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A Grandmother’s Guide to Great Baby Shower Gifts Written by: Catherine Hoben Author's email: c.hoben@hotmail.com Credits: Photographs by Catherine Hoben Congratulations! You are going to be a Grandmother! Of course, you are much too young and this happy news took you completely by surprise, OR you have been waiting a long, long, long time for the announcement, OR you are somewhere in between. Well, a baby is coming, and so is a baby shower. You feel the need to knit a great gift and here is your guide. But before you, the New Grandmother, stock up on fancy yarn and purchase teeny tiny needles, take a moment to evaluate your knitting strengths and consider these requirements for a Great Gift:
1. Time: How much time do you have to complete the entire project? An hour or more every day, or a few minutes every coffee break, or just on weekends? Six months - try a big project OR six weeks - try a smaller project. 2. Skill Level: Can you cast on, knit, purl and bind off? Choose a Beginner or Easy pattern. The baby won’t care. Take a class or get some support from more experienced knitters when you run into a problem. Can you do intricate stitches and follow complicated shaping directions? Choose an Intermediate or Experienced pattern. 4. Supplies: Are you going to purchase expensive needles you’ll never use again? Consider borrowing from a friend if you don’t have the right size. Or spend a fortune on fancy yarn? Most knitters spend between $2 -$7 per skein of yarn. Do you want to try a fairly inexpensive “loom” to create your project? You can find a set for under $15 at major craft stores, and once you get the hang of it, you can create many other projects. You need to remember to focus on the basics. Choose yarn that is recommended for your project. Purchase enough yarn of the same dye lot to complete your project. Even if you think it is too much, you don’t want to go back to the store for one more ball of yarn and find out the color is “off” for the last few inches. If you purchase too much yarn or don’t use it all, most stores will allow you to exchange unused yarn and you can start on your next project. Be sure to read all the directions for your project. If you don’t understand something, get help. Knit or crochet a test swatch at least 4” x 4” to check your gauge. If the number of stitches and rows does not match your pattern, change needle sizes. To get fewer stitches per inch, use a larger size needle. To get more stitches per inch, use a smaller size needle. Or make something where fit is not important, like a washcloth, bag or blanket. Now let’s consider the baby’s parents and their perspective. You don’t want to spend your precious time making something that will be shoved in the back of a closet and never see the light of day. 5. Ask the parents what they like. Listen closely to their reply. Get used to the parents telling you what their baby will and won’t wear or use or appreciate. Baby pastels that bring tears of joy to your eyes may bring tears of frustration to a new mother or father who prefer today’s neutrals or bright colors. Tell the new mother and father you want to knit or crochet a shower gift. Ask the new mother and/or father to help you choose the color and style. Want to surprise the parents? OK, it will still be a surprise when the gift is opened and the parents see your finished gift for the first time. And now it’s time to consider the baby’s needs. 6. Washable: Babies will spit up, drool, spill, poop and wet everything that touches them. New mothers and fathers do a lot of laundry, and they don’t check washing instructions every time. Acrylic and acrylic- blend yarns will go through the washing machine easily, while 100% wool yarns will “felt” or shrink if they are washed in hot water. Some babies may develop allergies to wool. “Baby” yarns may be the best choice. Save the yarn information band and include it with the gift. The washing instructions will be useful later. 7. Wearable: Babies grow very fast, so you may want to make something larger than a newborn size. If the baby will be born in the spring or summer, how much use will a sweater in a small size get? Knit a sweater in a 6 month or 12 month size for the fall and winter. Make something in a 2 Toddler, and the parents can look forward to the milestone of the last shower present being used. Babies put everything they can get into their mouths and may swallow or choke, so securely fasten buttons, pom-poms and other trimmings. Think twice about ribbons or fringe. A crocheted picot edging can be just as lovely, and will be safer for baby. A Grandmother is wise and patient isn’t she? Not if you have a baby gift to knit or crochet in time for the shower. Quick and easy gifts are loved just as much as complicated and difficult ones. Are you going to make a tradition of knitting or crocheting something similar for each new grandchild? Gifts that are not finished until the baby is going to kindergarten somehow lose that “special” feeling. Pass on the knitting tradition by showing a younger person how to knit something for the shower. Easy Gifts Knitting skills: You will need to be able to cast on, knit, purl, bind off, weave in ends of yarn, and finish by blocking, if necessary. Here are some suggested dimensions of the project, and some yarn and design ideas.1. Baby washcloths: You can make them 6”x6” square or 7”x9” rectangle in cotton yarn, stripes or solids and knit in garter stitch or seed stitch and add a decorative edging in crochet. This is a great way to use leftover yarn from a larger project. 2. Baby bib: You can make them in a 4”x8” rectangle or a larger rectangle from cotton or acrylic yarn and knit in garter stitch, ribbing or crochet. For the strings you can attach ribbon or knit two I-cords, or crochet two 12” chains.
