Crochet for Babies

Baby Clothing of the 1970s

Shawls

I really like to crochet for babies. When my first child was born, I crochet a large circular white shawl. In those days, shawls were the thing. Then came bunny rugs. This shawl was so special, I wrapped my precious baby up in it and kept her warm. I still have it today. 

Crocheted Dresses

When my son came along, I made a special crocheted white dress for him for his Baptism. In those days, jumpsuits  were only just starting and were certainly not seen as clothing to wear for such a special occasion as a Baptism. He was only a few weeks old, so I'm sure I did not traumatise him by putting him in a dress. 

Jackets or Cardigans for Babies

We all know the difference between a jumper and a cardigan, right? In the mid 20th century, a cardigan for a baby was called a jacket. I don't know why, but that is just the way it was. By the time the baby got to about two years old, it was called a cardigan. I suppose today, we will still call out to a little one as we hurry out to the car, 'Have you got your jacket?'

Here is a little baby jacket. These are lovely crocheted out of 5 ply yarn. When you crochet, the resulting material becomes quite thick, much thicker than if it was knitted. They can get too thick and therefore too hot if made out of 8 ply wool. They come up beautifully with lacy designs.

A lacy design of crochet for a baby jacket

A short-sleeved jacket for a precious baby girl

A plainer design of crochet is often used for boy babies

Baby cardigans or jackets can be made in plainer designs for little boys. 

Colour

You can also introduce colour. Pastel shades are a good choice for little ones. Colour has a strong influence on our psyche. You may notice that little ones will soon show a preference for their favourite colour. In our society, pink is generally accepted for girls and blue for boys.

A baby girl's jacket in progress

Baby booties in bright colours

I do love bright colours and sometimes just have to give myself a dose of colour. I really enjoy using brightly coloured yarn, but tend to keep this for children at least one-year-old. 

More crochet yarns next time. Cheers