Favorite Thing Friday: Blanket and Booties

Over the last few months, I found out two of my friends are expecting. Even though a I’m not a baby person (unless they have four legs and fur), the knitter in me was excited to dig into my baby gift patterns.

Initially, I thought about making little sweaters, but then it hit me that we live in a desert. It’s hot almost all of the time! Even it got a little cold, the kid would probably outgrow it before he got a chance to wear it. So, I decided to make much more practical gifts that could be used no matter how fast the baby grows.

It turns out I had a great pattern for a car seat sized baby blanket. I figured this was perfect for use as a quick snuggle and for when there’s a chill in the air (it’s been known to happen from time to time). Plus, it’s relatively small, so it isn’t a struggle for a new mom to stuff it in her diaper bag. I settled on a simple basket weave pattern with a garter stitch edge.

Some turtle love for a Basket Weave Baby Blanket

The yarn is very soft and cuddly, but I honestly hated working with it. It constantly knotted up thanks to the fuzzies that made it soft. My working yarn was almost constantly entangled, which made it difficult to keep a steady pace. I will never buy Yarn Bee Effervesce, again!

At the last minute, I decided to make a pair of booties. I had some leftover sock yarn that I thought would make excellent lightweight, soft baby socks. I pulled out my trusty sock loom and whipped out a pair of tiny booties. These booties are for a baby boy and I think the colors couldn’t be more perfect!

Teeny Tiny Baby Socks

I kept it simple, by constructing a tube sock instead of turning heel. This way, they’ll continue to fit as the baby grows. The yarn is a silky soft alpaca fiber, so no worries about itchy baby feet!

As for the January baby, I’m still pondering what to make for that bundle of joy.

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What’s your favorite thing this week?

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c.b.w. 2014

 

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