4. Baby blanket: can range from a small size 18”x36” for a car seat coverlet to a medium size 24”x36” for a crib blanket to a large size 36”x48” for a baby blanket. You can knit in garter or stockinette stitch, a “feather and fan” pattern or a cable or a lace stitch, edged in ribbing or seed stitch. Many patterns are available in a variety of skill levels. Many sizes are approximate, so you don’t need to be overly concerned with gauge.
Here are five of the baby blankets I have made for my grandchildren in the past 2-1/2 years. That’s right…Five grandchildren under three years of age. From the Left: 1. Jackson’s ribbed patchwork large baby blanket in cream and navy mohair-look acrylic yarn with crochet edging. More Advanced Baby Gifts Knitting Skills: You will need to know another cast on method, and be able to follow more complicated pattern instructions, as well as increase and decrease stitches, cables, lace or knit-in designs. Shaping, and finishing techniques may make these gifts more advanced. Many patterns are available for individualizing these gifts.5. Baby hat or bonnet : You can make a hat or bonnet to fit a baby’s head circumference of 12 - 14 inches. A premature baby’s head circumference may be as small as 5 - 7 inches. A K1, P1 ribbing will stretch to fit many sizes. The hat can be finished with decorative decrease stitches at the crown. The bonnet can be trimmed with a crochet picot ruffle. A hat or bonnet can be made using yarn left over from other projects. 6. Baby booties or socks: You can check for many patterns available. You may need some one to show you how to “turn the heel”, weave in the toes, and finish the project. This is another great project to use up leftover yarn. 7. Baby sweater: You can use many patterns available in all skill levels, and for many sizes. Be sure you make the sweater in a size that the baby can wear. Unless it is part of a newborn layette set, make the sweater in a larger size. Simple rectangles sewn together are easiest to make. You may find that shaped decreases, set-in sleeves, and buttonholes may take more effort and concentration. Be sure to get help if you run into problems.
9. Baby tunic: It’s a little longer than a vest, and usually has a decorative pattern knit in, or an appliqué. 10 Baby romper or onesie: You can knit one of these, but it has to be shaped a little more that a sweater. It usually has a design knitted in the front. 11. Baby “soaker” or pants: Some parents (and grandparents) think these are the greatest things for baby to wear over a diaper. For obvious reasons, be sure you use washable yarn. 12. Baby dress: What could be more memorable? Grandmothers can knit or crochet a beautiful dress for a special occasion like a baptism, christening or family photo. These special projects are usually made in white and can become a family heirloom. 13. Baby sling for carrying close to the body: You can see how long and wide the parents want the sling to be, and knit it with strong cotton yarn. 14. Pillows for the rocking chair (not the crib): You can knit a long rectangle in a novelty yarn that matches or coordinates with the baby’s room décor and sew it around a foam pillow form. 15. Diaper Bag: You can knit a large bag and felt it. The baby’s stuff needs a great carryall. 17. Stuffed toy: You can crochet or knit a ball, cube, alphabet letters, etc. 18. Neck roll: You knit a “snake” cylinder and stuff it with fiberfill, bend it into a U-shape, and cradle the baby’s head in the car seat. 19. New Mother’s sweater, shrug, tank top, or cardigan: You can surprise the mother with a thoughtful gift. 20. New mother’s poncho or shawl that can be turned into a baby blanket. You can see two examples of this in the photo below. Ben’s pastel crib cover and Peter’s blue car seat cover were also used by their mothers as shawls around their shoulders as they were rocking their babies to sleep night after night.
Not-So-Great-Gifts
A “Grandmother” today is busy, active and involved in family, career, and community. Becoming a grandmother means a generation shift will take place, and you are being pushed into a different definition of who you are. Daughter, mother, and now grandmother. Memories of what your own grandmother or mother knit or crocheted for you make a wonderful family tradition to pass on to the new baby. You are making memories for the next generation, and every stitch was made with love. Welcome to the world, little one. Your Grandmother loves you already. Meet the Author:
Cathy has perfected her skills teaching knitting classes at Michael’s. When she’s not knitting, she’s babysitting her cute little grandchildren. The parents usually give her 24-hour notice, though, so she can get the yarn and needles put away. Cathy says that meeting other knitters at a local knitter’s group gives her encouragement, and steers her away from projects that are too difficult or are going to take too much time to finish, because she would like to hold each new grandchild and newborn Cameron (as seen in this picture) as often as she can.
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3. Co-op baby blanket: You can make blocks either 6”x6” squares or 7”x9” rectangles from acrylic or wool blend yarn. You and a relative or group of friends can knit 12 white squares and 12 colored squares and sew or crochet the blocks together in a checkerboard pattern and edge the blanket in crochet border. You can see the easy pattern instructions for my “
