What can you gift the parents of a new-born baby who have everything? Parents who have already had a baby or two will already have objects like a crib, baby's clothes, a pram and most other items, but the one gift that is always appreciated is a personalized or handmade knitted blanket. Home knitted baby blankets are much better than shop-purchased baby blankets and can either be passed down or kept to give to the baby twenty years later as an heirloom.
Up until fifty years ago, many individuals, such as aunts and grandmothers knitted and it was quite common to see hand-knitted baby blankets. This all but died out in the Seventies, Eighties and Nineties, but handcrafts have seen a resurgence in the new millennium. That has to be a positive sign. Coupled with this is the fact that modern wools, yarns and other fibres are more sturdy and safer than ever before.
Crib Blankets
That means that a hand-knitted baby blanket is a better present than ever before. There are dozens of colours and textures which makes it easy for the knitter to match any theme that the parents may have decided on for the baby's nursery.
A hand-knitted quilt or blanket is a very special gift which can either be passed down to the next baby or can be put away to be a present for the 'baby' at a later date, in the same way that a bride may put away her bridal gown for her daughter if she ever has one.
Whilst you are deciding on a design for your baby blanket, you should make safety your prime thought. This should include thought for the size or the blanket. The blanket has to fit the cot exactly so that there are no dangerous folds or gaps. The weave should also be tight enough so that small fingers and toes cannot get tangled up in them.
It is not good to have beads sewn into the blanket either. This is because babies soon begin teething and you do not want your baby to bite off a few beads and choke on them. Traditionally, parents used blue colours for a boy baby and pink for a girl and although that distinction blurred for a few decades it is being respected again so you will have to find out the sex of the baby - subtly if the knitted blanket is going to be a surprise gift.
There is no parent in the world that would not treasure a hand-knitted blanket or quilt for their new baby. It is a very extraordinary present that really will be considered as an heirloom to be passed down through the family or kept as a very special twenty-first birthday present. Embroider your name in a corner so that the person you gifted it to will always remember you too.