I am excited to be a great-aunt yet again – those kids are more prolific than any of my siblings were. I have been planning a baby blanket. I love making baby blankets, cozy, cute, fast ones. I don’t make heirloom lace gorgeous items to be used at a child’s wedding. These are blankets to drag around, and nothing makes me happier than to see or hear that the blanket in question has made it to that stage.
A newly arrived neighbor baby got a blanket, (I can’t find a picture right now) and her 5-year old sister was feeling a bit miffed. I told her that she had received a blanket from me long before this interloper. Her eyes got bigger, and she asked if it was yellow and green – yes, it had those colors in it. “I sleep with it every night!” That really made my heart glad.
So, I thought I’d make little EJ to be something bright and fun. ( Soft, squishy, bright 128 Superwash from Cascade.) You know how you keep knitting, even when something isn’t working out? Like when the colors looked great in the skeins, but together are less than the sum of their parts? I brought this blanket to the shop to get a second opinion, and yes, it was deemed irretrievably ugly. I took it up to class. (I think it’s always good for students to see me ripping out work.) Before I displayed it, I announced that I was going to rip something out, not because it was technically wrong, but because it was hideous. They all said, not, nothing can be ugly enough to rip it out. When I did the TA DA, they all groaned. Yep, ugly.
On the other hand, If it made it, I could call it “That 70’s Baby .”
The lesson was then looking at the little balls of yarn and seeing that they should have played nicely, but didn’t. Was it tone? Proportion? Stitch pattern? I especially love it when I have students who quietly confess they have art degrees and start explaining some color theory. That’s the sort of thing that makes classes fun. Otherwise, we could all sit around with you tube videos. I may try something without the yellow, however, I’m open to suggestions.
This blanket, Terrace, I designed in the summer specifically for the Yarnery’s Shop Hop Yarn, Sprout. It’s Superwash BlueFaced Leicester from All for Love of Yarn. Details on Ravelry.
It is bright and fun and not ugly. And check out that cute model – he’s a neighbor, too. Aren’t I lucky to have such photogenic kids around the ‘hood? The problem is, they grow too fast! The Yarnery has kitted up a pattern and two skeins of the yarn and I have one for a giveaway. Post a comment by January 28 and tell me what baby items you like to knit. Some lucky winner will have these in her mailbox, soon.
Yarnerinas 
Hats and fiddly sweaters that are more up-to-date in appearance than old-fashioned. Particularly in colours that aren’t necessarily considered baby ones.
I love how you dragged that blanket around everywhere to get opinions.
It was kind of pathetic, really. Hoping against hope that everyone would say, Oh No, that’s super cute. These colors aren’t baby ones, but at least one has to go!
The only thing I don’t like about the “ugly” blanket is the orange. But then again, I really don’t like orange that much anyway. Thanks for the chance to win the green blanket. It’s lovely.
Lmecoll on Ravelry
The colors in the green are lovely – it’s called Sprout!
I usually knit a tiny soft hat or two, something a little bit quirky usually goes down well. Lovely giveaway.
I have to tell you, I knit a sweater in those same colors. However, it WAS in the 70’s, and even then I wasn’t thrilled with the result. But the nephew wore the sweater for all of 4 months or so and then it very quietly disappeared. Many years later I made a comment to my sister about her not passing that one down as she did the others and she admitted that she threw it out. I thanked her.
I knit a bit of everything. I also crochet. When something doesn’t quite work the way I want in one craft, it quite often works in the other. Those colors on the “ugly” blanket would have made great granny squares!
You could be right about that, Cheri. Although I don’t enjoy crocheting in bulky yarn especially. It would sure go fast, though!
I knit a ton of baby blankets (in the middle of one right now, actually).
I think you’d be safe taking out either the orange or the yellow of your ugly blanket.
I agree – together they are too much. And way brighter than the picture shows.
I love the yellow garter ridge on your blanket! It adds dimension and I wouldn’t change a thing! Thanks for the chance to win a kit for the green blanket – gotta love that green!!!
While this color combo wouldn’t be y first choice for making a baby blanket, I think it works for a pre-schooler as it reminds me of a box of crayons which usually are a big thing in this age group’s life. It’s bright and cheerful and there’s nothing ugly about that.
Love to knit baby blankets! I sometimes crochet toys as well.
i love baby hats!!! I like making all the seasonal and fun designs. They are quick and easy so you don’t mind knitting a turkey hat that may only be worn for a week or so!
The kind of thing my husband calls “baby humiliation wear” – I love them, too.
I’m with Linda above, I’d take out the orange. Unfortunately I don’t know any babies to knit for but if I did, I think I would do stuffed toys. I’m dying for an excuse to make something from the Arne & Carlos doll book.
I go for the blanket or the hat. I don’t do sweaters much since I don’t think they get used! I barely remembered to put one on my own kids unless they were sort of jacket-like, in the spring and fall.
