Sue Whiting - Weekend Crochet for Babies: 24 Cute Crochet Designs, from Sweaters and Jackets to Hats and Toys

Weekend Crochet for Babies

Sue Whiting

24 cute crochet designs,
from sweaters and jackets
to hats and toys

Published 2016 IMM Lifestyle
Books www.IMMLifestyleBooks.com

IMM Lifestyle Books are distributed in the UK by Grantham Book Service.

In North America, IMM Lifestyle Books are distributed by

Fox Chapel Publishing

1970 Broad Street

East Petersburg, PA 17520

www.FoxChapelPublishing.com

Copyright 2008, 2016 text and patterns:
Sue Whiting

Copyright 2008, 2016 photographs:
IMM Lifestyle Books

Copyright 2008, 2016 IMM Lifestyle Books

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publishers and copyright holders.

Sue Whiting has asserted her moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

ISBN 978 1 5048 0023 5

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Printed in China

Making something for a new arrival is both rewarding and fun. And, when you choose to crochet that special item, it can be quick too! Here you will find a lovely collection of quick and easy designs to delight any new baby or their mother, all of which can be completed in one or two weekends. All the patterns cater for tiny babies up to toddlers so you can make them for their bigger sister or brother too!

Its not difficult to learn to crochet especially if you are already a knitter and are familiar with handling yarn and knitting needles. Crochet only uses a hook, not a pair of needles, and there is only ever one stitch on the hook at any time. This makes it much more versatile and greatly reduces the chances of dropping stitches! Crochet has a few stitches to learn but, as these are all variations on a theme, youll find it really easy to master them. Once youve got the hang of one stitch, youll find it really easy to pick up the others.

To crochet something you dont need a lot of equipment. You just need a pattern youve got those in this book and a few other simple things. And the pattern will tell you exactly what these are.

Your pattern will tell you how much and what type of yarn you need to buy, and what size crochet hook to use. Crochet hooks come in lots of different sizes and there are different ways these sizes are measured metric, imperial and american. Opposite is a chart that shows you the equivalent sizes in each measurement system.

Your pattern will also tell you if you need anything else like buttons or ribbon. Apart from these few things, theres not much else you need! A pair of scissors will obviously be useful for cutting the yarn, and a tape measure will help you check the crocheted pieces are the right size. You will probably have to sew up a few seams, or darn in a few yarn ends so youll need a blunt-pointed needle with a large eye. Like those used for tapestry or sewing up knitted things, this sort of needle is not only easy to thread with a thick yarn but also the blunt point slips between the strands of yarn and makes sewing up neat and easy.

All the designs in this book can be made for babies from newborn up to 18 months old. Although approximate ages are given, its a much better idea to choose the size you want to make by measuring the actual chest size of the child. If you are still unsure what size to choose, compare the actual measurements of the garment given at the start of the pattern with those of a something you know fits the child well.

Almost any knitting yarn can be used for crochet but, when making items for little ones, you need to bear a few things in mind. Children can be very fussy and messy things and a babys skin is delicate. Because of this, youll find that a lot of the yarns featured in this book are machine washable. And they are soft too so they wont irritate the skin of your little treasure or monster!

Colinette Jitterbug 100% merino wool, 291 m/318 yd per 110 g (4 oz) hank, machine washable (cold wool cycle), tumble dry (low setting).

Colinette Banyan 49% cotton, 51% viscose, 102 m/112 yd per 50 g (1 oz) hank, hand wash.

Colinette Prism 50% wool, 50% cotton, 120 m/131 yd per 100 g (3 oz) hank, hand wash.

Rowan RYC Cashsoft DK (and Cashsoft Baby DK) 57% extra fine merino, 33% microfibre, 10% cashmere, 130 m/142 yd per 50 g (1 oz) ball, machine washable (wool cycle).

Rowan Pure Wool DK 100% superwash wool, 125 m/137 yd per 50 g (1 oz) ball, machine washable (wool cycle).

Rowan Wool Cotton 50% merino wool, 50% cotton, 113 m/123 yd per 50 g (1 oz) ball, machine washable (wool cycle).

Rowan Tapestry 70% wool, 30% soybean protein fibre, 120 m/131 yd per 50 g (1 oz) ball, hand wash.

Rowan Handknit Cotton DK 100% cotton, 85 m/93 yd per 50 g (1 oz) ball, machine washable (wool cycle).

Rowan Calmer 75% cotton, 25% acrylic microfibre, 160 m/175 yd per 50 g (1 oz) ball, hand wash.

Rowan All Seasons Cotton 60% cotton, 40% acrylic microfibre, 90 m/98 yd per 50 g (1 oz) ball, machine washable (wool cycle).