Gifts to Knit for Baby Showers

Giving a hand knit item at a baby shower is great way to bring a little one into the world with something personalized.

But predicting what will be the most useful to baby and the parents as well as gauging sizes can be tricky. Give a well thought out gift with these tips and pattern suggestions.

Of course you want to knit the most adorable present at the baby shower. But also consider the practicality of the gift and how it will fit into the parents' lifestyle. Baby showers are usually thrown for first-time mothers when they don't have many baby items to start out with. Try to choose a gift they can get a lot of use out of. If it's practical and can hold together it will be cherished.

If you're making a hand knit gift for a family that already has children they might have a lot of hand me downs already. This can be a good time to choose a fun, less practical gift.

Hand knit newborn baby accessories are so precious and mom will absolutely love unwrapping them.

It can be a bit tricky to figure out sizing. To make something that the baby can wear soon after he or she is born use 3-6 months sizing unless you are very confident in the pattern sizing. Especially with hats, "newborn" sizes can end up too small unless the stitch is stretchy. Since you are knitting an item for someone who isn't born yet, err on the side of a little bigger.

Keep yarn soft and machine washable. Cute hats that are quick to knit up make a good choice for a baby shower. Hats with little animal ears have been popular and have the added bonus of being gender neutral. You can finds lot of esy to follow patterns on Ravelry for knit baby hats.

Keep in mind that babies grow fast. So a more involved project like a sweater doesn't usually make sense for a baby unless you know the parents really appreciate a handmade item.

With enough time and patience, baby blankets make excellent gifts. The child can still use the blanket as they grow and your hard work can be passed down for years to come.

There are so many cute blanket patterns out there. Choose one to match your skill level that you can complete in time for the shower. You can downsize your favorite afghan or blanket pattern or pick a specific baby blanket pattern.

Be sure to use soft yarn that is machine washable. Ask mom if she has specific colors for the nursery you can try to compliment.

Along with blankets, toys can be an excellent choice for a baby shower because they can be used even as the child grows. Sometimes these end up being the child's favorite toy that they carry everywhere in early life. That's truly special!

Toys certainly require more knitting skill than a typical hat or blanket. But as long as you can knit basic increases and decreases the difficult part is just understanding the pattern.

Bears and bunnies make super cute stuffed baby toys. Teddy bear shaped toys are pretty fun because you can make little sweaters and other accessories to fit.

If your decision to start a knit project for a baby shower was made last minute you can still make a quality handmade item by choosing a quick project.

Headbands

Great little present for a newborn girl. Make sure to knit in a stretchy stitch. These are easy to customize with a quick crochet flower or just leave plain.

Booties or Socks

Knitting up a pair of booties is really quick once you have the pattern down. You want to look for a pattern that has the booties well secured to the child's feet.

Baby socks or leggings can be super cute and fun. They will require less structure work than a bootie.

Dish Clothes

Obviously this is not a knit gift that will last forever but will definitely be appreciated. Make from cotton yarn with a sturdy edge stitch to retain its shape.