I know of two babies on the horizon, one arriving in September and one arriving in December. Both of the new mothers are good friends, good enough that a tiny baby sweater isn’t enough. I decided to go full-on baby blanket with these special wee ones. I have just enough time (I think) to make crib-sized blankets for each, and I’ve settled on two patterns that are calling to me.

Miss September Baby is a much-anticipated girl who has two older brothers. I want her to have her very own special gift so I’m making a Valley Yarns pattern, the Snowdrop Blanket. However, you know how I feel about plant fibers, so no go on the Longmeadow. Instead, I’m going to use some lovely Valley Yarns Haydenville, probably in Silver, because White, or even Natural, seems like a set-up for disaster, since you all know what babies do on blankets. It’s neutral enough to match her nursery and distinctive enough to be an eye-catcher in a Mommy and Me group.

Baby #2 is a mystery, so I’m going to go with a bold pattern I love, the Valley Yarns Pattern Grayson Set. The stitch is simple enough to be knit while watching “Game of Thrones,” and the color changes are just challenging enough so the project won’t be tedious to finish. I’m going to use Haydenville for this one, as well. I’m going to completely switch up the colors, however, and go with Slate Blue as the main color, banded with Natural and to make it pop, a stripe of Yellow. Could read as masculine or feminine, and I am so hoping it becomes the blanket that baby can’t sleep without.

What is your favorite baby pattern? Let me know in the comments, below!

It seems like everyone I know is about to have, or has just had a baby. Knitting baby things is very rewarding for me. You get a finished project in no time at all, and thankfully, most of the people I have knit for are super appreciative of the gift. If you’re looking for some inspiration for Spring baby knits, the Valley Yarns Spring Baby Sets eBook is a great collection.

It contains three matching sweaters and blankets that are perfect for baby. The yarns it features are Valley Yarns Longmeadow, Valley Yarns Valley Superwash DK, and Valley Yarns Valley Superwash (which happens to currently be part of our Anniversary Sale).

The Martius Baby Pullover and Martius Baby Blanket feature cables and moss stitch. I love the addition of contrasting, colorful buttons at the shoulder. It is a cute detail that can add a bit of pop and personality.

If you’re looking for an adorable short sleeve baby cardigan with a lacy touch, you’ll want to check out the Aprilis Baby Cardigan and Aprilis Baby Blanket. I love the lacy pattern, and you may recognize it as a tiny version of our popular Philomena Cardigan.

The Maia Baby Cardigan uses a fun math trick to turn two matching garter stitch hexagons into a cardigan. The trick is that they aren’t really hexagons, but 3-dimensional shapes made of six right angles. Simple stripes wrap all the way around the outer edges of each hexagon to give clues to the clever observer about how it’s made. The 3-needle bind off used to join the pieces together in the end is sturdy, but can be undone in order to be worked on again to keep the cardigan growing right along with the baby. The Maia Baby Blanket is worked from the center out, bright stripes around the outer edges.

All of these patterns are also available individually, but the eBook saves you almost half the price! Plus, having the patterns as downloads is so handy for carrying along and saving without taking up physical space.

Which pattern in the collection is your favorite?