What to Knit When You’re Expecting
When my husband and I found out that we were pregnant, one of the first I things I did was create my Pintrest board for baby, naturally. Among the various sections I added as I started aggressively pinning every essential (I say this very tongue-in-cheek) were boards for baby clothes I wanted to eventually sew, knit or source.
Even after about five years knitting experience, I still don’t view myself as an expert knitter. I don’t have 25 pairs of hand knit socks (I don’t even have one pair!) or a basket overflowing with half finished #WIP (work in progress) pieces. And I’ve never drafted my own knitting pattern… I still have trouble reading them sometimes. Rather, most of my knitting experience lies in shawls. For the last few years the approach of Fall, the crunch of fallen leaves, shorter nights and chill in the area has brought on the itch to knit.
When my friend and I adventured to the Maryland Sheep and Wool festival last May (such an excellent day trip, despite the rain!), I refrained from getting yet another shawl pattern and opted to try knitting a skirt.
All in all, I’ve made several shawls, a pair of socks, some hats, two pairs of slippers and a skirt. Outside of a childhood washrag phase, I think that sums up my knitting.
Start with Gathering Inspiration
The beginning of my knitting career actually coincides with the start of my first Instagram account. I think one of the first photos I posted was my Canopy Shawl fresh off the needles.
It was the first shawl I’d made. I remember adding in lots of “safety strings” so that when I had to pick out and redo rows I didn’t have to keep panicking over dropped stitches.
I made that shawl, which incidentally is probably still my favorite, because I was inspired by all the beautiful photos Melody posted. If you’re just beginning your knitting journey, or want to get into knitting but feel overwhelmed by the intricacy of the patterns, I think inspiration is the best place to start. Here are some of my favorite knitters that I follow on Instagram. They are mommas, makers and cultivators of beauty in their corners of the world.
Knitting is her vocation and she has put together many wonderful patterns, including the Canopy Shawl. Since having her own little girl she has started doing baby knits.
Her photo feed invites you into the beautiful mess that is tending to the garden, feeding her family and making. She sews and knits darling things for her little girl.
Living a slow, handmade life in an old Italian Farmhouse, this mama of three captures the simple life so beautifully through her photography. She keeps her boys cozy in hand knits.
Cat at theolivetreesandthemoon
Following her gardening journey in Portugal is such a pleasure. When not tending to her plants, she is usually knitting something lovely.
Since she lives in a land often blanketed in snow, much of her knitting is in the form of Icelandic Fair Isle sweaters.
Katherine at fiberandsustenance
Her color choices are far more bold then mine would ever be, but I love that she knits so much. It’s clearly a dearly cherished hobby for her and she does make some adorable things for her little girl.
This company makes the most beautiful patterns. I would love to make one (or more!) of everything.
Save Your Favorite Patterns
Pintrest is my favorite place for categorizing all the patterns I find beautiful. I know I’ll only ever make a fraction of all that I pin, but it’s still nice to have a place to save all the photos and links. Here are my boards that have knitted pieces:
Ravelry is a wonderful resource for patterns. You can find both free patterns and ones for purchase. It’s great seeing how others have knitted that same piece in varying color combinations and also the patterns have a review system so you can know the pattern difficulty rating. I’ve not used Ravelry extensively, but I have a few patterns saved to my favorites.
Instagram, like Pintrest, is where I gather a lot of my inspiration for what I want to knit next. When I find a great pattern I’ll usually save it to one of my Pintrest boards. One of the things I love is how many knitters have begun hash-tagging their pieces on Instagram. When I start a new pattern, I’ll often look it up on Instagram to see how others have made it. It’s neat seeing the varieties of colors chosen, and it’s reassuring to know that you’re on the right track when you compare your #WIP work to theirs. For example, when I knitted the green bloomers, I looked up the hashtag #mossybloomers and enjoyed seeing all the color variations people had chosen. Purl Soho’s #garterearflaphat is a sweet little hat that I knit for one of my sister-in-laws. There are over a thousand hashtags of that pattern on Instagram which is great to browse through.
Etsy is the place where I have purchased a lot of the patterns I’ve used. I don’t think it’s a great place for searching for patterns though. I’ll usually find patterns through Pintrest or Instagram and then be directed to Etsy, Ravelry or another site to purchase the pattern.
Tips for Starting Out Well
(a.k.a. my rookie mistakes you can avoid!)
