Need advice for deciding on my next project

[medrin]

My sister is going to have her first baby in August and I am planning to make something for it. I figure a baby blanket is a thing that would be useful? Also, unlike clothes the baby won't outgrow it in a week and a half... But I'm trying to decide on what KIND of blanket to make.

So now I'm asking you, especially those of you who have/have had babies. What kind of blanket did you find the most use of? Knitted or crocheted? Wool or cotton?

I figure since babies, it need to be washable/durable so then cotton is a good choice. For wool choices I'm looking at sock yarns. Since I don't want it to take forever to make and also not be super bulky I'm looking at using 3-4 mm needles.

The two ideas I keep coming back to is either to buy a large number of different single colour yarns and make something like this: Crocheed chevron blanket, probably in a cotton yarn (probably either this or this which my LYS has on stock so I could just go buy it today.

OR: To knit something inspired by ten stitch blanket but with two spirals with different colour-ways. The yarn I keep looking at for this pattern is this which is very shiny but necessitates ordering online.

Maybe I should do both? Will I have time to do both? I have no idea.

Comments

[ghoti]

I prefer washable yarn for anything baby. I've noticed that otherwise it runs the risk of "it's too nice to use" or "but what if the baby ruins it" and hen on a shelf in the closet.

For summer babies I do tend towards cotton. Winter, worsted weight acrylic or acrylic/cotton or similar.

[tree_and_leaf]

Do the baby's parents have a tumble dryer? If not, I'd steer clear of cotton, it may be washable, but it takes forever to dry (I also imagine it wouldn't be very comfortable to knit something like the ten stitch blanket in cotton given its lack of give). Baby acrylic or acrylic blend is my usual default (it's also vastly less likely to pose a problem with allergies). I love Zauberball, but I'm not sure it would be suitable for babies.

[synecdochic]

I do baby stuff in Sugar & Cream -- it gets nicer the more it gets washed, it's machine washable, and I don't find it as punishing on my hands as most cotton yarns.

More as a mother than a knitter

[jenna_thorn]

Blankets take time but are very useful, not just as bed coverings, but also floor coverings, changing mats outside, lovies/cuddle things, nursing covers, sunshades, body wearing slings, car seat protection ...you get my drift.

The new acrylics are much softer than the ones I grew up with, and I cheerfully use them for baby items for daily use, with corresponding daily wash in a non gentle way, with one exception. Use cotton for bibs. Every baby needs more bibs than you'd think, and for useful gifts, they are fabulous - quick to knit, lots of personality - and teething means drool, and an extra bib means the outfit stays wearable that much longer. Wool has its benefits - it's fire resistant and warm for baby's first autumn and winter. The superwash wools aren't soft, as a general rule, but they'll survive sleep deprived new parent laundry habits.

[liseuse]

As a knitter (I'm not a parent) I've always used acrylic/acrylic-blend (heavy on the acrylic) for baby blankets. There's some info on stuff I've knitted for babies [HERE]. Alongside blankets I do a good line in burp cloths - mostly using these patterns:
1. http://shirleyknits.blogspot.co.uk/2007/07/free-pattern-3-burp-baby-cloth.html
2. http://shirleyknits.blogspot.co.uk/2007/07/free-pattern-2-baby-cloth.html

[yanagi_wa]

Knit something in one of those new acrylics for baby, it's going to be washed to death. Then take your time to knit something to give on their second birthday.

[lannamichaels]

Not a parent, but a giver to parents: I've been using knitpicks's acrylic brava yarn (in bulky) for baby stuff and it's great, it holds up well to washings and is comfy. I'm very hesitant about "washable" wool since I had made a test blanket out of that and the yarn came completely apart in the wash, but the acrylic stuff is really great. Smooshy and soft and great for babies. Just throw it in the wash with all the other stuff, it's great.

I like your chevron pattern, I did this zig zag blanket a couple years ago and it came out really nice. I've tried the ten stitch a few times but never got very far in it, it seems a little tricky to make sure the proportions are right.

Whichever you go with, I learned from my last blanket, do something that can be made smaller if you need it to be! I did a mitered square of my own design and it was seriously giant (when I went to give it to the parents, I had to take a larger suitcase just to fit the blanket in it), and I could't just stop it earlier to make it smaller. A nice repeating pattern is much more flexible.

[thistleingrey]

As both a parent and a knitter/crocheter, I'd silently donate an acrylic gift, but cotton or wool = very useful. (Perhaps this is partly cultural? I am in the US, where acrylic seems popular, but I hate it and my immigrant parents never used it for me as a child.)

Sandnes Mandarin Petit (as it's sold in the US--the shop link you gave times out for me at the moment) is lovely stuff. Sugar & Cream, which synecdochic mentioned, is a worsted-weight cotton which wears well, but I'm not sure it'd be cost-effective outside North America. For cotton blankets I'd caution against Rowan Purelife DK, which feels lovely while working but isn't as sturdy as one'd wish (babies inevitably spit up, sometimes a diaper leaks, etc.).

This project has crochet directions for a easily resized blanket worked diagonally, if that's of interest as another possibility. At worsted weight, something like it has served several babies well. :)

[vilakins]

I recently made the Opart baby blanket in 100% superwash wool; it's gentle machine-washable and dried well too though I air-dried it to block it. I agree with others that a blanket is very useful, on the bed, floor, ground, wrapping the baby etc. I wouldn't use anything smaller than 8ply (DK) yarn for a blanket either as it would take ages.

I think knitted is softer than crochet, and am making a baby jacket in sock yarn, 75% wool and 25% polyamide so it'll wear and wash well.

First baby things I've ever made, for a recent new relative. :-)

[mama_marmotte]

A lot depends on where your sister lives and how hot it will be. I had my daughter May 31st 2012 and where we live it was too hot to use any blanket for about 4 months. We just swaddled her in thin muslin.

I knitted a cotton slub blanket, which I barely used for her. I was gifted a very simple crocheted acrylic one, which I didn't love at the time but is still on her bed now (she's almost 4!).

On a purely personal note I would have loved to receive the chevron blanket! As much as I love cotton I would also go with baby acrylics, something soft and ease to launder.