Knits for Babies Using Worsted Weight Yarn

I know people typically think of lighter weight yarns when they think of knitting for babies. One of the terms used for light weight yarn is even “baby yarn.” But I think there are a lot of valid reasons to use thicker yarn when you’re knitting for little ones (so much so I wrote a book about it).

For one thing, projects made with heavier yarn are faster to knit. That’s a good thing because babies grow really fast so you won’t have spent a lot of time on a project that won’t get a lot of use. Also, there are babies in winter, and they might like to have warm sweaters and hats.

So let’s explore some baby knitting projects that use worsted weight yarn.

This simple garter stitch cardigan from BDD Patterns on Etsy would be a great first sweater knitting pattern. It’s worked flat in one piece, including the sleeves, which makes this one easy to knit and doesn’t require all that much finishing. The pattern comes in four sizes up to a 1-year-old, and uses one button to close it at the top.

The Baby Vertabre pattern from Kelly van Niekerk is just so clever I had to share it. This one includes options for working it in different weights of yarn, including worsted, but it’s basically a cardigan with no fronts. This is awesome for giving baby a little warmth but keeping their sweater clean (ideal for droolers and messy eaters as baby gets older). The pattern is sized from newborn through two years and offers three different yarn weight options. You can buy it on Ravelry.

I don’t know a new parent who doesn’t harbor a secret desire to dress their baby like an animal. You can realize that dream for a baby you know with this adorable bear suit knitting pattern from Pernille Larsen. The hood has bear ears, and the rest of the romper is plain and pretty easy to knit. It includes buttons down the front for easy access for diaper changes, and has feet to keep baby warm and cozy. This pattern is sized for newborns up to 24 months, and you can find it on Ravelry.

How about hats? The Sunshine Bonnet from Katarina Linnhagen is a simple garter stitch bonnet sized for newborns up to 2-3 year olds. It’s worked in one piece and includes I-cord edging and ties to complete the sleek look. Get it on Ravelry.

Or try Michele Sabatier’s berry hat, which is a free pattern on Ravelry. This pattern can be all sorts of produce depending on the colors you choose, from strawberries to pumpkins. It was designed for infants but has modifications in the pattern for bigger kids.

Super Easy Baby Blanket Knitting Patterns

Book Review – 3 Skeins or Less -Modern Baby Knits

For the past few years I’ve taken part in a Christmas in July blog hop that encourages people to get a jump on their making for holiday gifts.

I love to use yarn I already have for these projects in the hope that people will consider what they already have that they can use to make projects for themselves or to give as gifts.

This year it was a couple of knit baskets made using partial balls of yarn left in my stash from other projects.

They use the same basic pattern but the first one is made with two colors of bulky yarn, and the second used two strands of worsted weight yarn held together, which made the gauge about the same, but I cast on fewer stitches to make a smaller version.

The bottom of the basket is square, though you can make them rectangular if you’d rather. Then I just knit up the sides in rounds until I was about to run out of yarn. This gave both baskets rather short sides — maybe more like a tray than a basket — but you can keep knitting as long as you like to make the sides of your basket as tall as you want.

They’re worked in seed stitch, which keeps the edges from curling and adds a nice texture to the baskets.

Of course this also allows you to use even more odd balls from your stash. I’d love to make a big one someday combining lots of different yarn. I mean, I’d probably use it to store more yarn, but that’s a fine thing to do.

As it is, these little trays are great for sitting on your desk or bedside table to hold little things that always seem to appear there. I like to use one to hold the supplies for whatever project I’m working on, things like little scissors, my tape measure, a crochet hook, etc.

And they would make good gifts on their own or as a container to hold some other goodies if you like.

You can find the free pattern for these stash busting baskets over at Our Daily Craft.

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