a new arrival next month
...and no, it's not for me! (I'm a bit too old). I'm the third of a family of seven children, and my "baby brother" and his partner are having their baby next month, so I've been a little focused on making as much as I can for the new arrival. So far I've made a cot blanket...
This is a modification of the shawl pattern by Fifty Four Ten Studio, called "Room with a View". The knits and purls create window-like patterns in the fabric, which is a very simple and yet appealing design (especially when you use a yarn with good stitch definition). There is a proper blanket version of this pattern called "The Days to Come", but I already had the shawl version in my library, and it's easy to modify. DMC's yarn "Woolly Merino" is the perfect yarn to use, for it is incredibly soft, has fantastic stitch definition, and is machine washable, too! If you love to knit blankets, you should check out the many patterns published by Fifty Four Ten Studio on their website.
I've also been knitting baby cardigans. There's nothing better than a v-neck cardigan for a baby, for a couple of reasons. Not only are they easy to put on and take off, but the v-neck means less chance for the wool to irritate babys sensitive skin. I loved this pattern so much that I made three of them!
It's the "Oh Baby! Cardi", a free pattern by Roberta Rich. You need no more than 100grams of DK yarn for any of the three sizes (newborn, 6 months and 12 months). Roberta had me hooked from the first paragraph of the description:
"Your first cardigan from this pattern will not be your last! You will love the ease of knitting a V-neck cardigan without going back to pick up stitches for the button band afterwards - hooray!"
For this project I dived into my own stash, which included some "deep-stash" of discontinued Cascade 220 Quatro superwash yarn. I've had this yarn for so long that it was discontinued a long time ago! I'm not one for the traditional baby pinks and blues, and I gravitated towards a bold red and rose pink instead. I'm fortunate enough to have a stash to pick and choose from, but it wasn't always that way. If you need baby yarn, DMC has a large range in 8ply and 4ply, including Baby Merino (4ply), and Baby Aquarelle (also a 4ply). If you're on the lookout for a competitively priced yarn, you can do no better than Broadway, a NZ-made and Italian milled yarn. Two lovely 4ply yarns in this range are the Baby Purely and the Premium NZ Baby Merino, If you're wanting a DK weight, you can explore Broadway Merino DK. And.... if you're wanting to try something a little different, you can use a colourful, variegated hand dyed yarn, such as Broadway's Hand Dyed DK. Another yarn with a difference, from a different company is West Yorkshire Spinners Bo-Peep range in 4ply and DK. The people at WYS say it best:
"Bo Peep Luxury Baby is a sumptuous blend of the purest Falkland Island Wool and finest Nylon - perfect to wrap your favourite little people in. We have developed this yarn to be wonderfully soft and cosy against the skin because only the best will do."
Another bonus with Bo-Peep is that it is machine washable! You can choose Bo-Peep in DK or Bo-Peep 4ply. Here at Good Wool Hunting we have a HUGE range of colours that you're sure to love (from traditional baby pinks and blues, to more vibrant colours). In the meantime I have my soon-to-arrive niece's cardigans blocking on my mats (cheap ones I bought on AliExpress), and once dry I'll add four buttons to each. I think I'll knit a baby hat next... watch this space!
