a lot of people do like them though.

I would avoid buttons on anything easily chewed on by a baby. That means mitts, hats, socks, and toys. Sweaters can be okay if they are secure and the baby can’t get to them.

I have an idea! How about a set of THREE mitts in each color! One extra if one gets lost. :thumbsup:

#14

Haha! Now that’s not a bad idea! Having an extra one on hand might just do the trick! :teehee:

#15

Nice mitts and when they are outgrown they can be used to cover the ends of small golf clubs. :lol: Just kidding. Might work though. :wink:

#16

Or the extra mitten could cover a half eaten lollypop to keep the dirt off… :doh:

#17

Mmmmm … a sticky mitten and a lollypop covered in yarn fuzz! :roflhard: