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Adorable Baby Yarns
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Welcome to the 2nd issue of the new Yarnmarket Just Your Type newsletter. Each month we’re featuring a different Yarn Types category from our store and showcasing many of the sensational options in stock and just right for your favorite knitting & crochet projects. With over 700 yarns now available in our store, you’re sure to find the right choice for your next creative endeavor no matter what it is. Having trouble reading this issue? Then please enjoy the online version.
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Terrific Range of Fibers, Textures & Weights in Baby Yarns
What better time of year is there to be debating the merits of various baby & children’s yarns than springtime, hmm? Sunny daffodils are finally raising their heads to sunny skies, birds are building their nests for their next generation, and we’re preparing our flower & vegetable gardens for new growth. And all of this is happening after what has seemed like one of the coldest, gloomiest winters in ages -- at least here in Central Ohio or what we fondly call Yarnmarket country.
If you’re like the rest of us, you enjoy knitting & crocheting year round for yourself & others, and if you’re not creating something exciting for yourself or a friend or relative, then you’re working on items to donate to your favorite charity. According to the Craft Yarn Council of America, some of the most popular items for charitable giving are handcrafted baby hats, blankets and booties, so what are the factors you should consider when choosing baby yarns for your projects?
First off, keep in mind that just like other types of fibers, baby yarns have come a long way from the days of classic, plied-only choices. They were always fingering weight (7-8 stitches to the inch on small needles) in a consistent 3- or 4-ply construction and usually available only in pastel baby colors plus white & cream (what the Craft Yarn Council rates as a #1 or #2 yarn gauge). The most exotic they ever got was to have a lustrous, shimmering thread wrapped around the base strand for “dressy” occasions. Nowadays, “baby” yarns are so varied and exciting that at Yarnmarket we have an entire Yarn Types category devoted to them –- Adorable Baby Yarns.
Next in terms of yarn weight or gauge, baby yarns come in everything from fingering weight (the classic choice & also called sock weight) to many DK options (often referred to as sportweight too) to worsted or aran (traditional sweater weight yarns). They are even manufactured for chunky & super chunky, quick-to-create options for those quick baby shower gifts you want to make.
Fiber content is another factor to consider, and although according to Claire Crompton in The Knitter's Bible, baby yarns "are treated to be softer and made to withstand frequent machine washing and tumble drying," it's wise to check the manufacturer's care instructions before finalizing your choice. Be aware also that specific designers have very strong opinions about fibers & fiber blends (natural vs. synthetic, whether wool is OK for a baby's delicate skin, etc.). The bottom line with fibers suitable for babies & children is to experiment and go with what you like best. If you're like many of us, we are most likely to choose the pattern for the baby project first and then go along with that designer's choice to decide which yarn will work out great.
So overall, today's baby yarns are just as diverse as the wide range of fabulous styles & fashions available for dressing your precious little ones. As one blogger recently explained on her website, "There are literally so many baby knitting patterns and yarns that you would never come to the end of your choices, sweaters, booties, hats, mittens, blankets, it is endless. I know I like to have the opportunity to do a whole outfit for the baby, so I will have several going at once but the total cost is so reasonable."
And since Yarnmarket currently offers 57 baby & children's yarns for your knitting & crocheting enjoyment, now let's take a look at some of our best staff picks for your projects.
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For a traditional, plied baby yarn that's wonderfully soft & fingering weight, check out Comfort Baby from Berroco. Sensationally crafted of a 50/50 blend of super fine acrylic & super fine nylon with a luxuriously soft twist, "Comfort Baby" is the perfect choice for your favorite 4-ply & fingering-weight knitting & crochet projects.
Add that Comfort Sock Solid and Comfort Sock Print are the same gauge as "Comfort Baby," and you now have an extensive color collection beyond classic baby pastels and even including five self-striping options.
But the clever folks at Berroco didn't stop with just the lightest gauge -- oh, no. They've developed a whole family of "Comfort" yarns using the same superb fiber blend yet in a full spectrum of gauges. And from the original worsted-weight Comfort and more recent Comfort DK and Comfort Colors to the quick-to-create Comfort Chunky, the entire "Comfort" family of yarns is well supported with patterns for the whole family.
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Comfort Chunky
Wee Willie Layette
Tiny Tots Poncho
and Beret
Comfort DK
Caisey Cardi
Darling Classic
Baby or
Toddler Cap
Easy Puffin
Baby Blanket
Darling
All-In-One
with Mittens
Fleece Rubber
Ducky Blanket
Cashmerino Bunny
Big Baby Blanket
Baby Cashmerino
Smock Dress
Booties with Flowers
Baby Aiko Bolero
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Then for a totally different look and in a classic sport or DK weight, the yarn aficionados at Sirdar have created velvety soft Tiny Tots.
