Knitting for Babies

Before anyone gets excited, I am not expecting. A friend of mine recently found out that she is expecting her first baby. I am so excited for her. I remember what it was like to be pregnant the for the first time and wonder about all the changes that your body goes through and getting used to the idea that there is this little symbiont living inside of you and growing and that within the year it is going to pop out as a baby. It's pretty cool and pretty frightening all at the same time.

What this has meant is that I have a new category of favorites at Ravelry. All tagged as "baby." I've already knit her the ubiquitous Baby Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmermann and have a second sweater already cast on (a sweet little top-down raglan no-seam cardigan with just a simple cable running up each side of the opening in the front). I've looked at hats and booties and even diaper covers and soakers. I've fondled yarn on her baby's behalf and had even considered knitting a baby blanket. Don't worry, that idea quickly passed and I can still say that I am blanket and afghan free other than a periodic block here and there for a community project.

There is just something sweet about knitting for babies. For one, they are soft themselves so it seems appropriate to knit soft things for them. Their clothes are tiny, so knitting a baby sweater or a baby hat or a baby blanket (if you are so inclined) takes far less time than knitting for a child or an adult. Even if you use fingering weight yarn it still takes no time at all. Baby knits can be cute and whimsical as well as lacy and frilly. Vintage knits look charming on a baby yet they look just as good in modern pop art. You can run the gambit with the colors. Brights, bolds, pastels, earthy, and even creamy like white or ecru look good on a baby. Some people fuss about genders and colors, but I just think babies look precious in whatever color they are in and one doesn't owe and explanation if you decide to dress your boy in a pink sweater or your boy in a blue hat.

The most wonderful thing about knitting for babies? They don't criticize.