Five Things to Know Before Knitting for a Baby

Baby knits are fast, satisfying, and endlessly giftable — but a few practical choices decide whether the finished piece lives in a drawer or gets worn every week.

Choose superwash or a soft cotton blend. New parents are not hand-washing anything, and a machine-washable yarn means your gift survives.

Size up. Newborn sizes are outgrown in weeks; a 6–12 month size gets far more wear.

Skip anything that comes loose. Buttons should be sewn on securely, and long ties are best replaced with short garter tabs.

Finally, pick a stitch pattern with no big holes for tiny fingers to catch, and always send along a care note with the yarn label attached.