A Crocheted Baby's Blanket - The Perfect Present For Babies

Whether your friends, the parents-to-be, are going to be parents for the first time or the n-th time, it is difficult to know that what you are purchasing for the child is not going to be a duplicate. An added complication is that not all parents-to-be want to know the sex of their new baby, so it is fairly difficult to get a present for the baby shower or Christening (or whatever) and still feel confident that it will be appreciated.

However, there are some gifts that are unlikely to be duplicated and without having to spend an total fortune, a crocheted baby's blanket is one of them. If you have already acquired the skills to make a crocheted baby's blanket, then all well and good, otherwise you have two alternatives: you can either learn and thus increase your number of skills or you can commission one.

Forty years ago and before, most women could knit and crochet and knew about yarns and threads and knitting needles. Regrettably, the parents of the Seventies either did not learn these skills or did not pass them on in general, but knitting and crocheting are making quite a comeback now in the early Twenty-First Century. People are proud to own hand-made objects like crocheted baby's blankets.

One of the benefits of using modern yarns and materials is that the dyes are probable to be less dangerous than before, but you will still have to purchase them from trustworthy suppliers to be absolutely sure.

Another advantage of a handmade item like a crocheted baby's blanket is that is probable to become a family heirloom. A handmade crocheted baby's blanket is certain to be treasured because it was handmade and not shop-purchased. It is even better if the maker's name and the baby's name are embroidered on it as well.

If you are a novice to crocheting a baby's blanket, there are a couple of items that you have to bear in mind with respect to the baby's safety.

Firstly, choose a tightly-knit pattern so that the baby's fingers and toes cannot get tangled up in the blanket. Secondly, the cloth or yarn should be soft, colour-fast, non-toxic and machine washable. Babies' blankets get dirty quite frequently, so it really is a boon to have a baby's blanket that is machine washable.

Thirdly, take the time to enquire of the parents-to-be if they have a colour scheme or theme in mind for the nursery. Fourthly, the blanket should be the correct size. If your crocheted baby's blanket is to be used in a cot, then it should be the exact same size of the cot for safety reasons. If it is to be a general blanket, then you can make it larger so that it can be useful for longer.

Lastly, but not least important is to take into account that babies teethe, so do not incorporate anything into your handmade crocheted baby's blanket if there is a chance of the baby choking on it, beads are a distinct no-no.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on several subjects, but is now involved with Chenille Throw Blankets. If you would like to know more, please visit our website at Woollen Blankets.