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A Sweet Story about Knitting for Babies

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knitting stretchesI don’t expect to see essays about knitting (with nary an animated gif in them!) at Buzzfeed, but this lovely story from Alanna Okun changed my mind a little bit.

Called “Babies Vary and Knitting Stretches” (a line from Elizabeth Zimmermann), it’s about knitting your first project for a baby and how that can be a reminder of the cycle of life. The author has had a couple of friends die at a young age lately and as she knit she thought about anticipating a life to come, and the life of its own this little knit item would begin once given to its little unborn recipient.

And so it was easy to forget that life can come into the world just as it leaves it. Making the sweater was a tangible reminder. Making anything feels a little like you are taking control in the chaos: This thing is yours, the way you would like it to be, and it exists where before there was nothing. With each row you knit on something meant for a baby, you start to see their outline more and more clearly, waiting to be fully formed. I liked knowing that the sweater was in my bag during the workday and by my bed when I woke up. I felt it glow; I felt it breathe.

This is a nice reminder of the value of knitting, and of knitting for small people, too. (And if you need some help coming up with projects for babies, check out my book on the subject!)

[Photo by Ilana Denis Bauer via BuzzFeed.]

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Comments

  1. Lovely story. Thanks for sharing. I just finished a baby blanket for my son’s friend who has a daughter due in February. I know it will be cherished.

Have you read?

Knits to Make for Your Labubu

Maybe it’s not your Labubu, but if you’ve ever looked at one of those creepy cute dolls and thought “what that thing needs is a sweater,” you’ve come to the right place. These Labubu knitting patterns are super cute and easy to make whatever your skill level. 

If you want to keep it super basic, there’s this Labubu sweater from flourish AND fiber. It uses sock yarn and is worked from the top down in the round with a bit of ribbing on the edges but otherwise in stockinette stitch. It says it’s meant to fit all current regular Labubu plush pendants. 

Another cute pendant project is the Bubu Cardi by Ginko B. This free Ravelry download uses fingering weight yarn and only uses about 35 yards of yarn, so it’s a perfect scrap knitting project. 

Give your Labubu some springtime flair with this sweet little dress pattern by About Yarn. It’s for a 6.5 inch/17 cm doll and is worked in the round using DK weight yarn. 

Or get them ready for cooler weather with this cute beanie from Stephanie Connolly. Available as a free Ravelry download, this pattern uses DK weight yarn and has a hole in the top for Labubu’s ears and pendant to pull through. 

If you want a more whimsical look, try the Labubu headdress by Shino Craft. This one uses sport weight yarn and makes your critter look like a flower. You can buy it on Ravelry.

Add a touch of colorwork with this adorable heart sweat for a Labubu. This pattern is from kelmadeSG and uses fingering or DK weight yarn (maybe depending on what size doll you have?) and is worked flat in pieces. 

Shirley Durmaz made this cute hoodie for a Labubu with two strands of fingering weight yarn (or you could use a DK weight). It’s available on Ravelry.

If your Labubu fan is also a Taylor Swift fan, you’ll want to knit the free Labubu V Neck Cardigan, inspired by Taylor’s Folklore sweater. It uses fingering weight yarn and you can find it on Ravelry.