I love making baby blankets. Thanks for the chance to win the baby blanket kit.
I wouldn’t call it ugly. Kids love bright and gaudy colours and as the little one gets older, the blanket will be more and more loved. My son, five, loveloveloves the brightest and loudest colours. I say, good enough choice.
As for what I like to knit for babies? For girls, dresses. For girls and boys, sweaters, mostly pullovers, sometimes cardigans. Blankets are always knit for friends expecting. Oh, and teddy bears. Quick and adorable.
If you could see the colors in real life you would! I do like to make bright things for kids, but this. I have never knitted a teddy bear. One of these days.
I bought a pattern called “Vera” on Ravelry. It’s a really awesome looking teddy bear when you knit it up.
I love to knit baby blankets! Every baby that is born into the family, or to a close friend (or even grandchild to a friend!) receives a blanket. I too love to choose patterns that will be warm and practical. Thank you for a great contest!!!
I love making blankets, too. They are really easier than sweaters and people love them. Thanks for stopping by.
I truly enjoy knitting baby sweaters. They are so cute and fast to knit, just an all around good time. Almost instant gratification compared to an adult sweater.
Glad to hear about other people’s colour disasters. I would like to be Kaffe Fassett, but no. When I did the colour tester http://www.xrite.com/online-color-test-challenge, let’s just say that I wasn’t entirely pleased with the result!
I’ll have to try the challenge. Have you played Blendoku? It’s like Sudoko for colors. I don’t think of it as time wasting, I think of it as skills improvement…
I usually do a blanket or a bunting, depending on how much time I have. That being said, my most successful baby knitting gift was a toddler hoodie that has been passed down to siblings three times thus far. And the mom sends me a picture with the latest kid wearing it. Knitter bliss!
That is knitter bliss! A co-worker had a picture of his son in his office the kid was wearing the sweater I made him. Knitworthy!
You are lucky to have babies to knit for and photograph in knits. I have stopped designing baby wear as I can never come by any babies!
(Please don’t enter me in your giveaway … the yarn should go to someone who has space for more, and that’s not me!)
Whenever I knit baby items it’s for gifts or charity. For the last year or so, I’ve been making baby blankets for new parents that my husband and I met during his time in the USMC. More often than not, those couples are newly wed and away from any other friends or family. The handmade part of the gift makes them feel supported. That and I loooove making baby blankets. Adorable, squishy, colorful. It’s awesome!
I suggest using the dark blue where the yellow was used. The bigger stripes will be the bright colors and the darker blue will “tone” it down a bit. I think it would be fabulous that way!
Thanks – that’s the way I’m leaning, I’ll post a picture when I get a swatch done.
I once got a sampler of all the colors in a line of yarn and played with it for a while. Then I put together colors for a while longer. And then I ordered enough for a blanket in colors I might not otherwise have thought would work together without having the live samples — on-screen photos don’t do colors justice. They’re all in a plastic bin in my yarn room waiting for me to find a pattern now.
I love knitting blankets for babies. But I usually make a toy out of the same yarn. And maybe a cardigan and hat and booties (not out of the same yarn, though). And maybe more, depending how close I am to the recipient. But definitely a matching toy.
I like to knit baby sweaters and leggings. Thanks for the chance 🙂
Terrace is absolutely gorgeous – and so’s the model, of course!
I haven’t got into baby knitting yet but I’m planning a big cabley blanket, with the baby’s name embroidered in somehow… ambitious much?
Tiny sweaters and hats.
Toys and hats are what I knit for babies. They are quick and fun to knit. My favorite hat is from a vintage booklet and is called a kitten bonnet. I revised the directions to make it a no sew knit. I have knit at least 60 of these for charity.
I just got some baby yarn that’s purple, lavender, yellow and orange. I hope it works! I think with yours I would pull the yellow or orange and add purple.
Although I’ve made sweaters and blankets I usually make hat/bootie sets for babies. I suppose that will change when I have grandkids – then I’ll be more ambitious. You are awfully nice to your neighbors 😉
sorry – I’m signed in with the wrong alias…it’s soxanne.
Who won???
MJM in Wisconsin – https://mlegan.wordpress.com/2014/01/30/the-winner-and-the-new-baby/
I like the green baby blanket but then,I am Irish !I knit lots of hats for adults ,children and babies .I crochet cardies and dresses for babies ,cardigans for children ,and an occasional adult cardigan or vest type top .
Thanks, Anne. I like the green blanket myself. Very bright and spring-like. As you can tell from my name, my grandparents were Irish, must be part of loving green!
I knit lots of baby hats; they’re quick and great for using up stash yarn. I have also made blankets for my nieces babies and they seem to love and appreciate them. Have made several sweaters and dresses too and I’m looking to add mittens to my repertoire.