Yarn size does matter. Yes, you can fudge it sometimes with similar yarn sizes, but the result will not be that intended in the pattern. I’ve never gotten into gauging, but most patterns will give you the recommended yarn and weight, and also the yarn gauge. This spring I was given some lovely, chunky cotton yarn that I thought would work fine for making a pair of baby bloomers. I was nearly finished with the pattern before I admitted to myself that they were huge, and would never work. Moral of the story, set yourself up for success with the right size of yarn, and the right size of knitting needles.
When I first started knitting, just looking at the yarn and needle requirements would overwhelm me, but that’s where yarn stores shine. Why buying yarn and needles in a brick and mortar store will always be more expensive than online, the women who work in these shops are often seasoned knitters and very knowledgeable. I’ve found their help to often be invaluable.
Knitting needles. Just about every pattern I’ve used called for a different set of knitting needles. I finally broke down and bought the Lykke Complete Interchangeable Circular Knitting Needle Set and have been so pleased with it. Another great way to build your knitting needle collection is through shopping at thrift stores. When purchased second hand, you don’t always know the exact size so having this tool Susan Bates 14099 Knit-Chek for Knitting Needles is very handy.
Youtube tutorials are your friend. There are so many different stitches and techniques in the realm of knitting. It’s hard to remember all the different twists. That’s where Youtube comes in super handy. For every new stitch I don’t know, I look it up on Youtube. And wouldn’t you know, someone somewhere has made a video on it.
Yarn quality. This may just be a personal preference, but since learning about all the benefits of natural fibers, I’ll admit that I’ve become something of a fiber snob. While there is nothing inherently wrong with making things using synthetic fibers, my philosophy is if you’re going to invest that much of your time into making something so beautiful, why not start with quality fibers. The look and feel is just different.
Patterns Made
Here are the pieces I’ve made this year is preparation for our little one. We won’t find out if our baby is a boy or girl until birth, so I’ve tried to focus on some gender neutral patterns… though everything looks like it’s still best suited to a little girl. Ahh well.
a & b) Cloth Baby Shoe Tutorial from thatssewnina.blogspot.com
Fabric used: Cotton and Linen
Notes: This pattern is FREE! Very easy to follow. It was quick, and you’ll feel so pleased with the finished product.
c) Florence Newborn Bonnet by BeautifulEweDesigns on www.etsy.com
Yarn used: Fine weight, 100% Baby Alpaca
Notes: I was not very pleased with this pattern. I didn’t feel like it was well done and I ended up doing something different for the tie.
d) Lace Leggings from knittingforolive.com
Yarn used: Sport weight,
70% Alpaca, 30% Silk in “Heather”
Notes: The pattern was a little confusing in places, but overall not too bad. The lace portion was interesting, and the knitted portion dull but that’s to be expected.
e) Baby Bonnet by MyAgnesknits on www.etsy.com
Yarn used: Light / Worsted weight, 100% Merino Wool in Brick Red
Notes: I really enjoyed this one. The pattern was very straightforward and relatively simple.
f) Mossy Bloomers from www.ravelry.com
Yarn used: Worsted and Aran weight, 65% Wool / 35% Alpaca in “Moss Green”
Notes: I knitted this one in the 3-6 month size. The pattern was very straightforward and relatively simple.
g) Textured Tootsies from www.simplynotable.com
Yarn used: Fine weight, 100% Baby Alpaca
Notes: This pattern is FREE! The pattern was a bit tricky, but once I figured it out sock number two went quickly and I’m really pleased with the end result.
Bean Sprout Bloomers from knittingforolive.com
Yarn used: 3 DK and light worsted weight, 100% Baby Alpaca in “Taupe”
Notes: These are my current #WIP. I’m still getting used to the way these patterns are designed. I don’t think they are the most straightforward, but I’m getting there.
Want to Make
In the two months left of my pregnancy, I’m hoping to complete the Bean Sprout Bloomers and the Garter Ear Flap Hat. Here is the handful of patterns I would probably purchase next to make for baby (also pictured above):
Garter Ear Flap Hat FREE from www.purlsoho.com
Easy Kid’s Knit Top by SealedbyaKris on www.etsy.com
Baby Romper by LittleFrenchKnits on www.etsy.com
Clover Pants by hviedsverden.com
James Stay-On Shoe by JuliaAdamsPatterns on www.etsy.com
Blueberry Body by knittingforolive.com
Thanks for reading and happy knitting!
~ Kari
Do Good
Make Glad
Live Well