We know you'll love the distinctive flecks of tweed in this marvelous blend of easy-care 90% acrylic & 10% polyester. You'll also enjoy discovering the varieties of colors the Sirdar yarn designers have created and supported with a superb collection of cuddly fashions such as pullovers, ponchos, hats, blankets, cardigans, vests & more.
From delicate pastels to crayon colors and from neutrals to brights, "Tiny Tots" is a great choice to keep your little one comfortable yet stylish well into elementary school.
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Then when you crave some fluff & texture with your ultra-softness, discover the wonders of Darling yarn from Wendy/Peter Pan. As cuddly & comfortable as the most luxurious toweling robe, "Darling" knits up & crochets into terrific cardigans, pullovers, jackets, ponchos, blankets, vests, hats & accessories.
Also the splendid British artisans of Wendy/Peter Pan even improved their fabulous 100% polyester concoction by developing a variegated, tweedy version that combines fluffy polyester with the sheen of rayon. Darling Fleck has shimmering sparks of contrasting colors in the rayon for sensational results when you want something outstanding for those babies & children in your family.
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You can tell how much we enjoy the classic baby yarns but we do like texture & something a little bit different too, so next we also recommend an outstanding option from Crystal Palace.
Puffin Solid is constructed of 100% polyester fleece, which makes for superb texture & hues ranging from pastels to brights. This ultra-soft, woven ribbon yarn is ideal for baby & children's outfits & accessories, but just imagine how much you'd love cuddling up in a sweater, afghan or jacket knitted or crocheted in "Puffin" yourself.
Then expand the collection with whimsical Puffin Dot and color-coordinated Puffin Print, and you have marvelous options to mix & match.
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Next you can count on Knit One, Crochet Too for a different type of polyester yarn design. With its chenille construction, Fleece has a velvety soft nap and a variety of bright colors that babies & toddlers will love.
Add a generous 109 yards on a 50-gram ball to the equation for fewer yarn ends to weave in, and "Fleece" gets even better. And with matching multi hues now available in Fleece Multi, you should give your imagination free rein and use these two beauties in all your chunky-weight projects.
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And if someone had told us years ago we'd be knitting & crocheting baby items with a supersoft, super bulky yarn, we wouldn't have believed them.
But actually the yarn aficionados at Muench have developed a marvelous collection of such yarns and very aptly named them all "Big Baby." From the auto-striping color combos of the original Big Baby to the terrific coordinating solids available in Big Baby Solid, these velvety soft yarns are crafted in Italy of 100% machine washable microfiber acrylic. Also the brushed acrylic finish gives them the look & feel of high-quality wool but keeps the yarns lightweight & cost effective no matter what knitting or crochet project you might be doing.
And be sure to "go dotty" with the newest addition to the collection -- Big Baby Dots -- and all of us who enjoy working on large needles & hooks have even more sensational options.
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Now no review of baby & children's yarns would be complete without checking in with Debbie Bliss, one of the premier baby & children's knitwear designers in the world, for her preferences. After designing for Gap Kids and various yarn companies over the years, Debbie then created her own collection of fiber blends so that she would have the quality she craved yet not break the bank. The cornerstone of her baby & kids' knitwear is her ever-popular Baby Cashmerino, and with numerous designs and three designated books currently available to support this fiber gem, is it any wonder it's so sought after?
A sensational mix of 55% superwash merino, 33% supersoft microfiber & 12% luxurious cashmere gives "Baby Cashmerino" fabulous machine washability plus a touch of indulgence for all the little girls & boys in your life.
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And last but certainly not least comes the ultimate choice for baby items to pass on to future generations. From the yarn mavens at Filatura Di Crosa, we recommend the superb Baby Aiko.
Luxuriously soft and whisper light, "Baby Aiko" is the ideal choice for that precious infant's fall & winter wardrobe. Combining 80% cashmere with 20% nylon is a stroke of genius because you get incredibly soft worsted-weight yarn with the durability & substance of nylon. Choose Italian-made "Baby Aiko" for those heirloom-quality baby booties, blankets, shawls & outfits.
Oh, and by the way, just as a little preview of what's to come, our 3rd issue of the Just Your Type newsletter will be emailed to you on Tuesday, April 28th, so get ready to indulge yourself with one of our most popular multi-seasonal yarn categories -- Luxury Silk Yarns. Consider all the ways you've knitted & crocheted with silks & silk blends year round, and we'll compare notes the end of next month, OK?
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Orginally published by Yarnmarket.com in 3/2009. Please note
that yarns and links may change over time.
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