Choosing Yarn for Baby Knits: Safe, Soft and Washable
Baby knitting is the most-given handmade gift there is, and the most likely to end up unused. Usually for one reason: the yarn was chosen for beauty rather than for a household with a newborn in it.
Washable comes first
New parents are not hand-washing anything. A gorgeous merino cardigan that needs cool water and flat drying will be worn once and then admired from a drawer. Superwash wool, cotton and good acrylic can all go through a machine, and that is what makes a gift get used.
Softness, tested against your neck
Baby skin is far more sensitive than adult skin. The reliable test is to hold the yarn against your own neck rather than your hands — if it prickles there at all, it will bother a baby. Merino, cotton, bamboo blends and modern soft acrylics all pass easily.
Working out how much to buy
Baby projects are small, which makes them ideal for single balls and leftovers. Our yardage calculator gives the figure for hats, blankets and cardigans, and will tell you whether the stash you already have is enough.
Weight and season
DK is the everyday choice for baby garments and blankets — quick to work and not too warm. 4 ply gives beautiful heirloom pieces but takes considerably longer. Avoid chunky for anything worn: it's heavy and bulky on a small body, though it makes a lovely pram blanket.
Safety points worth knowing: no loose ribbons or drawstrings around necks, no buttons that could work loose on anything a baby will chew, and keep loose knitted blankets out of a sleeping baby's cot — current safe-sleep guidance is for a clear cot. A blanket for the pram, the floor or being carried is the safer gift.
Sizes, and the useful trick
Knit bigger than the baby is now. Newborn sizes fit for about six weeks, which is barely worth the effort. A 6–12 month size gets far more wear, and a summer-weight cardigan in a 12–18 month size will come into its own the following year.
For hats, a newborn head is around 13 to 15 inches and a 6–12 month head around 17 to 18 inches. Our hat calculator gives cast-on numbers for all of them from your own gauge.
Include the ball band
Tuck the ball band into the gift, or write the washing instructions on the label. Parents who don't knit have no way of knowing whether something is machine-washable, and will default to not risking it — which means not using it.
Questions we're often asked
What is the best yarn for baby blankets?
Machine-washable and soft: superwash DK, cotton, or a good quality soft acrylic. Acrylic is the practical favourite because it tolerates repeated hot washes and tumble drying without complaint.
Is wool safe for babies?
Yes, provided it's soft. Merino and superwash merino are gentle on baby skin. Coarser wools can prickle and irritate, so test against your neck rather than your palm.
What size baby garment should I knit as a gift?
6–12 months. Newborn sizes are outgrown within weeks, and most babies receive plenty of newborn clothing already.